6 Benefits Of Avocado

The love for avocados is almost religious. What is so special about this unusual fruit?

1. Avocado has a rich fat content that makes it easier to absorb fat solubles such as vitamins A, K, D, and E, which means that adding this creamy fruit to any vegetable-dense meals will help you get all of the vitamins of your food. Without fat in your diet, the body would not be able to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins in that meal. The mono- and polyunsaturated fats in avocados not only help reduce blood cholesterol levels, but they help decrease the overall risk for heart disease.

2. Avocados contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two phytochemicals that are essential to eye health. These two carotenoids act as antioxidants in the eye and can minimize the damage and reduce the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration.

3. The monounsaturated fats in avocado are also beneficial for improving your skin tone. They are vital for maintaining good moisture levels in the epidermal layer of your skin that make it look and feel soft and healthy. Omega-9 fats can additionally help reduce skin redness and irritation and are involved in repairing damaged skin cells. Avocado benefits also include protecting your skin from wrinkles and other visible signs of aging with its antioxidant carotenoids, vitamin E which helps guard against photo-aging from sun exposure and vitamin C which is involved in the creation of elastin and collagen for maintaining your skin’s elasticity and firmness.

4. Potassium is a nutrient that most people aren’t getting enough of.This nutrient helps maintain electrical gradients in the body’s cells and serves various important functions. Avocados are actually very high in potassium… with a 100 gram (3.5 ounce) serving containing 14% of the RDA, compared to 10% in bananas, which are a typical high potassium food .Several studies show that having a high potassium intake is linked to reduced blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure.

5. Many people would be surprised that a food high in fat and calories would be considered good for weight loss. However, research has shown that monounsaturated fatty acids are more likely to be used as slow burning energy than stored as body fat.
This slow burning energy and the feeling of satiety or satisfied fullness that you get from eating an avocado is one of the reasons they are known for reducing hunger and appetite.

6. For those already living with diabetes, theoleic acid in avocado is especially recommended for its ability to lower ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol while raising the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol. Keeping cholesterol levels in check is vital for diabetics as they have a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
Having more monounsaturated fats in a diabetic diet is also beneficial for reducing high triglyceride levels and may help improve insulin function and blood glucose levels.
Other health benefits of avocado that can help with the condition include its vitamin C for strengthening blood vessels and capillaries and improving immune function for diabetics. 

Avocados can be easily included into your everyday diet by being added to salads or smoothies. It can also be used as the base for a delicious chocolate pudding.