There’s no denying that Americans love avocados. During Superbowl festivities alone, 79 million pounds of avocados are eaten. That’s roughly 158 million avocados!

This fat-filled fruit tastes so delicious that it seems like it can’t be good for you! Luckily, that couldn’t be further from the truth – avocados are bursting with nutrients and offer a myriad of health benefits.

In fact, research shows that people who eat avocados tend to be generally healthier, with a much higher nutrient intake and lower Body Mass Index than those who don’t.

So don’t just limit your avocado consumption to Superbowl season…you’ll be missing out on these 20 great health benefits if you do!

Nutrient Rich

Avocados are an incredibly rich source of nutrients and offer nearly 20 vitamins and minerals in every serving. Of your Recommended Daily Values (RDV), one avocado typically contains:

• 53% Vitamin K
• 41% Folate
• 33% Vitamin C
• 28% Pantothenic Acid
• 28% Potassium
• 26% Vitamin B6
• 21% Vitamin E
• 19% Copper

A Source of Healthy Fats

Although the fat content of avocados is high, they contain ‘good fats’ including monounsaturated fat.

This type of fat can reduce the risk of stroke or heart attack along with the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood.

Manage Your Weight

Surprisingly, eating avocados may actually help you lose weight!

A study, published in the Nutrition Journal, found that eating just half an avocado with lunch helped overweight people feel satisfied and full for longer after eating.

Participants reported a 40% less desire to eat over a three hour period, and a 28% less desire over a five hour period after the meal. They were also more satisfied after their meal and had less desire to snack!

Prevent Diabetes

Avocados appear to be helpful in regulating blood sugar levels.

Keeping blood sugar levels stable is important in reducing your risk of diabetes – a disease that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates will affect 40% of Americans at some point during their lives.

After eating half an avocado with lunch, participants had their blood glucose and insulin levels measured at specific intervals.

Even though adding avocado to the meal increased its calorie and carbohydrate content, participants showed no increase in blood sugar levels when compared with those who ate a standard lunch with no avocado.

Fight Inflammation

Chronic inflammation in the body is thought to be responsible for asthma, allergies, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, cancer … and most of today’s modern diseases.

Avocado might just help fight inflammation, thanks to its oleic acid content – the monounsaturated fat in olive oil that’s responsible for much of its healthful properties.

Oleic acid has been linked with reduced inflammation in several studies.

Eye Health

If you’ve read the article ‘14 Foods That Will Save Your Eyesight’ you’ll know just how important the nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin are in fighting macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of blindness in the US.

The only way to get lutein and zeaxanthin into our bodies is through diet, which is why we need to eat more foods rich in these phytonutrients.

And guess what?

One study has shown that avocados are the best source of lutein among the top 20 fruits most regularly consumed. They’re also a good source of zeaxanthin so eat up for better eye health!

Healthy Skin and Hair

With healthy fats and inflammation fighting properties, avocado can give you smooth skin and glossy hair.

One fruit also contains over 20% of your daily dose of Vitamin E which protects body tissue from damage by free radicals, thought to play a role in aging.

Instead of buying expensive Vitamin E enriched skincare creams, eat avocados or try avocado oil and fight aging from within!

Lower Cholesterol Levels

One in three American adults suffer with high cholesterol, doubling their risk of heart disease. Luckily, there are many natural ways to lower cholesterol levels.

Research has found that eating avocados regularly may be one of those ways. Avocados can reduce total cholesterol levels significantly, lower blood triglycerides, and lower LDL cholesterol (the bad) while increasing HDL cholesterol (the good).

Strong Bones

While you’ll need more than an avocado to build and retain strong bones, eating this fruit regularly might give you a helping hand.

Avocados contain a good helping of bone-healthy nutrients including Vitamin K, copper and folate.

Mix your avocado with a variety of other fruits and vegetables for the best bones you can build – several studies prove that eating fresh produce benefits bone health in both men and women of all ages.

Pain Relief

Avocado extract has been proven to reduce symptoms of arthritis of the bones (osteoarthritis).

Thanks to its anti-inflammatory benefits, it may even relieve other sorts of inflammatory-related aches and pains too.

Improve Digestion

Fiber is an important component of any balanced diet – it keeps your digestive system running smoothly.

Even though fruits and veggies are absolutely loaded with fiber, it’s something that most Americans don’t get enough of!

Aim to hit your fiber target by eating more avocado – one fruit contains 13 grams, around 54% of your recommended daily fiber intake!

Control Blood Pressure

According to the American Heart Association, a diet rich in natural sources of potassium is important for controlling blood pressure, thanks to potassium’s ability to reduce the effects of sodium in the body.

Avocados are a great natural source of potassium – with one fruit containing 28% of your recommended daily potassium intake.

However, don’t forget that avocados are a high fat food and excess weight does your blood pressure levels no favors. If you’re adding avocado to your diet, make sure you reduce your fat intake in other areas to balance things out.

Improve Immunity

Avocados are a great source of the B vitamins, which help you fight off illness and infection. They also give you plenty of Vitamin C and E – both natural immune boosters.

Vitamin C is so important for our wellbeing that Dr Mark Moyad of the University of Michigan claims that ‘high blood levels of vitamin C may be the ideal nutrition marker for overall health’.

 

Source http://www.naturallivingideas.com/avocado-benefits/

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