Against Type 2 Diabetes, Bet On Avocados

The avocado has relatively recently entered the Bulgarian table and rightly so. In addition to being a source of healthier fats, it turns out to contain a unique ingredient that affects insulin sensitivity. 

The research is at the laboratory level and is the work of scientists from the University of Guelph, Canada, who discovered a unique molecule, not found in other products, in it, which demonstrates the ability to prevent and prevent type 2 diabetes . The research team has reached the level of testing the safety of the ingredient in volunteers, writes the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.

Type 2 diabetes develops when the body does not produce enough insulin or the hormone is not used effectively. The condition is related to the non-absorption of glucose and its concentration in the blood. The unfortunate thing is that diabetes is a disease that cannot be treated with a single pill. It requires adherence to a complex regimen, including drug therapy, diet and physical activity, accompanied by constant monitoring of blood sugar levels. Neglect of health, alas, is detrimental and leads to a number of subsequent complications such as cardiovascular disease. The risks in people with diabetes of heart disease, stroke, kidney and nervous system damage are serious.

Assoc. Prof. Paul Spagnolo's team focuses on monitoring the ingredient's insulin resistance. It occurs when mitochondria in cells cannot use fatty acids as fuel by oxidation. In diabetes, this oxidation is incomplete. 

Scientists call the curious ingredient avocatin B or AvoB.

After 8 weeks of eating a lot of fat to gain weight and provoke insulin resistance, the researchers included AvoB in their diet for 5 weeks. The results showed that the weight gain when taking the ingredient was lower and at the same time the insulin sensitivity was improved, compared to the data from the control group. According to the researchers, AvoB contributes to the complete oxidation of fatty acids by mitochondria in the muscles and pancreas, which improves glucose tolerance and insulin use.

In a separate, double-blind, placebo-controlled human clinical trial, the researchers looked at the effects of the AvoB supplement combined with a medium Western diet for 60 days.

The dosages were 50 mg or 200 mg. At the end of the test, the medics found that the volunteers tolerated the compound well. The team did not detect adverse effects on the liver, muscles or kidneys and found no indications of dose-dependent toxicity.

Also, some have experienced some weight loss, which, according to researchers, is insignificant.

The research team is currently clinically testing the effectiveness of AvoB , and has already received permission to sell it in powder and pill form from the Canadian Health Service. Unfortunately, the amount of ingredient needed to provide the antidiabetic effect cannot be obtained by consuming avocados alone. Its amount in the fruit varies, and scientists are still unaware of the mechanism by which the body extracts it from avocados.

However, regular inclusion of avocados in the daily menu can only bring benefits.