Avocados and Diabetes

I have included several postings on the health benefits of avocados and weight loss.  Avocados are the super fruits of weight loss and amazing at zapping unwanted belly fat.  Within this posting you will read how beneficial avocados are for people with diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

"The latest guidelines issued by the American Diabetes Association emphasize a diet rich in monounsaturated fat for improved diabetes control. According to the guidelines, people with diabetes are no longer limited to a low-carbohydrate/low-fat diet and may instead choose a higher-monounsaturated fat diet that includes avocados."(3)
 
Avocados fight high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes.  They are loaded with monounsaturated fat, potassium, fiber, and antioxidants.  The following article presents 6 ways avocados keep you healthy. 

1. Cholesterol is the first way avocado can impact your health.  Avocados contain 30grams of fat per fruit (mostly monounsaturated) this is the good fat the protects good HDL cholesterol while getting rid of the bad LDL cholesterol which clogs the arteries.  Avocados contain 10 grams of fiber and beta-sitosterol (a plant chemical).  Both of these help lower cholesterol.  Vitamins C and E which are powerful antioxidants also contribute to preventing dangerous free radicals from reacting with the cholesterol in your body.

An Australia study demonstrated that eating half to one-and-a-half avocados a day for 3 weeks could lower your total cholesterol by more than 8 percent without lowering your good HDL cholesterol. (2)
This is great news for those who are trying to lower bad cholesterol without effecting the good.

2.  Each avocado contains 1,200 milligrams of potassium and that is two and a half times as much as a banana.  There have been studies that show potassium is beneficial in lowering blood pressure.   Magnesium is another mineral found in avocados.  Some researchers have noted that magnesium relaxes blood vessels and enables them to open wider which gives blood more room to flow freely, reducing blood pressure.(2)

3.  Avocado's  help battle strokes with potassium, magnesium, and fiber.  "In the Health Professionals follow up study included 43,000 men, researchers found that the men who got the most potassium in their diet were 38% less likely to have a stroke compared to those who got the least.  Results were lower for fiber (30%) and magnesium (30%). (2).

4.  Heart disease is effected and can be reduced as avocados help control your cholesterol and blood pressure.
If you eat one avocado a day (contains 10 grams fiber) you decrease your risk of heart disease by 19%.(2).  Vitamin C, Potassium, and Folate (part of vitamin B family) are linked to reduced risk of heart disease.

5. Defends against diabetes- If you have diabetes, you're probably looking for ways to replace the saturated fat in your diet with more carbohydrates.
Instead, consider substituting some of those carbohydrates with monounsaturated fat, the kind you get from avocados.

Eating high-fiber foods, like avocados, can benefit people with type 2 diabetes in several ways. One study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that a high-fiber diet (50 grams per day) lowered cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, and insulin levels.
Avocados have earned the backing of the American Diabetes Association, which has included avocados in its collection of suggested recipes.(2)

6- Curbs cancer- Including a lot of fiber in your diet will help to protect against certain cancers, particularly colon and breast cancer.

"Researchers looking at data from The Seven Countries Study recently concluded that adding 10 grams of fiber to your daily diet could cut your risk of dying from colon cancer by 33 percent over 25 years."(2)
 Although a few studies have found fiber ineffective in preventing cancer, many experts still recommend eating plenty of high-fiber foods.

Including avocado as part of your healthy eating is a great way to gain health benefits, add variety to your meals, and zap unwanted belly fat. 


Here are some healthy ways to include avocado into your eating plan.


- Mash and mix with salsa.
- Include avocado in your favorite soup.
- Spread avocado on a whole wheat bagel, crackers.
- Add avocado or guacamole to your taco or wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla.
- Include mashed avocado or guacamole to your mashed potatoes or brown rice.
- Dip blue sprouted grain chips into guacamole.
- Make egg salad with guacamole or use when making deviled eggs
-Spread guacamole on your scrambled eggs or omelet.  
-Include avocado slices on your hamburger, sandwich, or salad.
-Include guacamole with your rice/beans over garden salad.


There are many ways to include avocado into your daily diet just be creative.  I hope you enjoyed this information and begin to include avocado into your diet as often as possible to benefit from this super fruit.

Reference:
(1) Evidence-Based Nutrition Principles and Recommendations for the Treatment and Prevention of Diabetes and Related Complications. Annual Review of Diabetes 2002, American Diabetes Association, pages 70-120, January 2002.

 (2) Diabetes Daily (January 1, 2009).

(3) SANTA ANA, CA--(HISPANIC PR WIRE)--July 15, 2002