Benefits of Avocado
Avocado Power or Holy Guacamole!
Let's start from the basics and all admit that Avocado is a fruit! This bright green fruit became tremendously popular in the last few years due to its nutritional values as well as the rising popularity of plant based diets - which is great! Filled with healthy fats unlike other fruits, avocado is a great go to product for energy and exceptional nutritional benefits. So let's look into it dipper (get it? guacamole!) and see what makes avocado a superfood!
Nutrition and Health Benefits of an Avocado
Monounsaturated fats
As mentioned above, avocado or avocado oil is a great source of monounsaturated fatty acids in particular oleic acid which is also known as the main component of olive oil. Oleic acid in turn has proven to reduce inflammation and is known for being a heart-healthy fatty acid.
Energy
The only reason an avocado has a lot of calories is because its main macro is fat and fat as we know releases 9kcal/g. So an average avocado of 136g provides 227kcal.
Fibre
Fibre is great for our digestion, helps with bowel movements, makes us feel satiated for longer (which can also be helpful with weight management). Great news, on average daily fiber requirement of 30g an average avocado provides around 9g!
Vitamins and Minerals
Avocado is also a source of vital Vitamins and Minerals required for our body's healthy functioning. Some of these in turn have antioxidant properties that focus on preventing diseases like cancer and cardiovascular illnesses.
Here's some of the main highlights:
Vitamin K - 29ug/per average
Vitamin C - 12mg/per average
Vitamins B5 and B6 - around 15% of daily requirement
Vitamin E - 3mg/per average
Folate, Potassium and other micronutrients.
Avocados do not contain any cholesterol or sodium making it a friendly plant food :)
Avocado Effect on Cholesterol
Several studies have shown avocados notably reduce total cholesterol levels, blood triglycerides amount as well as shows improvement in HDL (good cholesterol) levels.
Although there is more to study and more to discover, the current results are stunning.
Helps Absorb Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Vitamins A, D, E, K - are known to be fat-soluble vitamins which means it requires a source of fat to be successfully absorbed by the organism.
Factors that prevent this from happening is:
- Cutting fats and oils from your diet
- Suffering from a condition that reduces fat digestion and absorption (gallbladder problems)
- Diet including excess fibre
So avocados are not only nutritious it can also enhance vitamin absorption, especially beneficial for individuals on a plant based diet!
Avocado Is Easy to Prep
You basically don't have to do anything to it! All you have to do is peel it, take the seed out and let your imagination work!
Incorporate avocado into smoothies, toasts, breakfast eggs, guacamole dips, salads, etc.
Easy? Easy! So why not try it today?
Photo reference and thank you: https://www.instagram.com/photofitfood2020/
