The poor avocado would have motion sickness from the way it gets thrown high up on the “must eat” list and then kicked back down the ladder to the bottom with a bunch of foods to avoid. It’s back again, this time being touted as a “superfood” and it may just have found a niche to settle in and call home. There are numerous benefits that come from making avocado a part of your daily diet, including promoting weight loss. That is something pretty spectacular for a high calorie and high fat fruit. The reality is that many people who have dismissed the avocado for its calorie and fat content haven’t understood the nutritional nature of that content at all. Here are 5 benefits of eating avocado that will convince you to add it to your diet.
Benefit #1 – It is loaded with healthy fats
The average medium size avocado contains about 14.4 grams of fat. These are all the healthy fats that your body needs to function at its best. The avocado contains oleic acids and Omega-3 fats that are necessary to promoting good heart health. The other fat varieties contained in the fruit benefit the collagen and elasticin production of the skin and provide the right kind of fuel to assist your brain in maintaining cognitive functioning.
Benefit #2 – It is a rich source of protein
While many fruits and vegetables offer high protein levels, the avocado is considered a rich source because it contains something else that is necessary for your body to be able to use the protein – fiber. Along with that fiber, the avocado contains all of the amino acid building blocks that the body requires to synthesize protein. Without the fiber and amino acids, you can’t do anything with the protein you consume. This is why adding avocado to your diet if you are a vegan or vegetarian is essential, it is one of the best non-animal sources of protein around.
Benefit #3 – All that Vitamin E
Avocado is loaded with vitamin E. This is the essential vitamin for protecting the skin. It helps the skin’s cells to resist damage from the sun and helps to maintain firmness and elasticity which leads to a more youthful appearance. The vitamin E can be obtained from the avocado by consuming it or by applying the pulped fruit to your skin. It is most effective when consumed as the surface of the skin is only moisturized, but not repaired by the avocado pulp.
Benefit #4 – A good source of potassium
When we think of potassium we tend to think of foot cramps and bananas. Potassium is one of the most essential minerals in the body. A deficiency in potassium will not only lead to muscle cramps, but it can also trigger a cardiac incident, kidney failure and other dysfunctions of the major organs. By adding avocado to your regular diet, you will consume more potassium then you would get from bananas. Considering all the other benefits that the avocado offers as well, it is a better choice too.
Benefit #5 – Lutein
Avocados provide an important source of lutein for your body that is easily used. Lutein is most often associated with promoting eye health and it is also being investigated as a supplement that may help protect against certain cancers of the colon and breast. While the studies concerning cancer prevention are inconclusive, the studies concerning how lutein protects the eye are conclusive. Maintaining sufficient lutein levels helps to prevent age-related macular degeneration. This is most often caused from simple sun damage to the eye and consuming avocados can boost your lutein levels.
The Avocado Tricks
There are two tricks to adding avocado to your diet successfully. The first is to keep it on your counter or in a paper bag in the pantry after your purchase it for a few days before using it. Avocado ripens once it is picked and placing it in the refrigerator will slow down the ripening process. The second trick is to be mindful of what you eat the avocado with. It is a high calorie food that can hit as much as 340 quality calories per fruit, make sure you are eating it with low calorie foods so you don’t overwhelm the benefits of the avocado with too many calories or chemicals in the meal.
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