One Of The Best Fats You Can Eat...And It Does Such Amazing Things.

buddy67 (53)in #food • 7 years ago (edited)

Avocados can be ranked as one of our top healthiest foods. The benefits of avocados far outweigh their minimal problems, like removing the stone, peeling the skin, and sometimes working around a brownish area. A truly amazing food for many reasons. The American public has been staying away from these delicious fruits, because of the fear of "fat." But today science has shown us that this fruit has fats that are heart healthy. They are loaded with antioxidants, trace minerals and vitamins too.

Most Americans have no idea how to eat avocado. Most add them to their salads, sandwiches, or put them into their guacamole as a dip. Granted, avocados are a fantastic addition to these dishes. I ordered a sandwich at a well known restaurant last month and when I bit down into it, there were chunks of avocado that were falling out. They should have whipped it onto the bread, so it would not become embarrassing to their client - me.

Even though a whole avocado only has a couple hundred calories, avocados make a filling addition to any meal or snack, while providing nutritious heart-healthy fats. Half your day’s fiber, folate, vitamin A, potassium and more. Packed full of essential nutrients, improved heart health, hormone balance, better digestive health and more. Because of the healthy fat, fiber and phytochemical content, this super nutrient-dense food should only help you lose weight.

The typical avocado serving size is about the average consumption is about one-half an avocado at one time (68 grams). According to the USDA, this serving size provides the following nutritional value:

113 calories
4.6 g dietary fiber
10 grams fat
6 grams carbohydrates
only 0.2 gram total sugar
14 milligrams vitamin K (19 percent DV)
60 milligrams folate (15 percent DV)
6 milligrams vitamin C (12 percent DV)
343 milligrams potassium (10 percent DV)
2 milligrams pantothenic acid (10 percent DV)
0.4 milligram vitamin B6 (9 percent DV)
1.3 milligrams vitamin E (7 percent DV)
19.5 milligrams magnesium (6 percent DV)

Key Nutrients in Avocados:
Monounsaturated fats - Shown to reverse insulin resistance and regulate blood sugar levels, avocados and avocado oil are some of the richest sources of monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) in the world! Unlike saturated, or “bad,” fats, MUFAs are actually good for you and help the heart and brain. MUFAs are the main dietary form of fat in the Mediterranean diet, which for decades has been linked to protection against heart disease, cancer, cognitive decline and many other disorders.

Carotenoids
Avocados contain oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that can improve memory and brain activity. Oleic acid helps the body absorb carotenoid. Carotenoid benefits include lowering inflammation, promoting healthy growth and development, and boosting immunity, among others.

Fat-soluble vitamins A, E and K
Our bodies not only require these vitamins to function properly, but they also work together in an integrated way with essential minerals (magnesium and zinc) to impact metabolic factors (such as carbon dioxide and thyroid hormone).

Water-soluble vitamins B and C
B-complex vitamins and vitamin C are not stored in your body. Avocados are one of the better vitamin C foods and sources of B vitamins. So if our bodies need these two vitamins, why not get in the habit of eating a perfect food that offers it to us?

Important trace minerals (like magnesium, potassium, iron and copper) - Two bananas contain the amount of potassium found in just one whole avocado, which makes them an excellent source to prevent low potassium. Avocados contain more soluble fiber than most foods and help stabilize blood sugar levels, facilitate proper bowel regularity and maintain proper weight control. Avocados have the highest protein and lowest sugar content of any fruit, which helps to build lean muscle mass, while burning fat.

Antioxidant phytochemicals (such as beta-sitosterol, glutathione and lutein) - help protect against various diseases like macular degeneration and cataracts, it’s a good idea to eat a diet rich in phytochemicalss.

Folate
Because of its high supply of the crucial nutrient folate, preventing certain birth defects like spinal bifida and neural tube defects, so eat avocados if you happen to be pregnant. Research even suggests that folate-rich foods can help prevent strokes. Avocados can help with reducing the risk of inflammatory and degenerative disorders that can affect every part of the body - including joints, the heart, brain, internal organ systems, skin and connective tissue. A nutrient-dense fruit containing about 20 vitamins and minerals. There are many benefits, which include better heart and digestive health; healthy skin, hair and eyes; cancer prevention and weight loss.

Improved Heart Health
Avocado oil promotes heart health by balancing blood lipids because of fatty acid composition. In terms of their chemical make-up, avocados are about 71 percent monounsaturated fatty acids, 13 percent polyunsaturated fatty acids and 16 percent saturated fatty acids.

Lower Risk for Metabolic Syndrome
Eating avocados on a regular basis has been shown to lower metabolic syndrome in U.S. adults. Metabolic syndrome increases your risk of developing heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Avocados help with high blood sugar, hypertension, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and excess body fat around the waist.

