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Nutritional Value of Avocados
Avocados are considered a “Super Food” and have a special
position in the food calorie pyramid. Avocados are rich in various nutrients,
vitamins and minerals. Avocados are also a good source of monounsaturated fatty
acids, and they have a low sugar content.
They are a good source of energy and contain a number of essential
vitamins and minerals. Avocados contain calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium,
copper, manganese, phosphorus and zinc. They also contain minerals such as
vitamin C, B6, B-12, A, D, K, E, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin. Furthermore,
they are a great source of dietary fibre, and a single serving can provide more
than 40% of the daily requirement!
Avocados are rich in potassium and successfully balances the
potassium to sodium ratio which is vitally important to overall health.
According to CAC (California Avocado commission), a medium-sized Hass avocado
contains almost 22.5 grams fat. Two-thirds of this fat is of the monounsaturated
variety, and they are also very low in fructose. Perhaps most importantly,
avocados have a unique collection of organic compounds like phytosterols,
carotenoids, flavonoids,
Health Benefits of Avocados
Avocados have many health benefits. They are packed with
nutrients and are therefore considered as one of the best foods you can eat.
Avocados are most beneficial when eaten raw. Many of the most well-researched
and important health benefits of avocados are as follows:
Good Digestion: It is believed that avocados are soothing
for the intestine and therefore aid in digestion. They contain soluble and
insoluble fibres that help to keep digestive system running smoothly. These two
types of fibre are very important for digestion, because they bulk up stools
and help to ensure the smooth passage of food through the intestinal tract.
Furthermore, they stimulate gastric and digestive juices so nutrients are
absorbed in the most efficient and rapid way. Finally, they reduce the symptoms
from conditions like constipation and diarrhoea. All in all, the huge amount of
fibre found in avocados (40% of daily requirement per serving) makes this a
very important food for optimizing your digestive health.
Dental Care: Consumption of avocados also helps in
preventing bad breath, which is primarily caused due to indigestion or an upset
stomach. Halitosis can be eliminated by improving digestive health, and the
antibacterial and antioxidant flavonoids found in avocados also kill the
bacteria in your mouth that can result in bad breath as well. Avocados have
also been connected with preventing oral cancers!
Skin and Hair Care: Avocados are packed with nutrients that
are beneficial for maintaining healthy skin. It enriches skin that is dry,
chapped or damaged. They are added to a
variety of cosmetics due to their ability to nourish the skin with essential
vitamins and make it glow. It is also used for nourishing dry and damaged hair.
Many people use avocados to prepare skin and hair masks. Above all, avocado oil
helps in treating plaque psoriasis. Beta-carotene and lycopene are two of the
organic compounds found in large quantities within avocados. Both of these have
been connected to improving the health and tone of your skin and eliminating
signs of premature aging.
Liver care: Avocados are very good at reducing liver damage.
It has certain organic compounds that help in improving liver health. Liver
damage is normally caused due to Hepatitis C. Findings of a recent research
study suggest that avocados may play a major role in toning up and protecting
your liver from a wide variety of conditions.
Healthy Eyes: Avocados help to keep your eyes healthy. They
contain carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which help to protect your
eyes against cataracts, eye diseases related to age, and macular degeneration.
Those conditions are often caused by free radicals that accumulate in the
tissues of the eyes. The antioxidant activity of those special carotenoids
neutralize the effects of those dangerous free radicals.
Healthy Heart: The health benefits of avocados include a
healthier heart. Beta-sitosterol, which is found in avocados, helps to maintain
healthy cholesterol levels. Research studies suggest that the intake of avocado
may enhance antiatherogenic properties of HDL cholesterol, which helps in
protecting your heart from atherosclerosis, also known as arteriosclerotic
vascular disease. The significant levels of potassium also make avocados a
powerful fruit in the fight against hypertension. Potassium is a vasodilator,
which relaxes the tension of blood vessels and arteries, thereby reducing the
chances of clotting, heart attacks, and strokes.
Kidney Health: Your diet plays a very important role in
maintaining the balance of minerals and fluids in those who suffer from chronic
kidney disorders. Potassium is one of the minerals that helps in maintaining a
normal heart rate. Avocados are a good source of potassium and their inclusion
in your diet may provide other benefits as well. It is important to make sure
that potassium levels are not too high as that can also be dangerous for the
heart. Potassium is a key aspect of maintaining fluid balance through chemical
channels for cells and organs. This balance of fluid is also vital for the
functioning of the kidney, which handles the movement of fluid and toxins
through the body.
Vitamin K Deficiency: A vitamin K deficiency is not very
common, but is frequently seen in neonatal care. It may lead to a bleeding
disorder known as vitamin K deficiency-related bleeding (VKDB). This occurs
mostly due to an insufficient intake of vitamin K during pregnancy. Inclusion
of avocado in the diet of a pregnant woman may help in lowering risk of VKDB in
the new-born child, since avocados are one of the rare fruits that have a very
high amount of vitamin K (almost 40% of the daily requirement in a single
serving!)
