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Found: A Fruit That May Help To Lower Glucose Levels & Balance Blood Sugar

Author:

Hannah Frye

November 08, 2023

Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

By Hannah Frye

Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.

Image by Joanna Nixon / Stocksy

November 08, 2023

If you're trying to watch your blood sugar, chances are you're mindful of your fruit intake. It seems counterintuitive to steer clear of whole, nutrient-rich foods like mangoes and citrus, but some fruits just aren't the best for those with blood sugar concerns.

However, you may be happy to know that one popular fruit out there may actually benefit blood sugar, according to new research.

Avocados may help support balanced blood sugar

We're talking about avocados—and yes, they are technically a fruit even though they don't taste like candy.

The new research on this creamy fruit was published in the Journal of Nutrition, stating that avocado intake was strongly linked to lower fasting blood sugar, lower fasting insulin, and reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes 1.

Researchers analyzed data from 6,224 older adults, taking particular interest in how many avocados a person consumed as well as their fasting blood sugar and insulin levels.

They also looked at avocado-specific metabolites in the blood—which indicate that someone had eaten an avocado. This metric varies from person to person depending on how they metabolize avocados. And it showed that for some people, avocados may be beneficial for blood sugar balance—but not necessarily for everyone. Whether or not avocados lower someone's fasting blood sugar seems to depend on how they personally metabolize the fruit.

A dietitian weighs in

According to registered dietitian nutritionist and mindbodygreen’s supplements editor Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN, “These fasting measures are your body's baseline—so it's a way to assess how well your body is managing blood sugar levels," she says, adding that elevated fasting levels can indicate that your body has not been able to sufficiently bring your blood sugar down after a meal.

It's critical to remember that everyone metabolizes food differently and, as the study states, these fruits may not be equally beneficial for every person. But regardless of their impact on blood sugar, avocados are also a solid source of healthy fats and fiber.

In particular, avocados contain omega-3 fatty acids, which come with full-body benefits related to brain health, heart health 2, skin hydration 3, and beyond—making this fruit worth having regardless of your blood sugar goals.

How to get more avocados

As a California native and daily avocado consumer, I thought I'd share some of my favorite ways to use this fruit if you're ready to up your intake:

On toast (of course): It may be basic, but avocado toast never fails me—likely because my meals include more than just half an avocado on a slice of bread. I'd suggest pairing your creamy fruit with toppings like chili flakes, feta cheese, a fried egg, microgreens, pickled onions, and of course, a variety of spices.
In salad dressing: Avocados can make any salad dressing more creamy without overpowering the flavor profile. All you have to do is pop some avocado meat in the blender with your favorite dressing ingredients.
In your smoothie: The creaminess that avocados bring to your salad dressing can also be applied to smoothies. Trust me, you won't taste the avocado if you pair it with potent flavors from berries, bananas, or nut butters.
A-la-carte (kind of): This one is reserved for the true avocado fans—a ripe avocado with some olive oil and flaky sea salt. It's simple, creamy, and it only takes about a minute to prepare at most.

The takeaway

A new study suggests that avocados may be beneficial for blood sugar levels in some people. Regardless of that specific perk, avocados are packed with omega-3s and fiber, making them a worthy whole food to consider adding to your diet. If you want to learn more about blood sugar balancing, check out this guide.