FAT MOLECULE IN AVOCADOS CAN FIGHT TYPE 2 DIABETES

Avocado: Some fat molecules in the fruit can help fight Type 2 Diabetes

Avocados aren’t merely a tasty addition to a diet, they contain a fat molecule that may safely reduce insulin resistance.

A study by researchers from the University of Guelph, in Canada, suggests that this compound, which avocados alone contain, may forestall or prevent the hallmark of type 2 diabetes in mice.

The team also tested the safety of this compound in human participants. They have published a summary of their findings in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.

Type 2 diabetes prevents the body from successfully processing glucose, or sugar, in the blood.

In people without diabetes, this processing happens with the assistance of the pancreatic hormone insulin. In people who have diabetes, the body either does not produce enough of the hormone, or it cannot use it effectively.

Either type of diabetes can cause too much glucose to remain in the blood, an unhealthy state that — if left unmanaged — can cause a range of serious issues, including heart disease, stroke, and kidney or nerve damage.

The University of Guelph research, led by an associate professor at the school, Paul Spagnuolo, Ph.D., looked particularly at insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance, say the study’s authors, occurs when mitochondria in cells cannot burn fatty acids via oxidation sufficiently. In diabetes, that oxidation is incomplete.

The compound in question is a fat molecule called avocatin B, or AvoB.

“We advocate healthy eating and exercise as solutions to the problem, but that’s difficult for some people. We’ve known this for decades, and obesity and diabetes are still a significant health problem.”

–Nawaz Ahmed, Lead Author of the Paper