Everything You Need to Know About the Benefits of Avocado
“Avocados are substantially nutritious fruits readily available for optimum health benefits”
Avocado is a nutrient booster with a delicious flavor and a great texture a reason to why it’s so popular to many of the people all over the world. An avocado is irresistible and has a super ability to flexibly be exploited in various dishes. However, the major reason why one needs to consume this fabulous fruit is because of the many nutrients it has at its disposal to help promote a healthy body.
Avocado is known to have originated from south-central Mexico at around 7000- 5000 B.C. Avocado is a member of the Lauraceae family of flowering plants. It is a thick fruit with a large seed, i.e. large berry. It is also called an alligator or avocado pear. Far from that, avocado is a powerhouse for numerous nutrients and antioxidants hence its consumption is a great doorway to a longer healthier life. The benefits of avocado are many and this special food item harbors vitamin C, E, K, B-16, potassium, magnesium, folate, riboflavin, niacin, beta-carotene, and omega-fatty acids amongst many other nutrients.
Avocado stands out by being the only fruit that contains monounsaturated fats which are excellent. Notably, avocado has a lower sugar level thus favors individuals diagnosed with diabetes. If you are exercising or engaging in vigorous activities then avocado is the fruit you should check out for, most importantly because of its high fiber content and abundance of calories that keep your stomach full longer and generates more energy respectively.
Avocado is a multipurpose fruit, whose potential health benefits include lowering the risks of heart attacks, reducing inflammation, promoting healthy hair & skin, and may help tone weight loss. In this article, we will help you learn all the benefits of avocado, nutrition profile and ways in which you can add it to your diet to make it more interesting.
Contents
Nutrition Profile
Fundamental for a healthier energized body and great mood, Avocado is highly dense in nutrients, something you might not have known.
Here is a constitute of how much a 100gm of Avocado holds;
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- Vitamin A- 7g
- Vitamin C- 10gm
- Vitamin K- 21ug
- Vitamin E- 2.07mg
- Thiamine- 0.07ug
- Riboflavin- 0.13mg
- Niacin- 1.74 mg
- Panthothenic Acid- 1.39
- Vitamin B6- mg
- Folate – 81ug
- Choline- 14.2gm
- Calories- 68gms
- Carbs- 0.5gm
- Fiber – 4.5gm
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More avocado compounds include; carotenoids, D-Mannoheptolose, and Persenones A and B. These nutrients are known for promoting healthy body effects such as eye health, reducing the risk of age-related diseases, anti-inflammation, anti-cancer, and blood sugar control.
Health Benefits of Avocado
Avocado fulfills the need of every human to meet nutrition requirements just like any other fruit. It promotes multiple health benefits. Read on to have an overview of the general health benefits Avocado has to offer;
i). Prevents and Treats Cancer
The research that shows phytochemicals extracted from avocado can selectively help prevent the growth of cancerous cells and cause the death of leukemia cells, which impacts its potential to be used by individuals with cancer signs and symptoms and those already with it to lower the risk of its prevalence. Cancer is a deadly disease that attacks without knocking and if only we can find a way to reduce or inhibit its hostility then we should give it a trial. Among the benefits of avocado, this is one why you should consider including avocado into your diet.
ii). Reduces the Risk of Heart Diseases
They say that “taking avocado a day may keep the cardiologist away”. Avocado is the only fruit with monounsaturated fats commonly known as “good fats”, these fats help lower cholesterol levels if consumed considerably and thus reducing the risk of heart diseases. These unique fats have been found to promote heart health. Also, a study on avocado consumption has shown that one avocado a day into your diet may lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases. You must also know the benefits of spinach.
iii). Relieves Osteoarthritis
Avocado oil is used to make supplements that are used to suppress arthritis symptoms mostly from the knee to the hip. If avocado contains key ingredients that can help ease arthritis pain, it is hence inevitable to include it in your diet. The good thing with avocado is that its flexible and you can have it in any way you want. Mushroom also has several benefits.
iv). Helps Impede Metabolic Syndrome
Issues related to high sugar levels, higher antibody cholesterol, and high body mass index can be controlled using avocado effects. These issues cause an increase in type 2 diabetes susceptibility. Avocado is helpful in reducing cholesterol levels and raising insulin sensitivity hence reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes condition.
v). Protection from Chronic Diseases
Avocado is known for its dense nutrient constituent helpful in combating the risk of fatal diseases like diabetes, obesity, stroke, hypertension, coronary heart disease. Fiber intake has been associated with the ability to lower risks of the named chronic diseases and many others since it controls bowel movements, cholesterol levels, sugar levels and insulin sensitivity which are a major step to a healthier life.
vi). Promotes Weight Loss
Among the benefits of avocado is that its rich in fiber, Fiber makes it possible for easier absorption of foods and eases digestion aiding in weight loss. There is this notion where people think that taking avocado will increases your body size and make you a heavyweight. The truth is that, including avocado in your meal, will have you feeling full for a longer time than those who didn’t, research has been done to prove that those who take avocado during their meals stay full for longer than those who didn’t. This in result will have an individual consuming foods lesser times hence controlling weight. Besides, avocado contains high fiber content, low sugars and low carbs which can help in effective weight loss.
vii). Lowers Depression
Avocado is a source of folate which its consumption results to a night of better sleep, rejuvenated energy and better mood, all this contributes to a healthier life free from stress and anxiety. An intake of monounsaturated fats helps in reducing depression. A study has shown that depression victims record a consistent sign of deficiency or lower folate. To counteract this, it’s necessary to take fruits like avocado with higher folate. This is because folate helps inhibit the build-up of homocysteine, a substance that impairs circulation and nutrients delivery to the human brain.