Morning Sickness: During pregnancy, morning sickness is very
common. Avocados help to overcome nausea and queasiness during pregnancy since it
contains vitamin B6, which is commonly connected to reducing nausea and
vomiting.
Arthritis: The anti-inflammatory properties of avocados are
perhaps its most valuable attribute, and between the wide range of
phytochemicals, flavonoids, carotenoids, phytosterols, fatty alcohols, and
omega-3 fatty acids, avocados are one of the best foods for reducing the
inflammation in tissues, joints, and muscles. Arthritis affects tens of
millions of people around the world, and by consuming a proper amount of avocados,
studies have frequently shown the symptoms and associated pain of arthritis can
be efficiently reduced!
Anti-Cancer Properties: Health benefits of avocados include
a lower risk of cancers, including breast cancer and prostate cancer. Avocado
containss carotenoids and monounsaturated fat, which both contribute to the
significant reduction of cancer. Avocado also contains Glutathione, an
antioxidant that protects the cells from cancer and the dangerous effects of
free radicals. The list of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds in
avocados is impressive, and it is almost difficult to determine which one has
the largest impact. Studies have been widely done on oral, skin, and prostate
cancers, and the results show that instead of metastasizing, the organic
compounds in avocados cause cancerous cells to undergo apoptosis (automatic
cell death). Research is ongoing in terms of avocado and cancer.
Antioxidant Properties: Avocado contains both vitamin C and
E, which help to enhance antioxidant properties of the human body. Vitamin C
recycles vitamin E and helps to reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.
Avocado also contains antioxidants like epicatechin, violaxanthin, neochrome,
and about a dozen others. Antioxidants neutralize the effects of free radicals,
which are the dangerous by products of cellular metabolism. They are
responsible for dozens of serious conditions in the body, including cancer,
cardiovascular disease, vision problems, premature aging, cognitive disorders,
and many more.
Healthy Skin: Avocados contain many vitamins and minerals
that help in maintaining healthy skin. Carotenoids found in avocados are
associated with reducing UV-induced inflammation of the skin due to exposure to
sun. Oil made from avocado helps in protecting the skin against sunburn damage.
The high levels of beta-carotene in avocados can be enzymatically split into
provitamin A, which has long been connected to protecting the skin from a
variety of conditions and the damaging effects of the sun.
Weight Management: Regular exercise, along with a healthy
diet, is very important in weight management. Avocados are fruits that provide
nutritional value to the body and support weight control. Findings of a recent
study suggest a number of beneficial effects of avocado on weight management.
Anti-Aging: Consuming avocados is also associated with
healthy aging. It contains compounds such as xanthophyll, which have
antioxidant properties. Research studies suggest that an intake of xanthophyll
may decrease signs of the aging process on various parts of your body.
Bone Health: Avocados contain carotenoids such as zeaxanthin
and lutein, which are associated with a reduced risk of cartilage defects
(symptom of osteoarthritis). Intake of foods such as avocado and soy may help
in reducing the risk of osteoarthritis. Furthermore, the levels of essential
minerals in avocados are significant, including zinc, phosphorous, copper, and
trace amounts of calcium and selenium. All of these are connected to lowered
risks of osteoporosis and improvements in bone mineral density.
Nutrient Absorption: Avocados are best eaten along with
other fruits and vegetables. This is due to the fact that nutrients present in
fruits and vegetables get enhanced when eaten along with avocados. The absorption
of carotenoid antioxidant molecules, which helps to protect the body against
free radical damage, increases three to five times when a salad is eaten along
with avocado. Therefore, adding sliced avocado to mixed salad is a good way to
make a healthy meal even better. This makes avocado a great element as an
appetizer since it prepares the digestive tract to function at its highest
level during the meal to come!
Blood Glucose Levels: Apart from the fruit, the leaf
extracts of avocados also provide health benefits. A study conducted on
non-diabetic and diabetic rats suggest that the leaf extracts may help in
lowering blood glucose levels. For diabetic patients, the metabolism of
starch-based foods into simple sugars like glucose can cause the spikes and
plunges that are so dangerous for diabetics. Fibre helps to slow the breakdown
of food into usable sugars, so it is absorbed by the body in a more balanced
way. Furthermore, the majority of carbohydrates in avocados are made up of
7-carbon sugars, a relatively rare form of sugar that actually inhibit the
enzyme hexokinase. This helps avocados control the way that glucose is
metabolized by the body, thereby protecting the overall health of diabetic
patients.
Useful for Athletes: Athletes require a lot of energy and
must maintain optimal nutrition to fuel their body. Avocado provides vital
nutrients to athletes to maintain required energy levels and good health.
Moreover, they contain phytochemicals that are a natural fuel source for your
body.
Avocado – Health Concerns Avocados may cause migraines, a common type of headache.
Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light are generally the
symptoms of a migraine. Care must be taken and consumption of avocado should be
avoided if these symptoms are experienced.
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