People from all corners of the world enjoy avocados, many on a daily basis, or when available for their climate. This fruit (yes, it’s a fruit!) is very delicious is so many ways, and also very healthy. Avocados can be added to smoothies, salads, and eaten with other fruits.
Extensive research shows avocados have the ability to address or prevent numerous health issues in our bodies, such as arthritis, depression, cancer, heart conditions, blood pressure, and so much more. Needless to say, avocados should be a part of your daily diet.
Most Americans love avocados. Did you know that during the Superbowl festivities alone, 79 million pounds of avocados were eaten? That is almost 158 million avocados!
So many people think this fat-filled fruit will make them fat! Quite the opposite is true. I’ve heard many testimonies of people eating several avocados a day to actually lose weight! Eating an avocado, a day is not hard at all since they taste so delicious, it’s hard to believe they are actually good for you. Believe it or not, avocados are loaded with tons of nutrients and provide a wide range of health benefits.
This research shows that people who average an avocado a day actually are healthier, and have a much higher nutrient intake overall, and a lower Body Mass Index than those who do not eat avocados.
1. Avocados are Nutrient Rich
Did you know that there are nearly 20 vitamins and minerals in every serving of avocados? One avocado typically contains the following of your Recommended Daily Values (RDV):
- 53% Vitamin K
- 41% Folate
- 33% Vitamin C
- 28% Pantothenic Acid
- 28% Potassium
- 26% Vitamin B6
- 21% Vitamin E
- 19% Copper
2. A Source of Healthy Fats
Yes, avocados are high in fats, but they are the ‘good fats’ including monounsaturated fat. This type of fat can reduce the risk of stroke or heart attack along with the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood.3. Manage Your Weight and Slow the Aging Process
Most people find this statement hard to believe, but yes, eating avocados may actually help you lose weight! A study, published in the Nutrition Journal, found that eating just half an avocado with lunch helped overweight people feel satisfied and full for longer after eating. Participants reported a 40% less desire to eat over a three hour period, and a 28% less desire over a five hour period after the meal. They were also more satisfied after their meal and had less desire to snack! Fruits like avocados are rich in healthy fats and fiber that increase satiety to support a healthy weight. Numerous studies have shown that avocados aid in supporting a healthy weight. Also, consumption of avocados is linked to improved nutrient intake and diet quality. Research, where participants consumed one and half of an avocado every day for six weeks, revealed decreased percentage of body fat, body mass index, and body weight. Another study of overweight adults discovered that half an avocado consumed during the lunch hour minimized hunger by 28 percent and 40 percent for three or five hours, respectively. Avocados are the richest in fat-soluble antioxidant content among all vegetables and fruits. Xanthophyll is the main antioxidant carotenoid in this fruit. Research has shown that xanthophyll in avocados could safeguard you against damage to your DNA and support slowed aging. The antioxidants present in avocados could assist in minimizing oxidative damage and could prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. A study where participants consumed avocados daily for half a year discovered that there was an improvement in problem-solving, attention span, and memory compared to control groups.4. Fight Inflammation
Chronic inflammation in the body is thought to be responsible for asthma, allergies, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, cancer … and most of today’s modern diseases. Avocado might just help fight inflammation, thanks to its oleic acid content – the monounsaturated fat in olive oil that’s responsible for much of its healthful properties. Oleic acid has been linked with reduced inflammation in several studies.5. Eye Health
Avocados contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which are very important in fighting macular degeneration, considered to be one of the leading causes of blindness in the US. The only way to get lutein and zeaxanthin into our bodies is through diet, which is why we need to eat more foods rich in these phytonutrients. And guess what? One study has shown that avocados are the best source of lutein among the top 20 fruits most regularly consumed. They’re also a good source of zeaxanthin, be sure to add avocados to your shopping list for better eye health!6. Healthy Skin and Hair
With healthy fats and inflammation-fighting properties, avocado can give you smooth skin and glossy hair. Avocados have antioxidant properties and high-fat content that are critical in the maintenance of healthy skin. One avocado contains more than 20% of your daily dose of Vitamin E which protects body tissues from damage by free radicals, considered to affect aging. Instead of buying expensive Vitamin E enriched skincare creams, better yet, simply eat avocados several times a week, or try avocado oil and fight aging from within! Zeaxanthin and lutein are present in human skin and are obtained from the consumption of foods like avocados. These antioxidants could aid in protecting the skin from UV as well as visible radiation damage. According to research, it was discovered that both oral and topical intake of zeaxanthin and lutein could aid in improving skin wrinkles, hydration, and elasticity. Another study revealed that both dietary intake and topical use of avocados could enhance wound healing in rats.7. Lowers Cholesterol Levels & Reduces Risk of Heart Disease
It’s been said that one in three American adults suffer from high cholesterol, which can double their risk of heart disease. Fortunately, we have many natural ways to lower our cholesterol levels.One of those ways is eating avocados regularly, according to research. Avocados can reduce total cholesterol levels significantly, lower blood triglycerides, and lower LDL cholesterol (the bad) while increasing HDL cholesterol (the good).
