The Avocado is one fruit you won’t really see anywhere else due to its fat content vs other fruits. When you think about fruits you often assume them to consist primarily of carbohydrates and water but avocados are different in that they are made up of mostly fat. Unlike most fats you’re probably familiar with, the fat in Avocados are healthy and is where most of the benefits of avocados stem from.
Benefits of Avocados
- Avocados are nutrient dense
Fruits are naturally nutritious and avocados are no exception. In fact, they contain 20 different vitamins and minerals. Here are some of its most abundant nutrients:
- Vitamin K
A fat-soluble vitamin that is most well-known for the important role it plays in blood clotting as well as building strong bones, and heart disease prevention.
- Folate
It’s known to play a vital role in DNA synthesis and repair, essential for those who are pregnant.
- Vitamin C
Protection against immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular diseases, and prenatal health problems.
- Potassium
Reduces risk of stroke, lowers blood pressure, reduction of formation of kidney stones, and preservation of bone mineral density.
- Vitamin E
A fat soluble vitamin commonly used as an antioxidant. Its most widely known health benefit is protection against toxins, eye disorders, diabetes, and even Alzheimer’s disease.
- High in heart-healthy fat
Avocados are high in fat but this fat is the kind you want to get more of. Its fat is mostly made of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat found in olive oil which, as we all know by now, is one nature’s healthiest oils. Oleic acid has been linked to the following benefits:
- Prevents heart disease
Oleic acid has been found to prevent oxidative modification of lipoproteins, a major contributor to incurring cardiovascular diseases.
- Anti-inflammatory properties
Diets rich in oleic acid have beneficial effects in inflammatory-related diseases. Oleic acid could be reported as an anti-inflammatory fatty acid playing a role in the activation of different pathways of immune competent cells.
- Anti-cancer properties
Oleic acid plays a role in the activation of different intracellular pathways involved in carcinoma cell development. Such a role could be the root of its anti-tumoral effects reported in clinical studies.
- Lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels
One of the primary benefits of avocados lies on its fat content specially how this type of fat is responsible for lowering LDL and triglycerides, important blood markers linked to an increased risk.
Eating avocados have been shown to lead to the following benefits:
- Lowers overall cholesterol level which can benefit those with hypercholesterolemia, a condition where people have excess cholesterol in the blood stream.
- Reduces LDL by up to 22% and increases HDL by up to 11%
- Decrease blood triglycerides by as much as 22%
- Weight loss
Everyone seems to be constantly looking for that one food to make them lose weight and avocados might just be what they’re looking for. The high fat content in avocados helps with satiation which prevents consumers from eating calories in excess, making them lose weight without feeling hungry. A study even suggests people who incorporated avocados in their diet can lose weight on top of the other benefits of avocados they’ll get.
Also, since avocados are so healthy, you can even eat them as part of a healthy snack especially if you’re trying to eat with minimal calorie intake and works really well with if you’re aiming for a guilt-free dessert.
Conclusion
When it comes to super fruits, avocados are definitely underrated. They’re not berries but they sure can pack a healthy and nutritious punch! Avocados also make an excellent pre-workout meal as it not just fills you up but it also gives you a healthy dose of fats for extra energy.
From abundance of nutrients to weight loss, this article has just given you four more reasons to eat avocados for the rest of your life.
