L’avocado it is a tropical fruit native to a vast geographical area that extends from the central and western mountains of Mexico to the coasts of the Pacific Ocean in Central America. Right here it is used in almost every dish. The term avocado derives from the Spanish “aguacate” and even earlier from the noun “ahuacat”, or “testicle”, as it is born and grows in pairs. Although it belongs to the categories of fleshy fruits, it contains less water, sugars and water-soluble acids. It is also rich in fats and vitamin E. Due to these properties, the fruit is not easy to use in the Mediterranean diet and in Italy it can almost be considered a novelty.
One studio conducted by researchers from Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, led by PhD student Sharon Thompson and published in the journal “Journal of Nutrition” found that consuming one avocado a day can help improve the health of theintestine. In particular, the scientists came to the conclusion that eating the fruit daily would result in a greater abundance of intestinal microbes. The latter break down the fibers and produce metabolites, which are essential for the well-being of the intestine.
The survey involved 163 healthy subjects aged between 25 and 45, in overweight or obese. Everyone received a meal per day to be consumed in place of breakfast, lunch or dinner. One group ate an avocado with each meal. In contrast, the control group followed a similar but fruitless diet. In addition to delivering blood, urine and stool samples for 12 weeks, the participants also reported the amount of meals they received and every 4 weeks recorded what they ate.
Starting from the hypothesis that i fat and the fibers contained in avocado positively influence the intestinal microbiota, the aim of the research was to understand how this happens. Avocado is high in fat. However, the researchers found that the group who supplemented the fruit not only consumed more calories, but also had a little more fat in their stools. This is because avocado reduces the bile acids, that is, the molecules secreted by the digestive system that allow the absorption of fat. But that is not all. This reduction is associated with an increase in short-chain fatty acids, with consequent benefits for intestinal health.
Do not forget, then, the importance of fibre soluble products for the well-being of microbiome. An average avocado provides about 12 grams of fiber and its consumption allows the achievement of the recommended daily amount, which corresponds to 28-34 grams of fiber. “We can’t break down intestinal fibers – says researcher Hannah Holscher – but some gut microbes do. When we consume dietary fiber it is a win for the intestinal microbes and for us. Just as we think about heart-healthy meals, we also need to think about gut-healthy meals and how to feed the microbiota.».
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