A study at the University of Illinois College of Agriculture, consumer and environmental sciences has exposed that including avocado in your daily diet can help improve gut health. Avocados are a healthy food that is rich in dietary fibre and monounsaturated fat which impacts the microbes in the gastrointestinal system or `gut`.

Sharon Thompson, a graduate student in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at U of I and lead author on the paper, published in the Journal of Nutrition said, "We know eating avocados helps you feel full and reduces blood cholesterol concentration, but we did not know how it influences the gut microbes, and the metabolites the microbes produce.

 "The researchers found that people who ate avocado every day as part of a meal had a greater abundance of gut microbes that break down fibre and produce metabolites that support gut health. They also had greater microbial diversity compared to people who did not receive the avocado meals, says the study. Thompson told, "Avocado consumption reduced bile acids and increased short-chain fatty acids. These changes correlate with beneficial health outcomes. "The study included 163 adults between 25 - 45 years of age with overweight or obesity - defined as a BMI of at least 25 kg/m2 - but otherwise healthy. They received one meal per day to consume as a replacement for either breakfast, lunch, or dinner. One group consumed an avocado with each meal, while the control group consumed a similar meal but without the avocado. The participants provided blood, urine, and faecal samples throughout the 12-week study.

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