What happened in this episode?
Thomas DeLauer reviews research he says supports eating avocado daily, arguing its main value is not “healthy fats” but improved nutrient absorption and metabolic effects when it replaces carbohydrate calories. He cites crossover trials in The Journal of Nutrition in which adding avocado to salsa or salads increased carotenoid uptake, including a claim of 15.3 times higher beta-carotene absorption compared with a fat-free dressing on the same salad; he explains this via fat-assisted micelle formation.
DeLauer also discusses a dose-response human meal study he says replaced part of a meal’s carbohydrates with half or a whole avocado (calories matched), reporting lower six-hour glucose and insulin responses. He then attributes additional glucose effects to mannoheptulose, describing it as a “rare sugar” in avocado, while noting the relevant evidence is from animal and cell research rather than human trials.
On hair loss, he claims avocado contains compounds that may inhibit 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme targeted by finasteride, while conceding limited direct human evidence. Later, he highlights what he describes as a larger 12-week trial of 163 overweight or obese participants, saying daily avocado intake (again with calories matched) increased gut microbiome diversity and shifted several bacterial genera associated with short-chain fatty acids and metabolic health.
Mid-episode, DeLauer includes a paid-style promotion for Row Nutrition liposomal supplements and a discount code, framing it as an example of absorption technology.
