Half an Avocado with Lunch Helps Tame Hunger Pangs

Eating one-half of a fresh avocado along with lunch may help one feel satiated, leading to consumption of fewer calories later in the day.

The small study included 26 people aged between 25 and 65 years. All participants were overweight with a body mass index of 25 or above. They all had a similar breakfast for three days, Huffington Post reported. For lunch, they were asked to eat a lunch with or without avocado.

Researchers found that people who ate half-an-avocado with lunch were 40 percent less likely to feel like snacking three hours after lunch. Also, they were 28 percent less likely to eat again, five hours post-lunch, according to cbsnews. 

"Satiety is an important factor in weight management, because people who feel satisfied are less likely to snack between meals," said Joan Sabaté from Loma Linda University and lead author of the study.

"We also noted that though adding avocados increased participants' calorie and carbohydrate intake at lunch, there was no increase in blood sugar levels beyond what was observed after eating the standard lunch. This leads us to believe that avocados potential role in blood sugar management is worth further investigation," Sabaté said in a news release.

About three grams of carbohydrates is present in fresh Hass avocados, with less than a gram of natural sugar per ounce. The fruit contributes to eight percent of the daily requirement of fiber, according to the news release.

The study is published in the Nutrition Journal and was funded by the Hass Avocado Board.

Hass avocados were an accidental find. Learn more about it, here.