If you believe abs are made in the kitchen, then the Avocado is one of the fruits you should definitely include in your awesome diet. When you think about fruits you often think they consist primarily of carbs and water but avocados are different because, unlike most fruits, avocados are mostly fat. No, not the bad fats you’re familiar with. The fat in avocados is healthy and that fat is where most of the benefits stem from.
This article will highlight the four most awesome reasons why you should get out and buy yourself an avocado right now!*
Benefits of Avocados
1. Extremely 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 the 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.
2. 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 of 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.
3. Lowers Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels
The fat found in avocados is responsible for lowering LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides, important blood markers linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
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 bloodstream.
- Reduces LDL by up to 22% and increases HDL (good cholesterol) by up to 11%
- Decrease blood triglycerides by as much as 22%
4. Weight Loss
Everyone seems to be constantly looking for that one food to make them lose weight. 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, helping 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.
Summary
Avocados are the little green fruit that delivers powerful body shaping effects. Now that you know just what avos can do for you, put them at the top of your shopping list. After all, an avo a day keeps the body fat away.
* Fitness Disclaimer
This website offers health, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis treatment.
This website does not promise any specific results, as each individual responds differently to training. The author of this article is not a medical professional. We have volunteers in our organization from different aspects of health, nutrition, and fitness. Not just modern medicine doctors and physicians, but yoga teachers, spiritual teachers, martial arts teachers, and energy healers and we use all those resources to be able to provide the best and most proper advice to people around all walks of life. We do not have a defined goal, we only have a mission to help as many people as we can.
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24381967
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9034243
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23165533
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23588432
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8561655
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8987188
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3664913/