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 (100-gram) serving
- Vitamin K: 26% of the daily value (DV)
- Folate: 20% of the DV
- Vitamin C: 17% of the DV
- Potassium: 14% of the DV
- Vitamin B5: 14% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 13% of the DV
- Vitamin E: 10% of the DV
- It also contains small amounts of magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, phosphorous and vitamins A, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin).
This is coming with 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.
They Contain More Potassium Than Bananas
Avocado Is Loaded With Heart-Healthy Monounsaturated Fatty Acids
Avocados Are Loaded With Fiber
Eating Avocados Can Lower Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels
Heart disease is the most common cause of death in the world (16Trusted Source).
It’s known that several blood markers are linked to an increased risk.
This includes cholesterol, triglycerides, inflammatory markers, blood pressure and various others.
- Reduce 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%.
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.
Therefore, eating avocados should benefit your eye health over the long term.
Avocado May Help Prevent Cancer
There is limited evidence that avocado may be beneficial in cancer treatment and prevention.
Test-tube studies suggest that it may help reduce side effects of chemotherapy in human lymphocytes.
Avocado extract has also been shown to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells in a laboratory.
However, keep in mind that these studies were done in isolated cells and don’t necessarily prove what may happen inside people. Human-based research is unavailable.
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.
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.
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.
Boosts fertility
According to the book Healing Foods, avocados help in
boosting fertility and better the chances at conceiving too. It is also linked
to increasing the success of IVF Treatment.
Good source of folate
Avocados are a good source of folate. Pregnant women must
include avocados in their diet as folate helps healthy foetal development.
Several studies have also claimed that folate decreases the risk of depression.
Folate prevents the build-up of homocysteine. This substance tends to hamper
circulation and the delivery path of nutrients to brain.
Improved digestion
Having
problems with digestion? Try
creamy and fleshy avocados. Avocados are loaded with fibres that may help
prevent constipation, boost digestion and colon health. Fibre adds bulk to the
stool, which facilitates bowel regularity, thereby enhancing digestion.
Keep The Skin Healthy
Avocados are rich
in vitamin C (amounting to 17 percent recommended daily intake) and vitamin E
(amounting to 17 percent recommended daily intake), both of which are essential
in keeping the skin healthy and glowing.