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Log in with your Medical News Today account to create or edit your custom homepage, catch-up on your opinions notifications and set your newsletter preferences. Sign up for a free Medical News Today account to customize your medical and health news experiences. Also known as an alligator pear or butter fruit, the versatile avocado is the only fruit that provides a substantial amount of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids MUFA. Avocados are a naturally nutrient-dense food and contain nearly 20 vitamins and minerals.
This MNT Knowledge Center feature is part of a collection of articles on the health benefits of popular foods. In the article, we take an in-depth look at the possible health benefits of eating avocados as well as a nutritional breakdown. To maintain balance, we will also look at the possible health risks of consuming avocados. Eating a diet that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables of all kinds has long been associated with a reduced risk of many lifestyle-related health conditions.
Numerous studies have found that a predominantly plant-based diet that includes foods such as avocados can help to decrease the risk of obesity , diabetes , heart disease , and overall mortality while promoting a healthy complexion and hair, increased energy, and overall lower weight. Avocados are a great source of vitamins C, E, K, and B-6, as well as riboflavin, niacin, folate , pantothenic acid, magnesium , and potassium. They also provide lutein, beta-carotene , and omega-3 fatty acids. Although most of the calories in an avocado come from fat, don't shy away!
Avocados are full of healthy, beneficial fats that help to keep you full and satiated. When you consume fat, your brain receives a signal to turn off your appetite. Eating fat slows the breakdown of carbohydrates, which helps to keep sugar levels in the blood stable. Fat is essential for every single cell in the body.
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Eating healthy fats supports skin health, enhances the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, and may even help boost the immune system. Avocados contain 25 milligrams per ounce of a natural plant sterol called beta-sitosterol. Regular consumption of beta-sitosterol and other plant sterols has been seen to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Avocados contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two phytochemicals that are especially concentrated in the tissues in the eyes where they provide antioxidant protection to help minimize damage, including from ultraviolet light.
As the monounsaturated fatty acids in avocados also support the absorption of other beneficial fat-soluble antioxidants, such as beta-carotene , adding avocados to your diet may help to reduce the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration.
Half of an avocado provides approximately 25 percent of the daily recommended intake of vitamin K. Vitamin K is often overshadowed by calcium and vitamin D when thinking of nutrients important for maintaining healthy bones, however, eating a diet with adequate vitamin K can support bone health by increasing calcium absorption and reducing urinary excretion of calcium. Adequate intake of folate from food has shown promise in protecting against colon, stomach, pancreatic, and cervical cancers.
Although the mechanism behind this apparent reduction in risk is currently unknown, researchers believe that folate protects against undesirable mutations in DNA and RNA during cell division. Avocados may even have a role to play in cancer treatment, with some research finding that phytochemicals extracted from avocado can selectively inhibit the growth of precancerous and cancerous cells and cause the death of cancer cells, while encouraging the proliferation of immune system cells called lymphocytes. These phytochemicals have also been shown to decrease chromosomal damage caused by cyclophosphamide, a chemotherapy drug.
Recent research from McGill University found a 30 percent higher incidence of a variety of birth defects in baby mice conceived using sperm from mice with a folate deficiency compared with mice conceived using sperm from mice with adequate folate levels. Foods containing high levels of folate may help to decrease the risk of depression because folate helps to prevent the build-up of homocysteine, a substance that can impair circulation and delivery of nutrients to the brain. Excess homocysteine can also interfere with the production of serotonin , dopamine, and norepinephrine, which regulate mood, sleep, and appetite.
Despite its creamy texture, an avocado is actually high in fiber with approximately grams per half fruit.
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Eating foods with natural fiber can help prevent constipation , maintain a healthy digestive tract, and lower the risk of colon cancer. Adequate fiber promotes regular bowel movements, which are crucial for the daily excretion of toxins through the bile and stool. Recent studies have shown that dietary fiber may also play a role in regulating the immune system and inflammation.
Substances called saponins, found in avocados, soy and some other plant foods, are associated with relief of symptoms in knee osteoarthritis, with further research planned to determine the long-term effects of isolated extracts. Avocados contain substances that have antimicrobial activity , particularly against Escherichia coli , a leading cause of food poisoning. According to the Department of Internal Medicine and Nutritional Sciences Program of the University of Kentucky , high fiber intakes are associated with significantly lower risks of developing coronary heart disease , stroke , hypertension , diabetes, obesity, and certain gastrointestinal diseases.
Increased fiber intake has also been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, improve insulin sensitivity, and enhance weight loss for obese individuals. You can tell how ripe an avocado is by gently pressing into the skin. If the avocado is firm and does not budge, you will need to let it ripen for a few days before consuming. Soft avocados make great guacamole or dip, while firmer avocados are great for slicing and adding to a salad or a sandwich. To speed up the ripening process, place an avocado in a paper bag with a banana.
Coconut kale smoothie Roasted Brussels sprouts with toasted pecans and avocado Poblano chilaquiles Chipotle mango guacamole. Avocado can be used in a number of different forms, many of which are available to purchase online, including avocado oil. Avocado oil may be used for cooking, or for moisturizing the skin or hair, so check the product information before purchasing.
As well as incorporating avocado into the diet, using avocado products on the skin is an option.
12 health benefits of avocado
Avocado is a popular ingredient in moisturizing products, such as face masks, available to purchase online. It is the total diet or overall eating pattern that is most important in disease prevention and for achieving good health. It is better to eat a diet with variety than to concentrate on individual foods as the key to good health. This is why they are favored by some experts who believe these substances are harmful, which is a debated topic, however.
Nutritional Information
This nutrient helps maintain electrical gradients in your body's cells and serves various important functions. Avocados are very high in potassium. Several studies show that having a high potassium intake is linked to reduced blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure 6. The majority of the fat in avocado is oleic acid — a monounsaturated fatty acid that is also the major component of olive oil and believed to be responsible for some of its health benefits. Oleic acid has been associated with reduced inflammation and shown to have beneficial effects on genes linked to cancer 7 , 8 , 9 , The fats in avocado are also rather resistant to heat-induced oxidation, making avocado oil a healthy and safe choice for cooking.
Everything you need to know about avocado
Fiber is another nutrient that avocados are relatively rich in. A distinction is often made between soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is known for feeding the friendly gut bacteria in your intestine, which are very important for optimal body function Heart disease is the most common cause of death in the world This includes cholesterol, triglycerides, inflammatory markers, blood pressure and various others. Eight controlled studies in people have examined the effects of avocado on some of these risk factors. These studies showed that avocados can 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , One of the studies found that including avocado in a low-fat, vegetarian diet significantly improved the cholesterol profile They had a much higher nutrient intake and were half as likely to have metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms that are a major risk factor for heart disease and diabetes People who ate avocados regularly also weighed less, had a lower BMI and significantly less belly fat.
However, correlation does not imply causation, and there is no guarantee that the avocados caused these people to be in better health. You also need to be able to absorb these nutrients — move them from your digestive tract and to your 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. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble , along with antioxidants like carotenoids. One study showed that adding avocado or avocado oil to either salad or salsa can increase antioxidant absorption 2. So, not only is avocado highly nutritious, it can dramatically increase the nutrient value of other plant foods that you are eating. This is an excellent reason to always include a healthy fat source when you eat veggies. Without it, a lot of the beneficial plant nutrients will go to waste.
Not only do avocados increase antioxidant absorption from other foods, they are also high in antioxidants themselves. This includes the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which are incredibly important for eye health 27 , 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. 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 33 , There is some evidence that avocados are a weight loss friendly food.
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.
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. 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.