09/30/2026
🐝 Today’s Nutrition Research Post: Avocado + Gut Health
Bea Carroll, RDN, LDN, MBA
Your avocado may be feeding more than you.
A randomized controlled trial published in The Journal of Nutrition examined whether eating avocado every day could affect the gut microbiome in adults with overweight or obesity.
🥑 Avocados bring fiber to the gut.
Avocados contain dietary fiber along with monounsaturated fats—two components researchers were interested in because of their potential relationships with metabolic and gastrointestinal health.
🦠 Gut bacteria changed.
Participants consuming avocado had greater relative abundance of several bacterial groups, including bacteria capable of fermenting fiber.
🌱 Gut fermentation changed, too.
The avocado group had 18% greater f***l acetate, a short-chain fatty acid produced through microbial metabolism.
🔬 Researchers also found differences in bile acids.
Concentrations of two f***l bile acids—cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid—were 91% and 57% lower, respectively, in the avocado group compared with the control group.
Thompson SV, Bailey MA, Taylor AM, et al. Avocado Consumption Alters Gastrointestinal Bacteria Abundance and Microbial Metabolite Concentrations among Adults with Overweight or Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of Nutrition. 2021;151(4):753–762. DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxaa219.
🥑 Your gut bacteria eat what you eat, too.
In this randomized controlled trial, daily avocado consumption was associated with changes in gut bacteria and microbial metabolites—including greater abundance of some bacteria capable of fermenting fiber.
This is one reason I want us to think beyond simply counting grams of fiber.
Fiber is food for your gut ecosystem.
Instead of asking only, “Did I get enough protein today?” start asking another question:
“What did I eat today that feeds my gut?”
📚 Fiber First — book coming soon!
The Dietitian’s Guide to Weight Loss, Gut Health, Blood Sugar, and Better Labs in a Protein-Obsessed World.
CTA: Add one fiber-rich plant food to your plate today—and save this post for your next grocery trip.