Avocado: The Food Amongst Fruits

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Avocado The Food Amongst Fruits!!

• Pictures of avocado preparations such as avocado
  toast are a quintessential component of almost
  every fitness enthusiasts Instagram profile. But
  why is Avocado so popular among health
  enthusiasts? And more importantly, how will
  Avocado help you be healthier and fitter? Read
  on to find out!

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Avocado The Food Amongst Fruits!!
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Avocado The Food Amongst Fruits!! Pictures of
avocado preparations such as avocado toast are a
quintessential component of almost every fitness
enthusiasts Instagram profile. But why is
Avocado so popular among health enthusiasts? And
more importantly, how will Avocado help you be
healthier and fitter? Read on to find
out! Avocado? Doesnt Ring A Bell! Avocado (also
known as Alligator Pears) is a pear-shaped fruit
with a rich creamy flavour. It is extremely
popular amongst health and fitness enthusiasts
due to high levels of good fat content and
extremely low levels of cholesterol present in
it. Avocado is usually eaten raw, as a dessert
whip, or in the form of salads with little pepper
and salt. You may have had avocados is in the
form of guacamole, a traditional Mexican and
Central American dip that also doubles up as a
good hamburger and sandwich topping. Some people
use avocado oil for baking as a replacement for
butter or oil while others try avocado oil
mayonnaise in sandwiches. In short, health is not
the only reason why people consume Avocado it is
a favourite for many for its central role in many
lip smacking dishes. Avocados health benefits
stem from the abundance of nutrients present in
it including bioactive compounds like
phytosterols. Below are some of the health
benefits of including avocado in your diet, which
you can start reaping today! Improves Digestive
Health Every 100g of avocado has around 7g of
dietary fiber. Avocados contain dietary fibers
that help to keep the digestive system healthy.
Dietary fiber ensures a smooth passage of food
through the intestines. They also stimulate the
inner intestinal wall resulting in faster
movement of the food through it and stimulating
the secretion of gastric and digestive juices so
nutrients are absorbed efficiently. All these
ultimately help in reducing symptoms of
indigestion and constipation.
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Improves Heart Health Avocados contain
monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA)-rich fruit oil
with 71 MUFA, 13 polyunsaturated fatty acids
(PUFA), and 16 saturated fatty acids (SFA). MUFA
and PUFA increase the levels of HDL cholesterol
which is widely regarded as good cholesterol
and decrease the levels of LDL or bad
cholesterol. HDL protects the heart from
cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and prevents
clogging by transporting the excess cholesterol
away from the cells and preventing
accumulation. ß-sitosterol , which is found in
avocados, helps maintain healthy cholesterol
levels. According to the National Heart, Lung and
Blood Institute, consuming 2,000mg of
phytosterols daily could lower cholesterol by 5
15. Additionally, the significant levels of
potassium present in avocados make them a
powerful ally in the bodys fight against
hypertension. Thus, including avocados in your
diet is definitely a step forward towards better
heart health. Read more on cholesterol and heart
health here! Enhances Nutrient
Bioavailability The avocado oil consists of 71
monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), 13
polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and 16
saturated fatty acids (SFA), which helps to
promote healthy blood lipid profiles and enhance
the bioavailability of fat-soluble vitamins and
phytochemicals from the avocado or other fruits
and vegetables, naturally low in fat, which are
consumed with avocados. Moreover, Avocados
provides nearly 20 vitamins, minerals, and
phytonutrients essential for healthy living and
weight management. It is also a good source of
Vitamin C, potassium manganese and vitamin B6.
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Improves Vision And Eye Health Free radical
damage in one of the factors behind eye diseases
such as cataracts, macular degeneration and
general age-related degeneration. Free radical
damage can be caused by stress, environmental
pollution, food habits, etc. Avocados contain
carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin which
are antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules
which prevent free radical damage and protect the
eyes from its negative effects. Improves Skin
Health Similar to the eyes, the skin can also get
damaged with time due to free radical damage and
ageing. Avocados are packed with the
antioxidants and nutrients that help keep your
skin soft, smooth and healthy. If you have dry,
chapped or damaged skin, including avocados to
your diet will help you significantly!
Beta-carotene and lycopene are two organic
compounds found in large quantities in avocados.
Beta-carotene, although is not an essential
nutrient, it releases Vitamin A, known to play a
critical role in maintaining good skin quality,
when processed inside the body. Both of these are
known to improve the health and tone of your skin
and eliminate signs of premature aging. Lycopene
Could Be Your First Line Of Defense Against UV
Rays British Society for Investigative
Dermatology where researchers assigned
participants to a diet high in lycopene for 3
months. A different group ate a regular diet to
serve as a control group. In the end, the group
that ate a lycopene-rich diet enjoyed 33 greater
protection against the suns damaging rays.
Thats the equivalent of a SPF of 1.3!. It is
no wonder that avocado extracts are found in a
variety of cosmetics due to their ability to
nourish the skin with essential vitamins and make
it glow. Avocado oil also helps in treating
plaque psoriasis.
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Prevents Bad Breath Bad breath or halitosis can
be caused by bad digestive health or bad dental
health. The nutrients and vitamins present in
avocados help in improving digestive health. The
soluble and insoluble dietary fiber present in
avocados also help improve your gut health which
is intimately associated with our overall health
and wellbeing. Did You Know How Did the Term
Halitosis Get Coined? In 1921, the term
halitosis was coined by George Lambert, the son
of Listerine founder Jordan Wheat Lambert. He
took the Latin word for breath, halitus and
combined it with the medical ending osis to get
a medical-sounding term for bad breath. Then he
ran a marketing campaign for Listerine based on
bad breath that skyrocketed the popularity of the
remedy. The antibacterial and antioxidant
flavonoids found in avocados also kill the
bacteria in your mouth thus improving oral
hygiene. This also helps in solving bad
breath. As you have probably guessed, the above
list isnt exhaustive. However, these are some of
the benefits which you will enjoy if you include
avocado to your diet. You dont need to be a
fitness freak or a health enthusiast to have
avocado. Small changes to your diet today will
give you immense returns in the future as you
will be a healthier, fitter and happier version
of yourself!