Everyone LOVES avocado, I don’t think I have ever met anyone that doesn’t. Avocado is an interesting fruit because most fruits consists primarily of carbohydrate, avocado is high in healthy fats.
Eating avocado has numerous health benefits, which has been supported by science.
1. Avocado is nutritious
Avocado has a high nutrient value and is added to various dishes due to its good flavour and rich texture, for example, guacamole. Avocado is often referred to as superfood because of its numerous health properties. Avocado’s can come in different shades of green, the nut can be different sizes and each avocado varies in size. The most popular avocado is the Haas avo, which is peared shaped and has a green bumpy skin texture.
Avocado contains up to 20 different vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin K, Folate, Vitamin C, Potassium, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin E. It also contains small amounts of magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, phosphorous and vitamins A, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin).
One avo contains 160 calories, 2 grams of protein and 15 grams of healthy fats. Although it contains 9 grams of carbs, 7 of those are fiber, so there are only 2 net carbs, making this a low-carb friendly plant food. Avocados do not contain any cholesterol or sodium and are low in saturated fat. This is why they are favored by some experts who believe these substances are harmful, which is a debated topic, however.
2. They Contain More Potassium Than Bananas
Potassium is a nutrient that most people don’t get enough of, it helps maintain electrical gradients in your body’s cells and serves various important functions. Avocados are very high in potassium.
Several studies show that having a high potassium intake is linked to reduced blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure.
3. Avocado Is Loaded With Heart-Healthy Monounsaturated Fatty Acids
Avocado is a high-fat food. In fact, 77% of the calories in it are from fat, making it one of the fattiest plant foods in existence but they don’t just contain any fat, most of the fat in avocado is oleic acid — a monounsaturated fatty acid that is also the major component of olive oil and believed to be responsible for some of its health benefits.
Oleic acid has been associated with reduced inflammation and shown to have beneficial effects on genes linked to cancer. The fats in avocado are also rather resistant to heat-induced oxidation, making avocado oil a healthy and safe choice for cooking.
4. Avocados Are Loaded With Fiber
Fiber is another nutrient that avocados are relatively rich in, it is an indigestible plant matter that can contribute to weight loss, reduce blood sugar spikes and is strongly linked to a lower risk of many diseases. A distinction is often made between soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is known for feeding the friendly gut bacteria in your intestine, which are very important for optimal body function. A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of avocado packs 7 grams of fiber, which is 27% of the RDA. About 25% of the fiber in avocado is soluble, while 75% is insoluble.
5. Eating Avocados Can Lower Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels
Cholesterol, triglycerides, inflammatory markers, blood pressure and various others are some health conditions that lead to heart attacks in individuals.
Avocado is known to help reduce the total cholesterol levels significantly, reduce blood triglycerides by up to 20%, lower LDL cholesterol by up to 22%, increase HDL (the good) cholesterol by up to 11%.
One of the studies found that including avocado in a low-fat, vegetarian diet significantly improved the cholesterol profile.
6. People Who Eat Avocados Tend to Be Healthier
One study looked at the dietary habits and health of people who eat avocados. Avocado consumers were found to be much healthier than people who didn’t eat this fruit.
They had a much higher nutrient intake and were half as likely to have metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms that are a major risk factor for heart disease and diabetes.
People who ate avocados regularly also weighed less, had a lower BMI and significantly less belly fat. They also had higher levels of “good” HDL cholesterol.
However, correlation does not imply causation, and there is no guarantee that the avocados caused these people to be in better health.
7. Avocados Are Loaded With Powerful Antioxidants That Can Protect Your Eyes
Not only do avocados increase antioxidant absorption from other foods, they are also high in antioxidants themselves. This includes the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which are incredibly important for eye health. Studies show that they’re linked to a drastically reduced risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, which are common in older adults.
Therefore, eating avocados should benefit your eye health over the long term.
8. Avocado Extract May Help Relieve Symptoms of Arthritis
Arthritis is a common problem in Western countries. There are many types of this condition, which are often chronic problems that people have for the rest of their lives. Multiple studies suggest that avocado and soybean oil extracts — called avocado and soybean unsaponifiables — can reduce osteoarthritis. Whether avocados themselves have this effect remains to be seen.
9. Eating Avocado May Help You Lose Weight
There is some evidence that avocados are a weight loss friendly food.
In one study, people eating avocado with a meal felt 23% more satisfied and had a 28% lower desire to eat over the next 5 hours, compared to people who did not consume this fruit.
Should this hold true in the long term, then including avocados in your diet may help you naturally eat fewer calories and make it easier for you to stick to healthy eating habits.
Avocados are also high in fiber and very low in carbs, two attributes that should help promote weight loss as well, at least in the context of a healthy, real-food-based diet.
10. Avocado Is Delicious and Easy to Incorporate in Your Diet
Avocados are not only healthy, they’re also incredibly delicious and go with many types of food.
You can add them to salads and various recipes or simply scoop them out with a spoon and eat them plain.
They have a creamy, rich, fatty texture and blend well with other ingredients.
A notable mention is guacamole, which is arguably the most famous use of avocados. It includes avocado along with ingredients like salt, garlic, lime and a few others depending on the recipe.
An avocado often takes some time to ripen and should feel slightly soft when ripe. The nutrients in avocado can oxidize and turn brown soon after fleshing it, but adding lemon juice should slow down this process.
Guacamole Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ripe avocados
- 3 tablespoons fresh salsa
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice about half of a lime, lightly squeezed
- 1-2 garlic cloves finely minced or pressed
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt add more to taste
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mash with a fork or whisk until combined and chunky texture is achieved. Add salt to taste.
The Bottom Line
Avocados are an excellent food, loaded with nutrients, many of which are lacking in the modern diet.
They’re weight loss friendly, heart healthy and, last but not least, taste incredible.