Avocado

Fruit
Written By Brittyn Coleman, MS, RDN/LD

What are Avocados?

  • Avocados are nutrient dense with fiber helping the gut microbes stay fed and happy, leading to the brain being happy and in turn good behavior. There is a lot of evidence on nutrients found in avocados and autism, although there is limited research on avocados and autism itself.

  • Avocados are a fruit which grow on trees. They have a dark, bumpy, leathery skin with a green fruit and large stone inside. 

  • A serving of avocado (half of the fruit) contains more potassium than a medium sized banana [6].

  • Their fruit is a neutral taste, nutrient dense and a smooth yet mushy texture[7].

  • Many people know avocado from the famous dish guacamole. 

  • Whole fruits, such as avocados, may help reduce the severity of autism[1].

  • Avocados have been shown to help prevent cognitive decline[2].

 
 

Nutrient Breakdown

Avocado is a great source of many different nutrients including:

Foods Containing Avocado

Avocado Alternatives

If your child doesn’t like avocados yet or they are sensitive to them, here are some alternatives that are similar in nutritional value.

Food Reactions

The body can respond to foods in many different ways including food allergies, food sensitivities, or food intolerances. If you suspect a food reaction, you can either choose to avoid the food or seek food reaction testing. Click here more information on the difference in types of food reactions and testing options. 

DISCLAIMER: Always consult with your pediatrician and/or your Registered Dietitian to help you test for a food reaction or to aid you in making individualized dietary changes.

Avocado & Autism in the Research

While there are no specific studies currently on avocados and autism, studies show that some of the nutrients found in avocados have roles to play for individuals with autism.

Avocados and Autism

  • Whole fruits, such as avocados, have shown to have numerous health benefits associated with them. One study found that whole fruits may help to reduce the severity of ASD [1].  This is due to most children with ASD not getting enough fiber in their diet. This further leads to GI issues which in turn can hinder the communications between the gut and brain. When fiber is increased in the diet, such as eating more avocado, GI abnormalities are restored and the communication between the gut-brain axis is strong. All these play a role then in helping reduce autism symptoms [1].

  • Avocados are a good option for children on the spectrum due to their consistency of a soft texture throughout and a neutral flavor, yet packed with nutrients [7]. This would help with avoiding sensory overload during eating. It should also be noted that, avocados are within the recommendations from the ‘Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)’, a federal feeding assistance program. This program explains that avocados are one of the most ideal transitional and complementary foods on offer.

Avocados and Gut Health

  • Eating avocados daily has been shown to add to gut microbe diversity and add to the abundance of the gut microbes [3,7]. The link between the brain and the gut is significant. The good microbes living in our gut have been shown to have a direct link with how we behave, think and feel [8]. 

  • Avocados contain fiber, which is known as a prebiotic as it feeds the gut bacteria. It is known that when the gut bacteria are happy and fed, our brains are happy too [8].

Avocados and the Brain

  • Avocados have been proven to help prevent cognitive decline [2]. This is due to the quality and quantity of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), as they are important for the development of the brain and central nervous system [7].

  • Avocado has key nutrients needed for development (vitamin E, lutein and folate).

Avocados and Antioxidants

  • Avocados contain a significant quantity of antioxidants, such as vitamins E, C and glutathione. Antioxidants help fight off free radicals which may damage our cells [4,7].

  • [1] Dreher ML. Whole Fruits and Fruit Fiber Emerging Health Effects. Nutrients. 2018 Nov 28;10(12):1833. doi: 10.3390/nu10121833. PMID: 30487459; PMCID: PMC6315720.

    [2] Adams M, Rajaram S, Lee G, Rice DR, Kaur A, Millham B, Sidrak H, Oda K, Patel D, Sabaté J. Acute Effects of Avocado Consumption on Cognition: Preliminary Results. Curr Dev Nutr. 2020 May 29;4(Suppl 2):1185. doi: 10.1093/cdn/nzaa057_001. PMCID: PMC7258339.

    [3] University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. "An avocado a day keeps your gut microbes happy, study shows." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 December 2020. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201215175758.htm>.

    [4] Dreher ML, Davenport AJ. Hass avocado composition and potential health effects. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2013;53(7):738-50. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2011.556759. PMID: 23638933; PMCID: PMC3664913.

    [5] Lambert, R. (2021) The Science of Nutrition. 1st edition. Dorling Kindersley Limited. Great Britian. 

    [6] Harvard, T.H Chan. School Of Public Health (2021) The Nutrition Source. Avocados. 17 July 2022

    <https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/avocados/>. 

    [7] Comerford KB, Ayoob KT, Murray RD, Atkinson SA. The Role of Avocados in Complementary and Transitional Feeding. Nutrients. 2016 May 21;8(5):316. doi: 10.3390/nu8050316. PMID: 27213450; PMCID: PMC4882728.

    [8] Saunt, R., West, H. (2019) Is Butter a Carb? 1st edition. Piatkus. Great Britian.

Author

Jennifer Finlay-Mulligan, BSc, ANutr.

Edited and reviewed by Brittyn Coleman, MS, RDN/LD, CLT

Brittyn Coleman, MS, RDN/LD https://www.autismdietitian.com
Next

A2 Milk