Daily Avocado for 6 Months Fails to Lift Cognition in 251 Overweight Adults

2 articles · Updated · PsyPost · May 25

A randomized trial of 251 adults with central obesity found no statistically significant gains in memory, processing speed, executive function or reaction time from eating one Hass avocado daily for six months.
Researchers compared the avocado group with a control group told to keep normal diets and eat fewer than two avocados a month; 241 participants finished the study and dietary compliance was high.
Both groups posted slightly faster working-memory reaction times at the end, a change the authors attributed to familiarity with the tests rather than a diet effect.
The team said obesity-related metabolic changes, the relatively low lutein and zeaxanthin dose in one avocado, and the unchanged broader diet may have limited any measurable brain benefit.
Published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, the study suggests single-food fixes may do little for brain health and that longer, broader diet interventions may be needed.