The Amazing Health Benefits of Avocado

From informative health articles and beauty products to videos and more across the internet and daily, the avocado is one of the powerhouse fruits that many simply cannot stop talking about. There is a good reason why the avocado has remained one of the most recommended, go-to fruits for anyone trying to eat a better, healthier, more well-rounded raw diet too. The avocado is jam-packed with nutritious, healthful vitamins, and nutrients that can help bodies in so many ways. Let us take an in-depth, closer look at all the health benefits of avocado.

Avocado

The avocado itself is the fruit of the avocado tree, scientifically known as Persea Americana. It has been used in recipes and as a favorite treat to eat for a very long time before bursting into popularity over the last decade or so as a healthy, versatile, fitness-friendly, body-boosting fruit. According to the California Department of Public Health, the Central American avocado tree originated in southern Mexico and Colombia roughly several thousand years ago. By the 16th century, the Aztecs and Incas shared the avocado with the Spanish who then named them aguacate, later nicknamed alligator pearls by English colonists due to its green, almost scale-like skin and appearance. Avocado has assimilated into North American culture so well that there are now roughly 80 different California varieties, with Hass avocado being the most popular.

Avocado Breakdown

What is in an average avocado? According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the nutrition found in one-half, or 68 grams of an avocado can be as follows:

• 114 calories
• Dietary fiber of 6 grams
• Total sugar of roughly 0.2 grams
• 346 mg of Potassium
• 5.5. mg of Sodium
• 19.5 mg of Magnesium
• 43 micrograms of vitamin A
• 1.3 micrograms of vitamin E
• 0.2 micrograms of vitamin B-6
• Monounsaturated fatty acids at 6.7 grams

As you can see, avocados contain a lot of potassium, dietary fiber, and fats. The fats themselves, being monounsaturated fatty acids are known as the “good fats,” that have been shown to help lower LDL, increase HDL, and hold a slew of other health benefits. Avocados are also an excellent part of a ketogenic, or ‘keto’ diet as it is high in those good fats.

The Benefits

Potassium-Packed

Did you know that many Americans are not getting enough potassium? This is a nutrient that helps our bodies maintain electrical gradients in our cells and serves in a variety of important functions such as regulating fluid balance, the nervous systems ability to relay messages, regulate muscle and heart contractions, and may reduce high blood pressure, protect against strokes, fight kidney stones and maybe vital to reducing water retention. What does that have to do with the health benefits of avocado? An avocado contains more potassium than a banana. With just a 3.5 ounce (100 grams) serving, you can enjoy 14% of the recommended daily allowance compared to a banana’s 10%, which are still touted as a high potassium food instead of avocados.

Heart-Healthy

77% of the calories found in a single avocado are from fat making it one of the fattiest plant foods in existence today. Usually, we are told to steer clear of fats in eating healthier, however, the fat found in an avocado is known as monounsaturated fatty acids, or ‘heart-healthy’ fats. Oleic acid—a monounsaturated fatty acid that can also be found as a major component of olive oil is also found in avocados and avocado oil. This oil has been linked to reduced inflammation and shown to have many beneficial effects on genes linked to cancer. Also, if you use avocado oil for cooking, it is resistant to heat-induced oxidation, making it a fantastic, healthy, and safe choice for cooking.

Fiber

Avocados are relatively rich in fiber, an indigestible plant matter that can contribute to weight loss, assist in reducing blood sugar spikes, and is strongly linked to a lower risk of several diseases. There is a distinction in fiber between soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is the fiber known for feeding the much-needed, friendly gut bacteria in our intestines which is essential for optimal body function. An avocado serving of roughly 3.5 ounces packs 7 grams of fiber, which is about 27% of the recommended daily average and 25% of the 7 grams of fiber found in an avocado is the soluble kind.

Lower Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels

As heart disease is one of the most common causes of death in the world still today, we must maintain a raw food diet that is heart-healthy and supportive. Many markers have been linked to increased risk of heart diseases such as cholesterol, triglycerides, inflammatory markers, blood pressure, and various others. Controlled studies in people that have examined the effects of a more avocado-rich diet and these risk factors have found that eating more avocado or adding avocado oils and supplements can:

• Reduce total cholesterol levels significantly
• Reduce blood triglycerides up to 20%
• Lower LDL cholesterol (the “so called” bad cholesterol) by 22%
• Raise HDL (the good) cholesterol upwards of 11%

For these excellent reasons, you will find avocado is something we at Hallelujah Diet have incorporated into our supplements. Avocado oil is found in our Balanced Woman Cream and Adam’s Prostate Care. If you are not eating fresh, raw avocados in your diet, you may be missing out. The health benefits of avocado make this fruit a powerhouse to boost a better you from the inside out. For more ideas on how to cook and eat avocados as well as other fruit and vegetables, we can help with our extensive collection of books and articles written right here, helping you to get back to the original diet we’re meant to enjoy.