First of all, did you know that avocado is a fruit and not a vegetable? Yes, it’s a fruit and an extremely healthy one at that. Most people avoid eating avocado because of their high fat content (approximately 14.1 grams in half an avocado). However, because they are jam-packed full of nutrients that can protect you from heart disease and cancer, is a good reason you should consider adding it to your diet.
There are so many ways you can use avocados. Chopping it up for your lunchtime salad, making guacamole or how about adding it to a smoothie. Keep reading to find out 9 Reasons Why You Should be Eating Avocado.
1. Disease Fighting Friend
Yes, it’s true, avocados contain fat, but this is the type of healthy fat your body needs. With about 67 percent of this fat being monounsaturated, 16 percent polyunsaturated, and 15 percent saturated fat, you can see that the bad “saturated” fat is minimal.
The largest amount of fat is the monounsaturated type, also known as oleic acid. Oleic acid has been shown to prevent chronic and serious diseases. One study, published in Lipids in Health and Disease in 2009, showed that oleic acid could actually reverse the negative effects of inflammation in subjects with diabetes and person who are obese, which means it might even help prevent, or treat, type 2 diabetes. Another study published in 2004 found that oleic acid, could decrease the risk factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease. This study was published in the journal Nutrition. So eating avocados is one great tasting way to prevent disease! Read more about amazing things you never imagined about avocados.2. Lowers Cholesterol Levels
The oleic acid we talked about earlier is some good stuff! Besides preventing disease, it can also help to reduce cholesterol levels. One study showed that those who ate a diet rich in avocados had large decreases in overall cholesterol levels, especially in LDL (bad) cholesterol, yet their HDL (good) cholesterol levels were up an average of 11 percent. High cholesterol levels are one of the main risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease.
3. Naturally Balances Hormones
Avocados contain beta-sitosterol, which is a plant sterol, which has anti-estrogenic compounds, which means that they naturally block the estrogen receptors in our bodies and reduce the rate at which estrogen is absorbed. This means that women have increased progesterone levels and men have increased testosterone levels. In today’s world that is filled with hormone blocking and disrupting chemicals, avocados can help restore the natural balance of hormones in both men and women.
4. Protect Your Unborn Baby
Folate, a vitamin which is vital for the prevention of birth defects, is something every mother or mother to be should be consuming. Just one cup of avocado will give you 25 percent of your daily recommended intake. So if you are pregnant, or are planning on becoming pregnant, you should be adding avocados, instead of pickles, to that ice cream craving you get! Even if you aren’t at the craving stage just yet, eat an avocado anyway, it’s good for you and your baby!
5. Crazy at Cancer Fighting
Carotenoids are plant-based precursors to vitamin A and one of the carotenoids that are found in avocados, beta-carotene, is well known as a crazy cancer fighter. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications published a study in August of 2013 that found that consuming beta-carotene can inhibit the growth of cancerous tumors, especially those associated with neuroblastoma, a very aggressive cancer that tends to affect young children.
Read up on good fats vs bad fats, you may learn some get healthy info. : )
I put them in smoothies before, not too shabby
Avocados have healthy fats that could help raise HDL not LDL which improves your ratio.
Have to try Sis
Courtney Bennett Amber Bennett Steven Lewis
Love this fruit
yes a fruit
Everyday!