A daily avocado diet for 12 weeks can improve cognitive abilities in adults, according to new study. By measuring size andWeight of the test subjectsthe researchers classified them as overweight or obese. This resulted in new randomized study results. Scientists at the University of Illinois conducted the 12-week study and published it in the International Journal of Psychophysiology.
Avocado diet for cognitive health
Previous research has shown that people who are overweight and obese are at higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia as they age. For this reason, scientists are interested in whether nutritional approaches can have benefits for cognitive health. This is particularly true in middle age.
Avocados contain a lot of lutein. This is a nutritional component that scientists link to cognitive benefits. Although they have examined the benefits of such an avocado diet in older adults and children, no randomized controlled trial has examined the cognitive effects on overweight individuals. Many people fall into this category these days.
In the new study, researchers followed 84 adults who were overweight or obese for 12 weeksdaily meals with avocado. These were identical in calories and macronutrients, but one group's diet would include a fresh avocado every day, while the control group would get no buttered pears. At the beginning and end of the study, participants completed three cognitive tests to measure attention and inhibition. In addition, researchers measured lutein levels in the blood and retina, which is related to its concentration in the brain.
Study results
The researchers found that the avocado diet improved participants' performance on one of the cognitive tests. This is the ability to concentrate on the task at hand even when distracted. However, there was no difference between the other two cognitive tests. It could be that nutrients in avocados have a specific effect in the brain. This supports the ability to complete the task in particular. In certain cognitive abilities, the subjects could be more advantageous than others.
It is also possible that other effects may be discovered with a longer study or other tests. Other studies have found broader effects in other populations, so it is interesting to see a more specific benefit for this population. Another unexpected finding was that although the participants who ate avocados had higher lutein levels at the end of the study, the changes in levels did not correlate with their cognitive changes.
Avocados are also high in fiber and easyunsaturated fatty acids. It's possible that these other nutrients played a role in the cognitive effects. So future analyzes could focus on other nutrients found in avocados.
Although yourselfthis studyFocused on avocados, other foods are also dietary sources of lutein, fiber and unsaturated fats. These would be, for example, green leafy vegetables or eggs, which also have potential cognitive and health benefits. Importantly, the study shows that small dietary changes like eating avocados can have measurable effects on cognitive performance, even when other health behaviors remain the same.
