Veg Diet Logo

Are avocados good for weight loss?

Avocado

Are avocados good for weight loss?

Are avocados good for weight loss? Judge yourself by looking at the following evidence about avocado and its health effects. Before adding avocado to your weight loss diet, it will be wise to make a decision based on scientific studies and what they say about avocado for weight loss.

Avocado is a medium energy density food [PMID: 23638933]. Avocados are naturally high in fiber. Fiber is a natural appetite suppressant, as it slows down the process of eating [PMID: 24279738]. Fuller stomach turns your appetite off. Avocados in your diet can curb your cravings and retain your weight under the limits.

In addition to being high in fiber, avocados are rich in vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K. Avocados are also good sources of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron.

But are Avocados good for weight loss? If this is one question that keeps bugging your mind, then the next hypothesis is for you to make a judgment.

Avocado for weight loss hypothesis

Objective

This hypothesis assumes that high fiber foods such as avocados provide satiety and reduces hunger. Therefore, we will add only avocado in the diet until the calories requirement of the day, or proteins or the fiber requirement of the day whichever is achieved first. The objective of this model is to create a calorie deficit diet but at the same time meeting protein and fiber RDA.

Limitations

Since we are focusing on weight loss and creating a calories deficit diet, this hypothesis however does not focus on meeting nutritional needs. It is to be informed that a calorie deficit diet is often scarce in nutrition including proteins. You can consult your dietitian for more clarification.

Statement

If the calories requirement is achieved first, it means you will have to stop further eating which otherwise may lead to weight gain. In that case, a calorie deficit diet may not be achieved.

If the proteins or fiber requirement is met by eating avocados and you are still calorie deficit, it means you will experience reduced hunger and may achieve weight loss.

Based on avocado nutrition facts, we know that one small avocado’s pulp weighs 100 grams and provides 144.26 kCal, 2.95 gm proteins, 1.75 gm carbs, and 13.86 gm fats.

The fiber in one small avocado is around 6.69 gm, which is 17.61 % of the daily value for RDA of 38 gm for a male. Similarly, an adult female needs 25 grams of fiber. Eating one small avocado will fulfill her 26.7% of daily fiber needs. At that moment, we will stop adding avocado if the fiber requirement is met. Let’s begin adding avocados.

Why are avocados good for weight loss - a hypothesis

Eating two small avocados will provide 288.52 kcal and 13.38 grams of fiber. This fiber is 35.21% of the daily needs of an adult male and 53.52% of the female’s needs. Eating just two avocados can provide a female half of her daily fiber requirements.

Taking three small avocados will offer 432.78 kcal and 20.07 grams of fiber. This fiber amount is 52.82% of the daily requirements of a male and 80.28% of the female. Eating three avocados provides a man half of his daily fiber needs.

Adding four small avocados to the diet will make available 577.04 kcal energy and 26.76 gm fiber. This fiber is 70.42% of the daily needs of an adult male and 107.04% of the female’s needs. Four avocados can complete female daily fiber requirements within just a 577.04 calorie budget.

When you add five small avocados, you will receive 721.3 kcal and fiber of 33.45 grams. This amount of fiber is 88.03% of the RDA of an adult male.

Six small avocados collectively provide 865.56 kcal and 40.14 gm fiber, which is 105.63% of the daily needs of an adult male. Six avocados can complete a man’s daily fiber requirements with a mere 865.56  kcal.

Based on the above iterations, we can say that adding 4 avocadoes to the female diet and 6 avocados to the male diet can complete their fiber requirements with a substantial calorie deficit.

So, are avocados good for weight loss? Yes definitely. You can create a calorie deficit diet by adding avocadoes [PMID: 23638933] and studies have concluded that too. The higher the calorie deficit, the higher will be the weight loss.

As part of a healthy lifestyle, you should eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. However, if you are trying to lose weight, you should combine high protein, low carb foods with avocado and don’t forget to exercise.

The following nutritional information of four avocados is for your reference only to help you decide how many avocados for weight loss you can choose.

