Benefits of Avocado

Its popularity has skyrocketed in recent years and it's no coincidence. Adding avocado to our diets provides great benefits and helps us to stay healthy by controlling our weight and improving our nutrition.

The avocado is a type of fruit that is rich in healthy fats. Numerous studies show its beneficial effects on health, which we will discuss below.

The avocado is nutritious

Avocados are very nutritious and contain a wide variety of nutrients, including 20 different vitamins and minerals.

These are some of their most abundant nutrients: vitamin K, folic acid, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin E. They also contain traces of: magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, phosphorus, vitamins A, B1, B2, and B3.

They each have 160 calories, two grams of protein, and 15 grams of healthy fats. Although avocados only contain nine grams of carbohydrates, seven of these are fiber, which only leaves two net carbohydrates. This makes them a low-carb food option. Additionally, avocados have neither cholesterol or sodium and they are low in saturated fats.

Avocados have a lot of potassium

Avocados have a high potassium content; a serving of 100 grams contains 14 percent of the recommended daily dose compared to the 10 percent that bananas have, which are typically potassium-rich fruit.

Potassium is a nutrient that most people don’t consume in sufficient quantities. It helps maintain the electrical gradient of the body’s cells and also fulfills several important functions.

A high intake of potassium helps to lower blood pressure; the main factor responsible for cardiovascular risks, heart attacks, and kidney dysfunction. 

Avocados are rich in fatty acids

Once again, the avocado is rich in healthy fats. As a matter of fact, 77 percent of its calories come from fat, making it one of the fattiest foods of plant origin in existence. 

However, they don’t contain just any kind of fat! Most of the fat in avocados is oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fatty acid that’s also the main component in olive oil. Furthermore, it’s thought to be responsible for some of the beneficial effects that avocados provide.

Oleic acid has been linked to reducing swelling and is proven to have beneficial effects on genes related to cancer. 

Fats found in avocados are also quite resistant to heat-induced oxidation. This makes avocado oil a healthy and safe option for cooking.

This fruit is full of fiber, therefore helps in losing weight

Fiber is the non-digestible plant material that can contribute to weight loss, reduce blood sugar spikes, and is strongly linked to lowering the risk of suffering from many diseases.

We often distinguish between soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is able to feed the good bacteria in the intestine, which is crucial for the optimal function of our bodies.

Decreases cholesterol and triglyceride levels

• Reduces overall cholesterol levels significantly.
• Decreases triglycerides in the blood by up to 20 percent.
• Reduces LDL cholesterol by 22 percent.
• Increases HDL cholesterol (the “good” one) by up to 11 percent.

It can help absorb nutrients from vegetables

Some nutrients are liposoluble, meaning that they have to be combined with fat in order to be useful to the body. This includes vitamins A, D, E and K, along with antioxidants such as, carotenoids.

One study showed that adding avocado or avocado oil to any salad or sauce, can increase antioxidant absorption between 2.6 to 15 times as much. 

Avocados also greatly increase the value of nutrients from other vegetables that are ingested. This is an excellent reason why you should always include a source of healthy fat when eating vegetables.

It has powerful antioxidants that can protect the eyes

Avocados are rich in antioxidants. This includes nutrients called lutein and zeaxanthin, which are incredibly important for eye health. 

These nutrients significantly reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, which is common in older people.

Avocados help to relieve the symptoms of arthritis

Multiple studies have shown that avocado extracts and soybean oil, called unsaponifiable avocado and soy, can reduce the symptoms of arthritis in the bones, know as osteoarthritis.