Healthy Skin, Eyes and Hair
Avocado are good for your skin, because they are rich in fat-soluble vitamins and monounsaturated fats, they also help keep your eyes bright because of the high-antioxidant lutein and also keep your hair shiny. It is possibly nature’s best moisturizer and also are completely free of added synthetic chemicals. Avocados preserve healthy, youthful looking skin and hair. They are from the group of antioxidant phytochemicals found in veggies like carrots, squash and sweet potatoes, that are known for blocking effects of environmental toxins and UV damage.

Carotenoids, which group avocados are in, decrease the risk of diseases, such as cancers of the skin and age-related eye disorders like macular degeneration. Lutein appears to be beneficial for eye disease prevention because it absorbs the type of damaging blue light rays that enter the eyes and skin. To aid your complexion, simply rub the inside of an avocado peel on your face or any part of your skin and use avocado oil as your primary moisturizer.

Cancer Prevention
Several studies have surfaced recently saying avocado is a cancer-fighting food. The Journal of Nutrition and Cancer published the results of a study, claiming that phytochemicals in avocados are so powerful that they can prevent the use of chemotherapy in people with oral cancer! A study published in 2011 suggests that phytonutrient within avocados may hold a key to anticancer effects. New research has proven cancer cell cycle arrest, inhibit growth and induce apoptosis in precancerous and cancer cells.

Another reason that avocados are being linked to reduced risks for both cancer and diabetes is their MUFAs. These have been shown to offer better protection against chronic diseases compared to other types of fatty acids because of their ability to lower inflammation. Avocados help increase immune function and lower prostate cancer risk. Carotenoid antioxidants are beneficial for preventing skin cancer.

Diets lower in carbohydrates (especially high-glycemic, refined carbs and higher in healthy fats) are known to accelerate weight loss - so if you are on a diet,, avocados are your friend. Fats are super filling and increase satiety hormones that help you eat less overall. They allow you to go longer between meals without getting hungry and help prevent overeating, snacking and sugar addiction. That’s one reason why increasing MUFAs in the diet is related to better weight management and healthier BMI status.

Researchers in charge of a 2005 study sought out to dispel the myth that avocados are fattening and therefore should be avoided in energy-restricted diets. They examined the effects of avocados, a rich source of calories coming from monounsaturated fatty acids, as part of an energy-restricted diet on weight loss, serum lipids and vascular function in overweight and obese subjects. But only the avocado group experienced positive changes in fatty acid blood serum levels, and weight loss.

Better Digestive Health
Avocados are one of the best fruit sources of fiber. Depending on the size of the avocado, one whole fruit has between 11–17 grams of fiber! That’s more than nearly any other fruit and most servings of vegetables, grains and beans too. High-fiber foods are important for anyone with digestive tract issue because fiber helps shift the balance of bacteria in the gut, increasing healthy bacteria, while decreasing the unhealthy bacteria that can be the root of some digestive problems.

Protection from Insulin Resistance and Diabetes
According to studies, weight maintenance with a MUFA-rich diet improves fasting insulin levels in insulin-resistant subjects. Ingestion of a MUFA-dense food (avocado or virgin olive oil) can help decrease glucose and insulin concentrations for hours compared with carbohydrate-rich meals.

Better Hormonal Balance and Cognitive Function
Fatty acids help to regulate central nervous system functions, reproductive health and cognitive processes, and help balance hormones naturally. As a consequence, your moods are benefited when you eat healthy fats. Eating whole, natural fat sources is one key to following an anti-depression diet, while boosting fertility and mood, because some neurotransmitters and hormones are synthesized from fatty acids within the diet.

How to Buy and Use Avocados
First, make sure the avocado is ripe. The best way to tell is to squeeze the avocado, which should give a firm, but gentle, yield to pressure.

Use it as a fat replacement in baking. - you can purchase avocado oil instead of olive oil.
Dice avocado as a nice topping for soups or bone broth.
Put it in the food processor to make dessert whips, puddings, smoothies and countless other recipes.
Mash or whip it until completely smooth for a baby’s first food. - the baby will love it and you'll know he/she is eating healthy too.
Put it on top of a salad. - add an organic dressing and know you are eating healthy.
Use it in making homemade guacamole.- mash avocado with a fork until the consistency you like. Add some salsa and eat with healthy chips.
Put it on your skin as a natural moisturizer. - Every time I eat an avocado, I rub the inside of the skin all over my face, until it's a greenish color. I let it sit for at least a half hour, after which I rinse my face with warm water and pat it dry. I again have the smooth skin of a new born. Try it next time. It also helps to keep the wrinkles away. Everyone comments on how young I look too. :)

So, now that you have read all about the great powers of Avocados, hurry and buy one and then hurry and eat it too. Bye! Later.

#life #natural #health #science