Abstract
Avocados are a nutrient-dense plant-food, but limited trial-derived evidence exists about the effects of avocado intake on family nutritional status. We investigated the impact of two levels of avocado allotment, plus a standard nutrition education intervention on the nutritional status of Hispanic/Latino families. Seventy-two families consisting of at least three members of ≥5 years of age and residing in the same home, free of severe chronic disease, not on specific diets, and self-identified of Hispanic heritage, were randomized to one of two levels of avocado allotment (low = 3/week/family or high = 14/week/family) for 6 months plus 12 bi-weekly nutrition education sessions. The primary outcomes included change in a family’s total energy and macro- and micronutrient intakes. Primary analysis was intention-to-treat with unpaired, two-sided t-tests to assess mean changes between groups at 6 months. At 6 months, the high avocado allotment group had a significant reduction in energy intake, carbohydrate, animal and vegetable protein, saturated and polyunsaturated fat, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, and vitamin D intakes (all p < 0.05). A high allotment of avocados significantly reduced self-reported energy intake by 29% kcal/family/day, compared to a 3% kcal/family/day reduction in families who received a low allotment. Culturally-appropriate plant-food interventions may alter the nutritional status of at-risk families.
Highlights
Adopting a healthy dietary pattern results in the consumption of nutrient-dense foods, while reducing the risk of chronic disease [1,2,3,4,5,6]
The lack of change in body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference in either group reduces our confidence in the self-reported values for daily energy, and while the higher allotment of avocados may have modified the intake of specific micronutrient and foods, there is no evidence the resulting changes adversely affected energy intake or body weight
In analyses where we removed those lost to follow-up and where we adjusted for intervention adherence, the primary results persisted. This trial demonstrated that a differential allotment of avocados may impact overall self-reported caloric consumption, as well as macro- and micronutrient nutrient intake, including saturated fat and sodium, and food groups, including dairy, refined grains, and red and processed meats
Summary
Adopting a healthy dietary pattern results in the consumption of nutrient-dense foods, while reducing the risk of chronic disease [1,2,3,4,5,6]. The United States (US) population as a whole does not meet dietary guideline-recommended amounts of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, and over-consumes refined grains, added sugars, and high-fat and sodium foods [7,8]. The dietary quality of Hispanics/Latinos and other immigrants worsens as they become acculturated in the US and adopt a Western dietary pattern, which is higher in refined carbohydrates and animal-based fats [11]. This is important since the population of Hispanics/Latinos, which consists of native- and foreign-born individuals
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