(P14-046-23) The Effect of Including One Avocado Daily in a Habitual Diet on Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load in Free-Living Adults With Overweight/Obesity

Objectives: Lowering the glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) of a diet may reduce cardiometabolic risk. We determined if the daily inclusion of one large avocado in the habitual diet for six months affected the GI and/or GL values of the diet in individuals with overweight/obesity compared to the habitual diet without avocado

Methods: Secondary analysis of data from the Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial, a multi-site, free-living, randomized, parallel-arm intervention study in which participants (N=1008) were randomized to either eating one avocado/day (AVO group; provided to participants) or abstaining from avocado intake (HD group) for 6 months. Both groups otherwise followed their habitual diet. Dietary data were obtained using three unannounced 24-hour dietary recalls from which GL and GI values of the diets were estimated. Differences between diet groups were assessed using linear regression models adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and energy intake and reported as estimated marginal means (EMM) ± SEM. Those with improbable GL values (< or > three SD from the mean) were excluded from the analysis (n=13). Differences by study site were assessed.

Results: Participants with complete dietary data (n=976) were analyzed (women: 73%; mean age 50.5 y [range 25.1-86.6 y], mean [±SD] for BMI in kg/m²: 33.0 [± 5.4]). The unadjusted means (± SD) for GL (glucose reference) values were 107 (±43) for HD group, and 104 (±41) for AVO group, and for GL (bread reference) were 153 (±61) for HD group and 149 (±59) for AVO group. After adjustment for age, sex, BMI, and energy intake, the GL values for the AVO group were 13 units lower than HD group (HD: 112 ± 1, AVO: 99 ± 1) using glucose reference, and 19 units lower (HD: 160 ± 2, AVO 141 ± 2) using bread reference (p < 0.001). These differences were consistent across study sites. GI of the diet did not vary between the two groups before or after adjustment.

Conclusions: The daily inclusion of an avocado, a plant food high in unsaturated fat and fiber, significantly decreased GL of the diet by >10 units, which may confer health benefits.

Funding Sources: Hass Avocado Board