5 Powerful Health Benefits of Avocado
The avocado is a pretty unique type of fruit. Now, most fruit predominantly contain carbs but avocado is high in healthy fats. This unique nutrient profile has many beneficial effects on health and in this topic I'm looking at five of the best.
Number one, avocado is incredibly nutritious. There are many kinds of avocado and the shape, size, and color can vary between them.The most popular type is called Hass avocado and this is what it typically looks like. Avocados are very nutritious and contain a wide variety of nutrients, including 20 different vitamins and minerals. Here are some of the most abundant nutrients, in a single 3.5 ounce, or 100 gram, serving. It has 26% of the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin K; 20% of the RDA for folate; 17% of the RDA for vitamin C; and between 10% to 14% of the RDA for potassium, vitamin B5, B6, and vitamin E. It also contains small amounts of magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, phosphorous, vitamin A, B1, B2, and B3. This is coming with 160 calories, two grams of protein, and 15 grams of healthy fats. Although it contains nine grams of carbs, seven of those are fiber so there's only two net carbs, making this a low-carb friendly plant food. Avocados also don't contain any cholesterol or sodium and are low in saturated fat. I personally don't think that really matters but this is one of reasons why all health experts agree that avocados are healthy.
Number two, avocados contain more potassium than bananas. Potassium is a critical nutrient that most people aren't getting enough of. This nutrient helps maintain electrical gradients in the body's cells and serves various l important functions. Avocados are actually very high in potassium, with a 100 gram, or 3.5 ounce, serving containing 14% of the RDA, compared to 10% in bananas, which are a typical high potassium food. Several studies show that having a high potassium intake is linked to reduced blood pressure, major risk factor for heart disease, strokes and kidney failure. So for those who have high blood pressure eating more avocados could do you a lot of good.
Number three, avocado is loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. Avocado is a high fat food. In fact, about 70% of its calories come from fat which makes it one of the fattiest plant foods in existence but they don't just contain any fat, the majority of the fat in avocado is oleic acid. This is a monounsaturated fatty acid that is also the major component in olive oil and believed to be responsible for some of its beneficial effects. Oleic acid has been linked to reduced inflammation and been shown to have beneficial effects on genes linked to cancer.
The fats in avocado are also quite resistant to heat induced oxidation which makes avocado oil a safe and healthy choice for cooking albeit expensive.
Number four, the fat in avocados can help you absorb nutrients from plant foods when it comes to nutrients in food the total amount is not the only thing that matters we also need to be able to absorb them, move them from the digestive tract and into the body, where they can be used some nutrients are fat soluble, meaning that they need to be combined with fat in order to be utilized. This includes vitamins A, D, E, and K, along with antioxidants like carotenoids, Of course, avocados provide that fat for absorption. One study showed that adding avocado or avocado oil to either salad or salsa can increase antioxidant absorption by 2.6 to 15-fold, and this is due to its healthy fats and why you should always include a healthy fat sauce when you eat veggies, so not only is avocado highly nutritious it also increases the nutrient value and the amount of nutrients you absorb from other plant foods that you eat.
Number five, avocados are loaded with powerful antioxidants that can protect the eyes not only do avocados increase the antioxidant absorption of other foods, they're also high in antioxidants themselves. This includes nutrients called lutein and zeaxanthin which are incredibly important for eye health studies show that these nutrients are linked to a drastically reduced risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, which are common in the elderly. Therefore, eating avocados should have benefits for eye health over the long term. At the end of the day avocados are loaded with nutrients, many of which are lacking in the modern diet. They are heart healthy and best of all, they taste incredible. What more could you ask for in food?
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