Avocados, A Low Glycemic Food

In 1981 Dr. David Jenkins of the University of Toronto developed the glycemic index. Dr. Jenkins categorized foods by the body's response to them -- how fast and how high they raise blood glucose levels after eating: Low-glycemic Index foods include fruits, vegetables and legumes; medium-glycemic index foods include whole-grain foods and basmati rice; and high-glycemic foods include potatoes, white rice, white bread and sugar. According to Dr. Jenkins, a low-glycemic index diet reduces the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It improves control of blood glucose levels in diabetics, increases HDL, or healthy cholesterol, levels and lowers triglyceride levels, among other benefits.

Avocados

Avocados fall very low on the glycemic index. Full of vitamins, minerals, fiber and healthy fats, avocados have a lot to offer. One avocado supplies around 230 calories in addition to more 20 percent of vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, folate and pantothenic acid. Avocados provide more than 10 percent of the daily value of minerals magnesium, potassium, copper and manganese.

Avocados and Fiber

One medium-sized California avocado supplies 37 percent of the daily requirement for fiber, according to the USDA National Nutrient Database. Fiber slows the digestion process, resulting in a gradual increase in blood glucose levels. Foods naturally high in fiber tend to contain fewer digestible carbohydrates, resulting in a lower rise in blood glucose levels after eating.

Avocados and Fat

Avocados contain 21 grams of total fat, or 32 percent of the daily value, but they supply healthy fats like monounsaturated fat and omega-3 fatty acids. Fat reduces the body's glycemic response to foods, according to Elham Moghaddam of the University of Toronto and colleagues. Foods high in fat generally fall low on the glycemic index.

Avocados and Carbohydrates

The USDA National Nutrient Database states that one medium-sized avocado contain 12 g of total carbohydrate, or 4 percent of the daily value. In order for scientists to calculate the glycemic index of a food, test subjects eat 50 g of carbohydrate from the food being tested within 15 minutes. To calculate the glycemic index of an avocado, test subjects eat 4.2 avocados in 15 minutes. Because of the difficulty of ingesting the amount of avocados required in the allowed time, scientists have not yet assigned a specific number on the glycemic scale for avocados but they do agree avocados fall very low on the scale, according to nutritionist Kaye Foster-Powell.

Avocados and the Glycemic Index

Eating avocados does not result in a significant rise in blood glucose levels. Because of the high fat and fiber content of avocados and low carbohydrates, eating them with other foods may lower the glycemic load of a meal.