Can Nighttime Avocado Snack Improve Heart Health? New Study Says Yes - Video

Findings from a newly published randomized controlled trial in the Journal of Nutrition reveal that snacking on avocado before bed may help improve triglyceride metabolism the next morning, a key factor in cardiovascular health. The study highlights the benefits of eating avocado as a nighttime snack, particularly for adults with prediabetes a condition affecting one in three adults and linked to increased heart disease risk.

The research is based on the “second-meal effect,” which suggests that the nutritional content of a previous meal can impact the body’s response to the next one. This study investigated how different nighttime snacks influenced metabolic markers in adults with prediabetes, with a particular focus on triglycerides the most common type of fat in the body and a known indicator of insulin resistance.

The trial involved 27 adults with prediabetes, who were given three different calorie-matched snacks on separate evenings: one whole avocado (rich in fiber and unsaturated fats), a low-fat, low-fiber snack, and a processed snack engineered to match the avocado’s fat and fiber content. Participants consumed the snacks between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m., then fasted overnight. The next morning, after a standardized breakfast, blood samples were collected to measure triglycerides, glucose, insulin, and inflammation markers.

The results showed that avocado aled to slightly lower triglyceride levels before breakfast and significantly lower levels three hours after eating, compared to the other snacks. No notable differences were observed in glucose, insulin, or inflammatory markers.

“Our findings suggest that avocado’s unique nutrient package its whole-food matrix may further support heart health by encouraging healthier triglyceride metabolism,” said Britt Burton-Freeman, study author and professor and chair of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at Illinois Institute of Technology. “While the good fats and fiber in avocados already make them a satisfying snack, this research is making us think about how snacks before bed something 84% of people consume regularly can influence how the body handles food later. “It’s really intriguing to find a positive outcome when the snack is avocado given the concerns about late-night eating contributing to increased risk of obesity and cardiometabolic conditions.”

While more long-term studies are needed, especially to understand the impact on other health markers, this research offers promising insight into how avocado as a nighttime snack may support better heart health in those at risk.

Reference: Using the Avocado as an Evening Snack to Investigate Whole Food Matrix and Macronutrient Composition on Morning Metabolic Indices in Adults With Prediabetes, Preiss, Chelsea et al., Current Developments in Nutrition, Volume 9, Issue 7, 107486