Avocado Health Benefits
Avocados are fruit that come from Central and South America. While it was once known to most for making guacamole, avocado has come a long way and become one of the most popular fruits. Avocado is used as a spread on sandwiches, cooked into eggs, a topping for salads and even healthy oil. Along with its great taste, avocados are getting more popular largely because of its many health benefits. The avocado is commonly thought of as a vegetable, but it is a fruit. It is one of few fruits that are relatively low in carbohydrates, and high in healthy fats. The unique combination of nutrients makes the avocado one of the healthiest fruits you can enjoy. Take a moment to learn more about all the health benefits of eating avocado and how it can help your overall well-being.
Impressive Nutrition
To start with, take a look at the breakdown of nutrients that you’ll get when you consume an avocado. You’ll notice that it has a nice balanced amount of a full range of vitamins and minerals, which makes it a perfect option for any meal or even as a snack on its own.
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Vitamin E – Avocados contain 10% of your recommended daily allowance (RDA)
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Vitamin B6 – Avocados contain 13% of the RDA
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Vitamin B5 – Avocados contain 14% of your RDA
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Vitamin C – Avocados contain 17% of your RDA
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Vitamin K – Avocados contain 26% of the RDA
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Potassium – Avocados contain 14% of RDA
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Folate – Avocados contain 20% of RDA
You’ll also get a small amount of magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3 and Phosphorus. This fruit is packed with virtually every essential vitamin and mineral you will need to be healthy.
Consuming Avocado Helps You Lose Weight
When people hear that avocados are high in fat, they often think that they are going to cause you to pack on the pounds. In reality, the opposite is true. This is because avocado is filled with a healthy fat that your body can easily use up without causing weight gain. Instead, it will help you to feel fuller for longer, which will reduce the total number of calories you consume in a day. A
study found that those who ate avocado had feeling of fullness 23% more often, and desired to eat 28% less often than those who didn’t.
Avocado Has Cancer Fighting Properties
Whenever looking at the health benefits of food it is important to look at its potential effects on cancer. While additional research into this is certainly needed, there has been a
study that found that avocado extract can help to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer in humans. Another
study looked at how avocado impacts people’s side effects of chemotherapy, and it concluded that there was an overall positive impact.
Avocados can Keep Your Eyes Protected
Avocados have high amounts of antioxidants including those called Lutein and Zeaxanthin. These two nutrients have been
shown in
studies to be essential for eye health. Adding avocado to your diet provides you with a lower risk of macular degeneration as well as cataracts. These are two of the more common eye issues people face, especially as they get older.
Reduce Cholesterol and Triglycerides by Eating Avocados
If you’re looking for ways to protect your heart, avocados are an excellent option. Studies have been done on the effects of avocados and the nutrients within avocados and their impact on many factors linked to heart health. In them, it was found that avocado can reduce total cholesterol levels, drop blood triglycerides by as much as 20%, reduce the LDL (bad) cholesterol by 22% and help the HDL (good) cholesterol increase by up to 11%. These are all extremely important changes for keeping your heart strong. (Studies found here:
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7) Another heart benefit from eating avocados is that the fat found in this fruit is oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fatty acid. This is commonly found in olive oil, which is another very healthy option for your diet. This type of fat is extremely healthy for your heart and the rest of your body.
Avocados May Reduce Your Blood Pressure
If your doctor has said that you are at risk for problems associated with high blood pressure, consuming avocados may be a natural solution. This is because of the high levels of potassium found in avocados, and
studies have linked potassium with lower blood pressure. This can help improve your heart health, reduce the risk of stroke and help prevent kidney failure. While most people think about bananas when they are looking to get potassium, the avocado has more of this essential nutrient per serving.
Consume Avocados to get Healthy Skin and Hair
Avocados are filled with essential nutrients required for healthy skin and hair. Some beauty products add in avocado extract to the products because of how effective it can be. If you’re looking for ways to reduce the signs of aging on your skin, or keep your hair looking stronger and healthier, consuming avocados each day can be very beneficial.
Enjoying Avocados Daily
If you would like to take advantage of all the health benefits of avocado, you’re in luck. This fruit is very affordable and thanks to the fact that it grows in hot climates it is typically available year around. You can cook with it, use avocado oil, slice it up with a little salt or, of course, make some delicious guacamole to enjoy with friends. No matter how you prefer your avocado, just make sure it is a part of your regular diet to help improve your overall health and well-being.
