Avocado consumption might help boost brain activity in obese adults!

We've all heard of the saying that an apple a day keeps a doctor away. But the truly miraculous fruit actually is an avocado. Known for a plethora of health benefits, it can work wonders in keeping your health in check. And what's more, a new study has found that consuming at least one avocado on a daily basis could help boost brain activity in obese adults. As per the study, avocados could help improve their ability to focus and be more attentive.

For the study, the researchers conducted a survey on more than 84 obese individuals over a time period of 12 weeks where their daily meals were taken into account as well. "Previous work has shown that individuals who are overweight and obese are at higher risk for cognitive decline and dementia in older age," said study lead author Naiman Khan from the University of Illinois in the US.

"We are interested in whether dietary approaches may have benefits for cognitive health, especially in midlife," Khan added. Since avocados are rich in lutein which is a component that is known to aid with cognitive health, they can help boost brain activity. The individuals were divided into two groups and their foods consisted of the same calories and macronutrients. The only difference in their meal was that one group received a fresh avocado every day while the other didn't.

The participants were also asked to complete three cognitive tests at the beginning as well as the end of the study. Their lutein levels were also measured during the course of their survey. They were able to find that at the end of the study, the group that had consumed avocados was able to do better on one of the cognitive tests which focused on attention span and ability to complete tasks despite distractions. There was, however, no difference in the other two tests.

"It could be that nutrients in avocados have a specific action in the brain that supports the ability to do this task in particular, or they could be more beneficial for certain cognitive abilities over others," Khan said. "It's also possible that with a longer study or different tests, we could see other effects. Other studies have found broader effects in other populations, so it is interesting to see a more specific benefit for this population," Khan added.