Found: A Fruit That May Help To Lower Glucose Levels & Balance Blood Sugar

If you’re trying to watch your blood sugar, chances are you’re mindful of your fruit intake. It seems counterintuitive to steer clear of whole, nutrient-rich foods like mangoes and citrus, but some fruits just aren’t the best for those with blood sugar concerns. 

However, you may be happy to know that one popular fruit out there may actually benefit blood sugar, according to new research.

We’re talking about avocados—and yes, they are technically a fruit even though they don’t taste like candy.

The new research on this creamy fruit was published in the Journal of Nutrition, stating that avocado intake was strongly linked to lower fasting blood sugar, lower fasting insulin, and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. 

Researchers analyzed data from 6,224 older adults, taking particular interest in how many avocados a person consumed as well as their fasting blood sugar and insulin levels. 

They also looked at avocado-specific metabolites in the blood—which indicates that someone had eaten an avocado. This metric varies from person to person depending on how they metabolize avocados. And it showed that for some people, avocados may be beneficial for blood sugar balance—but not necessarily for everyone. Whether or not avocados lower someone's fasting blood sugar seems to depend on how they personally metabolize the fruit.

A dietician weighs in

According to registered dietitian nutritionist and mindbodygreen’s supplements editor Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN, “These fasting measures are your body's baseline—so it's a way to assess how well your body is managing blood sugar levels,” she says, adding that elevated fasting levels can indicate that your body has not been able to sufficiently bring your blood sugar down after a meal. 

It's critical to remember that everyone metabolizes food differently and, as the study states, these fruits may not be equally beneficial for every person. But regardless of their impact on blood sugar, avocados are also a solid source of healthy fats and fiber.

In particular, avocados contain omega-3 fatty acids which come with full-body benefits related to brain health, heart health, skin hydration, and beyond—making this fruit worth having regardless of your blood sugar goals.