Avocados have monounsaturated fats that lessen LDL cholesterol and inflammation. Numerous studies have discovered that a diet rich in avocados minimizes overall cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol.
A study carried out with rats showed that a diet rich with avocados boosted heart disease markers like increasing HDL cholesterol and reducing triglycerides in a period of five weeks. Avocados have high levels of potassium that could minimize blood pressure, a critical risk factor of heart attacks.
Avocados are rich in polyphenols that assist in controlling heart disease by reversing acute and chronic inflammation. Beta-sitosterol is cholesterol that is plant-based and present at high levels in avocados. They can aid in lowering cholesterol levels.
Avocados also have vitamins E and C. A study revealed that a mixture of vitamins E and C led to the hardening of arteries in individuals with high levels of cholesterol. Additionally, avocados are rich in B vitamin folate that assists to reduce the levels of homocysteine in the blood, which is a heart disease predictor.
8. Improve Nutrient Absorption
We can eat all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients we want, but are we absorbing those nutrients?
There are some nutrients that are considered to be fat soluble, which means they are assimilated better by the body much better when eaten with healthy fats. Fat-soluble nutrients are Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K, along with some antioxidants.
When participants in a study added half of an avocado along with a salad of spinach, lettuce, and carrots, they absorbed the antioxidants of alpha-carotene 8.3 times, beta-carotene 13.6 times and lutein 4.3 times better than those who ate a salad with no avocado.
Vegetables and fruits have high levels of nutrients, but these nutrients can be sabotaged. They have an in-built sabotage mechanism that is in the form of fiber. Even though fiber is critical to your health needs, it can become a problem when it prevents the absorption of multiple phytochemicals present in plant foods.
You can counter this by consuming healthy fats that act as carrier molecules to transport nutrients that are soluble in fat that would have otherwise been wasted.
9. Role in Cancer Fighting
A small piece of research points to avocado being beneficial in fighting cancer.
One study has shown that avocado extract may stop or slow the growth of prostate cancer cells. Another has shown that it may help reduce the side effects of chemotherapy. These studies are somewhat limited, so simply enjoy avocados for the all the other benefits it has.
Avocados consist of high levels of phytochemicals, like carotenoids that assist in the prevention of cancer by boosting the death of the cells in cancerous and precancerous cells. Carotenoids as well as antimicrobial proteins, such as defensin present in avocados possess high levels of antioxidant activity and can aid in stimulation of the death of breast cancer cells.
A study showed that overall carotenoids in the blood are linked to minimized risk of cancer, particularly in females who have dense breast tissue. Avocado’s carotenoid extract can help in inhibiting the growth of prostate cancer cells.
Research has also discovered that the concentration of carotenoids in the blood is related to decreased risk of death from digestive cancers like pancreatic, colon, and esophageal cancer. Another study revealed that phytochemicals present in avocados, like xanthophyll and lutein, minimizes oxidative stress in patients who are undergoing treatment of early-stage neck and head cancer.
Glutathione is a potent antioxidant that is richer in avocados than in most fruits. A study has shown that there is an association between high levels of glutathione and minimized risk of oral cancer. Extracts of avocados induced the death of oral cancer cells.