Four avocado nutrition values

Serving size – 400 gm of four avocados pulp without seeds (or 4 small avocados)

Four avocados macros

a. Calories in four avocados – 577.02 kCal, which is 28.85 % of the daily value for RDA of 2000 kCal,

b. Protein in four avocados – 11.80 gm, that is 15.73 % of the daily value for RDA of 75 gm i.e. 15 % of calories. Protein forms 8.18 % of the calories of four avocados.

c. Carbs in four avocados – 7.00 gm, around 2.55 % of the daily value for RDA of 275 gm i.e. 55 % of calories. Carbs form 4.85 % of the calories of four avocados.

d. Fats in four avocados – 55.44 gm, approximately 83.16 % of the daily value for RDA of 66.67 gm i.e. 30 % of calories. Fats form 86.47 % of the calories of four avocados.

e. The fiber in four avocados – 26.76 gm, nearly 70.42 % of the daily value for RDA of 38 gm. The fiber in the avocado allows you to feel full for a longer period and also helps prevent you from snacking during the day.

f. Soluble Fiber – 5.68 gm, roughly 56.80 % of the daily value for RDA of 10 gm,

g. Total Free Sugar – 6.60 gm, which is 11.00 % of the daily value for RDA of 60 gm,

Vitamins in four avocados

a. Vitamin A – 4.00 mcg, roughly 0.44 % of the daily value for RDA of 900 mcg,

b. Vitamin B1 – 0.28 mg, almost 23.33 % of the daily value for RDA of 1.2 mg,

c. Vitamin B2 – 0.32 mg, which is 24.62 % of the daily value for RDA of 1.3 mg,

d. Vitamin B3 – 3.60 mg, that is 22.50 % of the daily value for RDA of 16 mg,

e. Vitamin B6 – 0.72 mg, around 55.38 % of the daily value for RDA of 1.3 mg,

f. VitaminB7 – 5.00 mcg, almost 16.67 % of the daily value for RDA of 30 mcg,

g. Vitamin B9 – 268.68 mcg, approximately 67.17 % of the daily value for RDA of 400 mcg,

h. Vitamin B12 – 0.00 mcg, nearly 0.00 % of the daily value for RDA of 2.4 mcg,

i. Vitamin C – 37.44 mg, roughly 93.60 % of the daily value for RDA of 40 mg,

j. Vitamin D – 8.40 mcg, almost 168.00 % of the daily value for RDA of 5 mcg,

k. Vitamin E – 0.08 mg, which is 5.33 % of the daily value for RDA of 1.5 mg,

l. Vitamin K – 154.96 mcg, that is 129.13 % of the daily value for RDA of 120 mcg,

Minerals in four avocados

a. Calcium – 113.92 mg, around 11.39 % of the daily value for RDA of 1000 mg,

b. Phosphorus – 252.56 mg, approximately 36.08 % of the daily value for RDA of 700 mg,

c. Iron – 3.24 mg, nearly 40.50 % of the daily value for RDA of 8 mg,

d. Magnesium – 192.56 mg, roughly 48.14 % of the daily value for RDA of 400 mg,

e. Copper – 1,560.00 mcg, almost 173.33 % of the daily value for RDA of 900 mcg,

f. Manganese – 2.96 mg, which is 128.70 % of the daily value for RDA of 2.3 mg,

g. Molybdenum – 0.00 mcg, that is 0.00 % of the daily value for RDA of 45 mcg,

h. Zinc – 3.00 mg, around 27.27 % of the daily value for RDA of 11 mg,

i. Chromium – 8.00 mcg, approximately 22.86 % of the daily value for RDA of 35 mcg,

j. Selenium – 0.00 mcg, nearly 0.00 % of the daily value for RDA of 55 mcg,

k. Cholesterol – 0.00 mg, that is 0.00 % of the daily value for RDA of 25 mg,

l. Potassium – 1,508.00 mg, around 32.09 % of the daily value for RDA of 4700 mg,

m. Sodium – 11.24 mg, approximately 0.75 % of the daily value for RDA of 1500 mg,

n. Omega 3 – 248.44 mg, nearly 41.41 % of the daily value for RDA of 600 mg,

o. Omega 6 – 4,356.56 mg, roughly 726.09 % of the daily value for RDA of 600 mg

The above nutritional values show that it will be difficult to achieve protein requirements. But you can use a combination of protein supplements with milk to make sure you complete 50 grams of protein intake or as needed as per your weight. After all, you have so many calories to consume to make it a 1000 kcal diet LOL.

Summary

In addition to being high in fiber, there are also many health benefits to consuming this avocado. They are loaded with all sorts of nutrients. If you eat just one serving of this fruit per day, you will get enough nutrients to support your body’s metabolism and system. This is why it is such a powerful food, not only for weight loss purposes but also for improving your general wellbeing and health. Even if you do not consider yourself a weight-loss advocate, consuming this kind of food will give you a lot of benefits – even if only in the short term.

Nutritionist & Dietician
Hello everyone, I am Nutritionist Smriti Indarapu, a Post Graduate Diploma holder in Nutrition and Dietetics, practicing nutrition for the last 10 years. The journey started when we were having our family... Read full bio
www.vegdietplans.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *