Study Overview
A prospective, longitudinal cohort study (Adventist Health Study 2) of over 55,000 participants was conducted to assess the impact of habitual avocado intake on changes in weight and BMI and the odds of normal weight individuals becoming overweight or obese during follow-up. Avocado intake (g/day) was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Self-reported height and weight were collected at baseline. Self-reported follow-up weight was collected with follow-up questionnaires between 4 to 11 years after baseline.1
Published: March 2019, Nutrients
Study funded by Hass Avocado Board
Category: Weight Management
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Key Takeaways
Eating avocados regularly was linked to lower risk for developing overweight and obesity.
At baseline, avocado consumers weighed less than non-consumers
74.5 +/- 15.5kg vs 77.9 +/- 16.2kg
At baseline, avocado consumers had lower BMI’s compared to non-consumers
26 +/- 4.5kg vs 27.3 +/- 4.8kg
Avocado consumers who were normal weight at baseline gained less weight than people who didn’t eat avocados.
Participants that consumed at least 32g of avocado/day (~1/5 of a whole avocado or ~2 T/d) had the lowest odds of becoming overweight or obese.
Older subjects in the cohort have a tendency to lose weight over time but they were less likely to lose weight if they consumed avocado.
Participants who were overweight or obese at baseline and consumed any avocado were more likely to achieve a normal BMI at the follow-up visits compared to non-consumers.
Strength of study:
- Large population (over 55,000 men and women).
- Long study duration (4-11 years).
- A large range of habitual avocado intake (never to 2+ times per day).
As in all research, the study has its limitations. Specifically, weight and height were self-reported and diet was assessed only by food-frequency questionnaire at baseline, which can have human error.
Additionally, the study population was made up of Seventh-Day Adventists which abstain from alcohol intake and smoking and encourage a vegetarian diet, so it is unknown whether the results apply to the general U.S. population.
Lastly, this is not an intervention trial (the gold standard in research) and so this type of trial can only show association, not a cause and effect relationship between avocado intake and weight/BMI. In other words, we can say “Eating avocados regularly is linked to lower risk for developing overweight and obesity,” but we cannot say “Eating avocados reduces body weight and improves BMI.”
Therefore, results should be interpreted with caution. Additional long term intervention trials are needed to assess the effect of avocado intake on body weight and BMI, especially in younger individuals.
1. Heskey C, K. Oda, J. Sabaté. Avocado Intake, and Longitudinal Weight and Body Mass Index Changes in an Adult Cohort. Nutrients 2019.
2. O’Neil, C.E., T.A. Nicklas, V.L. Fulgoni. Avocado Consumption by Adults is Associated with Better Nutrient Intake, Diet Quality, and Some Measures of Adiposity: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001–2012. Internal Medicine Review 2017.