10. Strong Bones
You’ll want to do more than just eat an avocado if you want to build and maintain strong bones, yet eating avocados on a regular basis can definitely help. Avocados contain a good helping of bone-healthy nutrients including Vitamin K, copper and folate.
Be sure to add a variety of other fruits and vegetables with your avocados to ensure keeping your bones strong and healthy – several studies prove that eating fresh produce benefits bone health in both men and women of all ages.
11. Pain Relief
The avocado extract has been proven to reduce symptoms of arthritis of the bones (osteoarthritis).
Thanks to its anti-inflammatory benefits, it may even relieve other sorts of inflammatory-related aches and pains too.
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12. Improve Digestion
Fiber is an important component of any balanced diet – it keeps your digestive system running smoothly.
Even though fruits and veggies are absolutely loaded with fiber, it’s something that most Americans don’t get enough of!
Aim to hit your fiber target by eating more avocado – one fruit contains 13 grams, around 54% of your recommended daily fiber intake!
13. Important for Expecting Mothers
According to What to Expect, avocados are one of the most important foods that pregnant women can eat. They’re loaded with folate, potassium, Vitamin C and Vitamin B6.
In particular, folate is really important for expectant mums…it’s essential for the healthy development of the fetus in early pregnancy, while Vitamin B6 helps with the baby’s tissue and brain growth and eases morning sickness.
Avocados are rich in antioxidants, monounsaturated fats, and fiber. These nutrients are associated with improvements in breast milk production, birth outcomes, maternal health, and fertility in premenopausal females.
The lutein found in breast milk increases with maternal diet. The antioxidant aids in proper neural and eye development in infants. Also, monounsaturated fats are essential to the development of the brain in the initial years of the baby.
Nutrients like folate are significant to fetal health to prevent heart and neural defects. A half avocado offers 10 percent of the advised daily consumption for pregnant females.
Additionally, avocados could aid expectant mothers to overcome nausea as a result of their richness in B6 vitamins. This is an excellent therapeutic approach for treating morning sickness.
14. Control Blood Pressure
According to the American Heart Association, a diet rich in natural sources of potassium is important for controlling blood pressure, thanks to potassium’s ability to reduce the effects of sodium in the body.
Avocados are a great natural source of potassium – with one fruit containing 28% of your recommended daily potassium intake.
However, don’t forget that avocados are a high-fat food and excess weight does your blood pressure levels no favors. If you’re adding avocado to your diet, make sure you reduce your fat intake in other areas to balance things out.
One of the critical avocado benefits is lowered blood pressure. Avocados have high contents of potassium, which aids in relaxing the blood vessel walls, thereby minimizing blood pressure.
The monounsaturated fats present in avocados can minimize blood pressure in the long and short-term. The high content of fiber of the fruit could also lead to the prevention of hypertension, particularly in populations that consume fiber below the levels that are recommended.
15. An Energy Boost
Adding an avocado to your lunchtime meal may help you avoid the 3 PM slump! Of all three macronutrients (carbs, protein, fats), fat is the most concentrated source of energy for our bodies.
Healthy fats provide a slow, steady stream of energy so you can power right through the workday. In addition, when they’re eaten along with carbohydrates, they slow the digestion of the carbs, meaning you won’t suffer the energy-zapping sugar crash that typically follows simple carbs like white bread.
16. Improve Immunity
Avocados are a great source of the B vitamins, which help you fight off illness and infection. They also give you plenty of Vitamin C and E – both natural immune boosters.
Vitamin C is so important for our wellbeing that Dr. Mark Moyad of the University of Michigan claims that ‘high blood levels of vitamin C may be the ideal nutrition marker for overall health’.
The liver is a very critical organ in the body. In spite of being self-generating, it requires being looked after. The best way to take care of your liver is to assist it in functioning optimally.
Avocados can assist in reducing fatty liver disease symptoms that result from high levels of blood triglycerides and cholesterol. Additionally, avocados can aid in improving the synthesis of the most robust anti-oxidant in the body called glutathione. This nutrient aids in protecting you from free radicals.
17. Treatment of Arthritis
Chronic rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are both severe conditions that lead to extreme discomfort to patients. Even though you can enjoy temporary relief from symptoms with over-the-counter pain drugs, you need a permanent solution.
