Healthypedia
Diana Nelson

Avocado: Green & Tasty Source Of Healthy Fats

Avocado is a very nutritious fruit with many health benefits. It is also an excellent addition to a nutrient-rich, balanced diet.

Making,Sandwiches,With,Avocado,Healthy,Organic,Food

Avocado has conquered the world with its popularity! Beautiful, delicious, hundreds of varieties around the world, and you can choose any one you like. It’s a supplier of healthy and much-needed fats for your body! It looks great not only on Instagram but also on your plate.

Avocado – Nutrition facts

Avocado has a medium-high energy value, low protein content, and high fat. Not a big amount of carbs and low sugar. A good amount of fibre and a low glycemic index which is good for your blood glucose level.

Source: usda.gov
Source: usda.gov

The benefits of avocado

Avocados are very popular in the world of health and wellness because they are very nutritious and associated with a number of health benefits.

1Provides anti-inflammatory properties

Avocado is rich in anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce the body’s internal inflammation. It is the best source of omega-3 fatty acids, phytosterols, and plant hormones such as beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol. It helps to keep inflammation under control. The fats present in this fruit are unique, that help lubricate joints and further relieve joint pains.

2Helps to lose weight

The most popular benefit of an avocado is that it helps to lose weight. It is used widely in weight loss diets due to the presence of dietary fibres. It controls your weight by keeping you full longer and making you eat fewer calories. Avocados are very low on carbs too, which also promotes weight loss.

3Keeps your heart healthy

Avocado contains a natural plant sterol called beta-sitosterol. Regular consumption of beta-sitosterol and other plant sterols helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. They also keep your heart arteries and veins healthy.

4Regulates blood pressure

Avocado is a good source of calcium, especially potassium and sodium, that stabilises your blood pressure. Stable blood pressure helps stave off the risk of heart attack or stroke.

5Improves eyesight

Consuming an avocado in your diet is beneficial for your eyes. They are full of antioxidants and beta-carotene that are beneficial for the eyes. Avocado contains lutein and zeaxanthin-two phytochemicals that help minimize damage, including from ultraviolet light.

6Prevents cancer

Avocado is beneficial in cancer treatment. It inhibits the growth of cancerous cells and causes the death of cancer cells. It also encourages the proliferation of immune system cells called lymphocytes to boost your immunity.

7Improves digestion

Avocado is full of digestive fibres to keep your gut system healthy. Fibre adds bulk to the stool, facilitating bowel regularity and enhancing digestion. It helps to prevent constipation and indigestion and lowers the risk of colon cancer.

8Keeps your skin shiny

Avocado is a powerhouse of various nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fatty acids. Hence, it is essential for healthy skin. It is mainly rich in vitamin C and vitamin E giving your skin a natural glow.

Avocado – Bad news

Avocados are highly nutritious, delicious fruits with rich antioxidant compounds. However, there are some side effects of avocados you must be aware of.

Reduces lactation

Avocado may seem to be a perfect product for every situation, but the truth is that it should be avoided by pregnant and breastfeeding women. Avocado reduces milk production and has even been known to damage the mammary gland. Not too much to mention that babies’ stomachs are too sensitive to ingest avocado or its remnants.

May increase weight gain

It is important to have a balanced diet. While avocados are a healthy fat and can promote weight loss, too many avocados can contribute to weight gain due to their high-calorie content.

Provokes sensitive stomachs

Some people with sensitive stomachs may find it difficult to ingest avocados. Pay attention to your body and if it does not feel comfortable, it may be best to avoid the fruit! You can replace the nutrition of avocados with other superfoods.

Avocados: Fun facts

  • Avocados have had several names throughout history, including ahuacatl by the Aztecs, aguacate by the Spanish conquistadors, and “alligator pears” by Sir Hans Sloane. In fact, ‘avocado’ did not become widely used until the US Department of Agriculture decided it was more appealing than ‘alligator pear’ in the 1900s.

  • Extracts of avocado seeds were used as ink for writing. Laboratory research has explored the potential coloring properties of seed extract.

  • In the summer of 2017, more than 3 million photos of avocado toast were uploaded to Instagram, daily. That is a lot of avocado!

Avocado in the Blue Zones

Centenarians, mostly in Loma Linda, one of the Blue Zone areas, include avocado consumption in their diet. Don’t mind saying that avocados are packed with fiber, monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamins K, and potassium all of which support overall health and well-being.

Also, eating avocados can help lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, improve glycemic control, and protect against DNA damage due to their high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants, and many other benefits to living a longer and happier life!

Avocado. Experiment by our expert

We introduce one of our Healthypedia personal testers. Michael Freeman is a big health enthusiast, in a great shape in his 50, and metabolically healthy! Michael uses a monitor which measures reaction of his body on food, exercises, stress, you name it. Here is his feedback and result.
Avocado. Experiment by our expert Nutrition
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Blood glucose
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Avocados aren’t low-cal, with a whole one generally having between 200 and 300 calories, depending on size. In this avocado test, we get a score of 10 out of 10! This is an excellent result! What’s more, we see that blood glucose levels when eating avocados are absolutely in the normal range.

Healthypedia - Michael Freeman
Michael Freeman Health and Longevity Enthusiast, 50

Let’s sum avocado up

Avocados are excellent fruit in every term of diet. They are full of various nutrients and healthy fats that make them super-fruit. Include them in your diet for the sake of shiny skin, sharp eyesight, and good digestion. But keep an eye on quantity if you are a calorie-conscious person as avocados may make you gain some extra pounds.

Still curious?

Here is a short and informative video from the BrightSide Youtube Channel on the nutritional benefits of avocado.


Healthypedia FAQ

The number of avocados you eat depends on your goals in respect to weight, gut health, overall diet and activity levels. As a starting point for the average adult, we recommend eating half an avocado a day.

Guacamole is a classic recipe that uses avocado as its main ingredient. Mix avocado with lemon juice, tomato, cilantro, salt and pepper for a nutritious and healthy snack. Garnish with crisps for an extra-crunch! Avocados can also give a delicious, creamy texture to any smoothie. Their mild flavor will go well with most ingredients, in particular kale, cucumber, ginger and parsley.

For making great guacamole, we are looking for avocado with a creamy texture. The first choice for making guacamole is Hass avocado because of its flavour and creamy texture. Brogdon and Fuerte varieties can be the second and third options. To check if an avocado is good or bad start by picking a small stem on top of the fruit. If the stem is green, it is a good avocado. If it is brown underneath, the avocado is overripe, and you’re likely to find brown spots inside.

It's best to refrigerate an avocado that is ripe or close to it. If you refrigerate an unripe avocado, it will ripen eventually, but the texture and taste may be compromised. If your avocado is ripe, place the whole, uncut avocado in an airtight container or in the produce drawer in the refrigerator.

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