Health Benefits of Avocado

Avocado, also known as the butter fruit or alligator pear, is a type of berry that grows in a warm climate. It has a rich, creamy flavour with a single seed in the middle. This tropical fruit has a high demand in the market as it is one of the healthiest fruits you will find. In fact, it is considered the powerhouse of nutrition, namely vitamins, fibres, good fat, minerals and antioxidants.

As a result, they are able to control many diseases like depression, cancer, digestion, etc. To learn more about the health benefits of avocado, keep reading!

What Are the Health Benefits of Avocado?

You will find different varieties of avocado ranging in colour, size and texture. However, they all grow in a tropical climate and are highly nutritious in nature. Here are some health benefits of eating avocado that you can derive by adding it to your daily diet:

1. Reduces Inflammation

Avocado is a primary source of anti-inflammatory properties. It contains phytosterols, omega-3 fatty acids, and plant hormones, including stigmasterol and beta-sitosterol. With its help, avocados can control inflammation in the body. In addition, the good fats present in this fruit also help keep the joint lubricated and thus relieve pain.

2. Facilitates Better Digestion

There are stomach related benefits of avocado too. Like it enhances your bowel movement and keeps your gut healthy. As a result, you do not experience conditions like indigestion, constipation, and colon cancer. These are all possible because of the dietary fibre content in the fruit.

3. Reduces Risk of Depression

By consuming avocado daily, you can even avoid the risk of falling into depression because of the substance called folate in it. When a person is in depression, the folate level drops to a minimum, but eating avocado replenishes the nutrients, which further help prevent the build-up of homocysteine. It is a substance that impairs circulation and does not let nutrients reach the brain. As a result, chronic cases like depression and cognitive dysfunction develop. Also, it controls the production of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, which regulate your sleep, mood and appetite.

4. Helps Lose Weight

There are dietary advantages of avocados that you can gain by adding them to your daily diet. It means it promotes weight loss as these are low on carbs and help keep you feeling full for a long time. In addition, you can avoid those extra calories you would have gained by snacking on junk.

5. Improves Vision

One of the biggest benefits of eating avocado is that it improves your eye health, thanks to beta-carotene and antioxidants. These compounds are beneficial for your eyes and help keep them healthy. In addition, this tropical fruit also contains lutein and zeaxanthin-two phytochemicals which protect your eyes from any damage, even if it is through ultraviolet rays. Moreover, the fruit is also a rich source of vitamin A that prevents the risk of developing macular degeneration, which is common in old age.

6. Prevents Cancer

Studies have shown that by eating avocado daily, you can prevent the conditions of stomach, pancreatic, colon and cervical cancers. This is because this fruit has a high concentration of dietary fibre, which keeps the gut healthy and prevents any stomach disease. In addition, it obstructs the growth of cancer cells and even destroys some. Not to mention, by eating avocado, you are encouraging the proliferation of your immune system and boosting your immunity.

7. Maintains Glowing Skin

There are even skin benefits of eating avocado daily due to the presence of minerals, vitamins, fatty acids and antioxidants. These compounds can keep your skin healthy by providing the required nourishment. In addition, this fruit is also rich in vitamin A and vitamin C compounds that give your skin a glowing texture.

8. Ensures Healthy Pregnancy

If you are pregnant, you can find many advantages of eating avocado because of the presence of folate in it. It is a compound that is necessary for keeping the foetus healthy. In addition, if the body ensures an adequate folate level, it even reduces the risk of miscarriage and neural tube abnormalities. Apart from this, avocados are also a rich source of fatty acids that help in foetal development and keep you healthy overall.

What Are the Nutritional Values of Consuming Avocados?

The following is the nutritional value of avocado that you can obtain by consuming 80 grams of it:

Energy: 152 Kcal
Protein: 5 grams
Fat: 6 grams
Carbohydrate: 5 grams
Fibre: 6 grams
Vitamin E: 56 milligrams
Potassium: 360 milligrams

How to Include Avocado in Your Daily Diet?

While some people choose the easy way to consume avocado on a daily basis, i.e., by seasoning it and eating it raw, others like to try it differently. You can also include it in your daily diet by having it like a spread in your breakfast, as salad between your meals or in your scrambled eggs:

1. Spread on Toast

Like putting mayonnaise or butter on your toast, you can replace it with pureed avocado. This will add extra minerals and vitamins to your breakfast.

2. In Scrambled Eggs

Add diced avocado with the eggs while cooking them in a pan to give your morning a twist. However, add avocado when eggs are half cooked and cook them until warm.

3. Salad

To keep yourself full after meals, you can eat avocado salad by pairing it with tomatoes, onions, crisp cucumbers, herbs and spices. Also, don’t forget to top it up with lemon juice for a tangy flavour.

What Are the Side Effects of Overeating Avocado?

The following are the possible side effects of consuming too many avocados. This is according to the limited cases found on the internet:

Increases Potassium Level: It is very important to maintain a balanced potassium level in the body for healthy living. However, when you eat too many avocados due to the large content of potassium, it increases its level, which may lead to issues like chest pain, nausea, shortness of breath, etc.
Lowers HDL Cholesterols: There are disadvantages of the good fats in avocados, too, as it lowers the level of HDL cholesterols in the body. It is a good type of cholesterol that the body needs to maintain better health.
Stomach Problem: Eating too many avocados can also cause discomfort to your stomach. For example, you can feel bloated, nauseous, or flatulence. So, watch out for how much is your regular portion.

Who Should Avoid Eating Avocados?

Avocado has been providing its consumer with lots of health benefits over the years, and there are not many cases in which it has risked someone. However, to be on the safe side, doctors always recommend avoiding eating avocado to the below category people:

Breastfeeding Women: Avocados may reduce the production of milk by damaging the mammary glands. So, women who are at the stage of breastfeeding their babies must avoid eating it.
Liver Patient: Due to the content of anethole and estragole in avocados, it is recommended to avoid eating the fruit if you are a liver patient. This is because these compounds can be hard on the organ.
Latex Intolerants: Those who are latex intolerants should not eat this tropical fruit. It may increase the level of serum IgE in the body, which is an uncomfortable condition for the consumer.
Allergic Patient: Many people are allergic to avocado, so if you see any signs of swollen skin, hives, itching or eczema after consuming this fruit, immediately quit eating and get some medical help.

Frequently Asked Questions

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How many avocados are okay to have daily?

According to the sayings of experts, you should have half of one avocado in a day. The fruit is high in healthy monounsaturated fat, so normally, people are not able to eat more than that, too, as it keeps their stomachs full.

What are the different ways to consume avocado?

Avocados are available in different forms. Apart from consuming it as a fruit, you can also add it to your diet in the form of avocado oil in your food or use an avocado moisturiser on your skin or hair.