Effect of Incorporating 1 Avocado Per Day Versus Habitual Diet on Visceral Adiposity: A Randomized Trial
Lichtenstein AH, Kris‐Etherton PM, Petersen KS, Matthan NR, Barnes S, Vitolins MZ, Li Z, Sabaté J, Rajaram S, Chowdhury S, Davis KM, Galluccio J, Gilhooly CH, Legro RS, Li J, Lovato L, Perdue LH, Petty G, Rasmussen AM, Segovia‐Siapco G, Sirirat R, Su · Journal of the American Heart Association · 2022 July 19
DOI 10.1161/JAHA.122.025657
Objective
To investigate whether consuming 1 large avocado per day for 6 months can decrease visceral adiposity in individuals with an elevated waist circumference.
Conclusions
The addition of 1 avocado per day to the habitual diet for 6 months did not reduce visceral adipose tissue volume and had minimal effect on risk factors associated with cardiometabolic disorders.
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Insights
Despite previous suggestions, daily avocado consumption for six months did not decrease visceral adipose tissue volume in individuals with elevated waist circumference.
The HAT Trial was a multicenter, randomized, controlled study designed to observe the effects of consuming one large avocado per day for six months on free-living individuals with an increased waist circumference. The primary measure of effect was the change in visceral adipose tissue volume, which was measured through magnetic resonance imaging. Other conditions related risk factors associated with cardiometabolic disorders were surveyed as secondary and additional endpoints.
In results analysis, there was no significant alteration in visceral adipose tissue volume between the Avocado Supplemented and Habitual Diet Groups. No noteworthy differences were noticed in the secondary outcomes including hepatic fat fraction and certain components of the metabolic syndrome. Of the extra outcome measures, small but significant reductions were seen in total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the Avocado Supplemented compared to the Habitual Diet Group. Changes in body weight, body mass index, insulin concentration and other measured factors were very similar between both groups, showing no considerable change due to avocado consumption.