viii). Keeps Hair and Skin Healthy
A top benefit of avocado is that it holds vitamin E and grease property which is essential for strong healthy hair. If you are having a problem with hair breakage, avocado may be just the right fruit to make things right. Applying avocado oil on your hair may support a healthy scalp and maintain healthy hair growth due to the presence of vitamin E in the oil. This is led by the fact that vitamin E is an antioxidant that reduces free radicals and oxidative stress that cause hair breakage. The same happens with the skin, the vitamin protects it from oxidative damage giving you healthy strong skin.
ix). Natural Detoxification
Fiber aids in easy digestion and excretion of toxins from the body. Avocado is rich in fiber and makes it relatively beneficial to gaining optimal body health. Additionally, fiber eases the removal of waste in the intestines. This significantly lowers colon cancer risk as well as constipation.
x). Improves Eye Health Even at Old Age
There is an aspect of lutein and zeaxanthin in avocado which plays a great role in protecting the eyes from anti-oxidation and decreases damage from ultraviolet rays. Beta-carotene, on the other hand, helps reduce the risk of aging-related eye diseases. This results from the fact that the nutrients found in avocado help maintain healthy cells and boosts macular pigment with age.
xi). Good for Pregnant Women
Top among the benefits of avocado is that it’s packed with nutrients such as potassium, folate, fiber, vitamin C and B6 essential for general fetal development, strong bones, fight leg cramps, keeping morning sickness on the check, maternal diet, and aids in the absorption of nutrients from other foods, quality milk and much more. This makes the pregnancy journey a bit easier with all the risks related to poor dieting toned down by just including avocado into your meal. Ensure a healthy strong body for both you and your unborn baby during your pregnancy with avocado.
x). Prevent Liver Damage and Food Poisoning
One study indicates that avocado helps promote liver health. According to Kawagishi, avocado seems to improve liver health, he suggests that people should eat avocado more often. According to research, avocado contains chemicals that can protect against liver toxins. Also, it is told to have substances that have an antimicrobial activity that inhibits food poisoning.
xi). Improves Hone health
A great way to improve your bone health and tame osteoporosis is by making it a habit to consume avocado. It is known to be rich in vitamin K whose benefits are normally unknown due to other vitamins like vitamin C. It’s common knowledge that improvement in health is a gradual process and doesn’t happen overnight. In the same case with bone health, it won’t be evident after the first scoop of an avocado salad but with continued intake, you will eventually reap the benefits.
Eating Habits
Avocado can taste awful if it’s not fully ripe. The only way to tell that it is ready for consumption is by gently pressing it, if it feels soft but not extremely soft then that’s the perfect pick. To reap most of the benefits of avocado, it should be eaten while it’s still fresh.
There are abounding ways in which you can enjoy the benefits of avocado
Seasoned:
Enjoying the tasty, smooth, and gentle feel of avocado” first hand” can be relishing. You can add more flavor to it by sprinkling salt, pepper, lemon juice, paprika, or balsamic vinegar.
In salads:
If you want to have various nutrients at a go, then slicing the avocado and combining it with other preferred fruits and vegetables to make a salad is absolutely a good idea. Salads are light on calories, thus, adding avocado can help in making you feel fuller.
As a substitute for mayonnaise:
Mayonnaise is used as a binder in some foods such as tuna, chicken and egg salads. Unfortunately, you might not like it or might be out of stock. Worry less for you can use avocado to serve the same purpose
As a spread:
Avocado spreads the same way as butter or margarine and thus you can spread it on your toast and save yourself the problems associated with high cholesterol intake
Stuffed:
For a nutritious breakfast, include avocado into your daily diet and it won’t disappoint you. You can use is it as a topping for your crumbled bacon or stuff eggs into it and bake them or make scrambled eggs.
In soups:
There are different types of soups that can accommodate the incorporation of avocado into them. Among the benefits of avocado of this special treat is that you can add it to your best soup in a more nutritional way by simply adding avocado chunks into it.
In sandwiches, sushi rolls and burgers:
Sandwiching avocado into burgers and sandwiches makes them more nutritious
Pickled:
You can make avocado pickles and use them in salads or even sandwiches or plainly season it for a more delicious taste.
Grilled:
Might as well grill your avocado then add your favorite seasoning.
In smoothies and drinks:
Make your desired smoothie and cocktails and do not forget to include avocado
In desserts:
Using avocado in making desserts is a great choice for it not only adds nutrients to them but suits vegetarians.
Risks and Precautions
As much as the benefits of avocado are many, it has its drawbacks too. The following is a highlight of them to help you stay on track.
High fat and calorie content: These high levels of fats in avocado may lead to weight gain if you consume a lot. Much of it is not the best for those trying to lose weight. You can use it as a substitute for high fat saturate foods or limit the amount you take.
Allergy: Some individuals may be allergic to avocado depending on how their body reacts to certain foods. If you suspect of having an avocado allergy, try substituting it with other foods or simply avoid them.
Why Do We Recommend
Being a high dense nutrient fruit, it will take a tremendous turn in your body health. To prevent the risks of chronic diseases such as heart diseases, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension, it is crucial to include avocado in your daily meal.
Moreover, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend monounsaturated fats as substitutes for saturated fats. The “good” fat is present in Avocado.
Read Also:
- Health benefits of watermelon, nutrients, and risks
- Everything You Need to Know About the Benefits of Papaya
- Health and Fitness: Common Fat Loss Mistakes to Avoid
Bottom Line
Thus, the benefits of avocado are clear to all! Avocado is a major source of nutrients such as Vitamin C, E, K, B-6, Riboflavin, folate, etc. Avocado has a lot of health benefits and it helps in satiating hunger, thus delaying binge eating. However, excess intake of avocado for weight loss individuals is not advisable.
