Avocado nutrition gives you so many health benefits. Avocado is considered as one of the healthy foods on the planet because they contain more than 25 essential nutrients, including vitamins A, B, C, E, and K, copper, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. Avocados also contain beneficial fiber, proteins such as beta-sitosterol, glutathione and lutein, which helps protect against various diseases. In addition to the benefits for health and beauty, avocado juice is one of the favorite beverage of many people.
Avocado is a special fruit, because it's contain fat 20-30 times more than the other fruits. Fat content can provide a high enough energy when consumed. This type of fat contained in avocado include unsaturated fats, making it easily digestible and useful to the body. Calories in 100gr avocado is 160 Kcal, levels of folic acid and vitamin E are also high, potassium avocado is more effective in reducing hypertension and increase blood flow. Different from other fruits, avocados contain almost no starch, low in fruit sugar, but contains a lot of cellulose fibers. That is why the avocado is recommended for diabetics.
Avocado Nutrition Facts
| Principle | Nutrient Value | Percentage of RDA |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 160 Kcal | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 8.53 g | 6.5% |
| Protein | 2.0 g | 3.5% |
| Total Fat | 14.66 g | 48% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 6.7 g | 18% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Folates | 81 µg | 20% |
| Niacin | 1.738 mg | 11% |
| Pantothenic acid | 1.389 mg | 28% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.257 mg | 20% |
| Riboflavin | 0.130 mg | 10% |
| Thiamin | 0.067 mg | 5.5% |
| Vitamin A | 146 IU | 5% |
| Vitamin C | 10 mg | 17% |
| Vitamin E | 2.07 mg | 14% |
| Vitamin K | 21 µg | 17.5% |
| Electrolytes | ||
| Sodium | 7 mg | 0.5% |
| Potassium | 485 mg | 10% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 12 mg | 1% |
| Copper | 0.190 mg | 21% |
| Iron | 0.55 mg | 7% |
| Magnesium | 29 mg | 7% |
| Manganese | 0.142 mg | 6% |
| Phosphorus | 52 mg | 7% |
| Selenium | 0.4 µg | <1% |
| Zinc | 0.64 mg | 6% |
| Phyto-nutrients | ||
| Carotene-α | 24 µg | -- |
| Carotene-ß | 62 µg | -- |
| Cryptoxanthin-ß | 28 µg | -- |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin | 271 µg | -- |
Avocado Benefits for Health & Beauty
1. Maintain Heart Health
Avocados contain vitamin B6 and folic acid, which helps regulate levels of homocysteine. High homocysteine levels are associated with increased risk of heart disease. In addition, avocados also contain vitamin E, glutathione and monounsaturated fats which help in maintaining heart health.
Avocados are rich in a compound called beta-sitosterol which has been shown to be effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels. According to one study, patients with mild hypercholesterolemia and put avocados in their diet for 7 days had a 17 percent reduction in total blood cholesterol levels, 22 percent decrease in both LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides, and a 11 percent increase in the level of HDL (good cholesterol ).
3. Controlling Blood Pressure
Avocados are also a good source of potassium, which helps in controlling blood pressure.
4. Anti-inflammatory (inflammatory properties)
Phytonutrient compounds found in avocados, such as polyphenols and flavonoids have anti-inflammatory properties, thus reducing the risk of inflammation and degenerative disorders.
5. Improve eye health
Avocado is an excellent source of the carotenoid lutein, which is known to help protect against age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
6. Adjusting Blood Sugar Levels
Monounsaturated good fats in avocados can reverse insulin resistance, which helps regulate blood sugar levels. Avocados also contain more soluble fiber, which keeps blood sugar levels more stable.
7. Prevent birth defects
Avocados are rich in folate, vitamin B known as folic acid. One cup of avocado provides about 23% of the Daily Value for folate. The high amount of folate in avocado are very important in the prevention of birth defects, such as spina bifida and neural damage.
8. Reduce the Risk of Stroke
The high levels of folate in avocado are also protective against strokes. A study has shown people who eat diets rich in folate have a lower risk of stroke than those who did not.
9. Protects against Cancer
Many studies have shown that avocados may inhibit prostate cancer growth. Oleic acid in avocado are also effective in preventing breast cancer.
10. Against free radicals
Avocados contain glutathione, a powerful antioxidant to help fight free radicals in the body.
11. Anti-Aging Properties
Rich in antioxidants, the avocado is very useful in preventing the symptoms of aging. Glutathione in avocados may boost the immune system, slow the aging process, and promote a healthy nervous system.
12. Treating Mouth Odor
Avocado is one of the best natural mouthwashes and medicines bad breath. Avocado colon cleanse which is the real cause of bad breath and unpleasant these conditions.
13. Increase nutrients absorption
Avocado intake is associated with increased nutrient absorption. A study showed that, when participants ate a salad including avocado, food absorbs five times the amount of carotenoids (a group of nutrients that include beta-carotene and lycopene) than those who did not eat avocado.
14. Skin Care
Fiber avocado added in many cosmetics because of its ability to nourish the skin and make your skin glow. It also helps in treating psoriasis, a skin disease that causes skin redness and irritation.
15. Weight loss
The avocado has 160 Kcal per 100 grams. Typically, the fruit has about 60-80 calories for 100 grams. Due to a high amount of calories, the avocado is the best diet for people who want to gain weight. Avocados are a healthy source of calories, unlike many other calorie-dense foods that may contain saturated fat and excess sugar.