Avocados could keep middle-age spread at bay if eaten daily, researchers claim

Smashed and served on toast, they are a favourite of the millennial generation.

But eating avocados could help you do more than just keep up with the latest food fad.

A study has found that eating one a day could help keep middle-age spread at bay.

Those who regularly eat the fruit are less likely to become overweight or obese in the following decade than those who never touch them.

Researchers in California analysed data on more than 55,000 men and women aged over 30 whose health had been tracked for up to 11 years.

The volunteers were asked how often they ate avocados, including guacamole.

They also weighed and measured themselves at the start of the study, half-way through and at the end. Those at a normal weight at the outset who ate at least a quarter of a fruit daily were 15 per cent less likely to become overweight or obese than non-consumers.

Smaller amounts also helped fight the flab, cutting the odds of weight problems by 7 per cent, even when other factors such as overall diet and exercise were taken into account. Researchers at Loma Linda University – who were funded by the avocado industry – wrote in the journal Nutrients that the fruit was rich in ‘nutrients and bioactive compounds’ which could help counter weight gain.

The fruit are also high in fat and satiating fibre, which help make eaters feel full.

Their virtues have been extolled by the Duchess of Sussex, who has told how she makes avocado and chilli dip for Prince Harry. Singer Miley Cyrus is another fan and has gone as far as having an avocado tattooed on her arm.

Medics, however, have called for warning labels after the rise of ‘avocado hand’ – potentially serious knife wounds suffered while removing the stone.

Smaller amounts can cut the odds of weight problems by up to seven per cent (Stock image)