A first-of-its-kind Kiwi study may have just found another reason to eat avocados: the fruit may boost gut health.
While avocados contain compounds that are already known to support cardiovascular health and blood glucose regulation, and have anti-inflammatory benefits, a study by scientists at Plant and Food Research has proven the first to examine the direct effect on gut health.
Macronutrients in food such as dietary fibre are known to alter gut microbiota composition and metabolic activity, so the team fed rats different diets that included five, 10 or 15 per cent avocado for six weeks.
While the researchers were surprised to find no noticeable effect on bacterial populations in the rats' guts compared with the control, they did find other beneficial health effects.
The gut bacteria metabolised the dietary fibre in the avocado to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) as a result of fermentation.