|
Avocado (Persea americana) may help to protect the liver from damage,
according to new research from Japan.
- Researchers fed avocado and 22 other fruits to
laboratory rats.
- The rats were then given D-galactosamine, a substance
that causes liver damage by interfering with cell synthesis and results
in cell death.
- The rats fed the avocado obtained the least amount
of liver damage.
The Researchers discovered three new compounds that might explain why the
avocado is protective.
"Besides offering taste and nutrition, avocados seem to improve
liver health," said Hirokazu Kawagishi, professor of applied biological
chemistry, at Shizuoka University. "I have begun eating avocados
more myself, because of this study." He advocated that
people should try to eat an avocado a day.
Besides avocados, 8 other fruits showed a liver-protective effect:
| Watermelon |
Grapefruit |
| Lychee |
Fig |
| Kiwi |
Cherry |
| Japanese plum |
Papaya |
Researchers are now analyzing those fruits to determine if there are
chemicals within the fruit that can explain its protective effect and
whether those compounds can be exploited to develop drugs to treat disease.
They also plan to recruit human volunteers to determine if adding avocado
to the diet can effect the outcomes of patients with liver disease.
A spokesperson for the California Avocado Info Bureau, Jeanette LeBlanc,
said that in the US the average person eats about one avocado every two
weeks, although the numbers of people who are eating avocados continues
to rise.
The 2000 International Chemical Congress
of Pacific Basin Societies in Honolulu, Hawaii, December, 2000
| 