Avocados have a compound that can aid in providing relief from inflammation and pain linked to arthritis conditions. Though it is not clear as to the quantities that can be consumed to enjoy these benefits, consuming an avocado per day could help you in relieving pain since the healthy fats can assist in cushioning the tissue between the joints.
18. Acts as an Aphrodisiac
The word avocado originates from the Aztec people and means testicle. This is because they believed that avocados are potent aphrodisiacs. Avocados have high levels of saturated fats that are essential in testosterone synthesis.
Contemporary diets that seek to limit fat intake are associated with low testosterone levels, which lead to low sex drive. Hence, avocados are foods that can boost your sex drive.
19. Enhance Your Mood – Reduce Depression
An avocado a day might cheer you up thanks to its vitamin and mineral content – especially potassium and folate.
Some studies have found a link between a lack of potassium and depression. A review of several scientific studies on the relationship between sodium, magnesium, and potassium in depressed patients, found that depressed men and women all had low levels of potassium.
A 1993 study found similar – depressed patients exhibited lower potassium levels than healthy people did.
Folate, too, is important to stave off low mood and signs of depression, something researchers have recognized since the 1960s.
Dietary fat type and quality play a critical role in the function of the brain. Monounsaturated fats present in avocados possess anti-inflammatory properties that could minimize the risk of depression.
Numerous studies discovered that the anti-inflammatory nature of these fats is linked to lower depression risk.
Other studies have confirmed the link between depression and deficiency of folate. Foods such as avocados that have high contents of folate could aid in reducing depression risk through prevention of the homocysteine buildup in the brain.
20. Prevent Diabetes
Avocados appear to be helpful in regulating blood sugar levels.
Keeping blood sugar levels stable is important in reducing your risk of diabetes – a disease that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates will affect 40% of Americans at some point during their lives.
After eating half an avocado with lunch, participants had their blood glucose and insulin levels measured at specific intervals.
Even though adding avocado to the meal increased its calorie and carbohydrate content, participants showed no increase in blood sugar levels when compared with those who ate a standard lunch with no avocado.
Diabetes management is also one of the essential avocado benefits. The dietary fiber, fat, and antioxidant levels in avocados can assist in normalizing the level of blood sugar and reduce the risk of diabetes.
Research has shown that consuming half of the fruit daily could lead to lower insulin levels in the blood. Another study conducted in rats showed that avocados aid in inhibiting critical enzymes that are associated with type 2 diabetes.
Oil from avocados was also discovered to boost the sensitivity of insulin by 96 percent in rats that ingested a diet rich in sucrose.
21. Brain Food
Copper is a brain stimulant, which is why avocados can be classed as a brain food. After all, they do contain almost 20% of your daily copper needs.
This often neglected mineral is directly linked with higher thought processes and creative or ‘out of the box’ thinking.
22. Delicious & Versatile
Aside from all the incredible health benefits avocado can bring you, let’s not forget that it’s an incredibly delicious fruit which can be used in a variety of ways.
Sure, you can eat it in guacamole, or add it to salads and sandwiches. But you should know it can be used a whole lot more creatively than that!
Conclusion
If you are looking to have a healthy heart, have a healthy sex life, and live longer, avocados are the ideal fruit. Numerous studies support these avocado benefits and, therefore, you are assured to enjoy them all.
You can consume avocados with every meal without facing any side effects. While many foods can become monotonous and boring when consumed every day, avocados remain sweet and delicious even when eaten daily. Spice up your diet and boost up your health with avocados.
Some Creative Avocado Recipes…
Why not:
- Smother your wholegrain pasta in a Creamy Avocado Pesto
- Try this filling take on an Italian classic – Avocado Tomato Bruschetta
- Blend protein and healthy fats in this tasty Avocado Hummus
- For a light summer lunch, try a bowl of Chilled Cucumber & Avocado Soup with Mango Salsa
- Whip up a batch of delicious Banana and Avocado Bread
- Start the day off with a decadent Pineapple Avocado Smoothie
- Indulge in some Dark Chocolate Avocado Truffles…
- …Or this Raw Vegan Chocolate Pudding with Coconut Cream & Raspberry Chia Jam
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