Nutrition
The avocado consists of around 73% water, 15% fat, 8.5% carbohydrates — mostly fibers — and 2% protein.
Half an avocado, at around 100 grams (g) contains 160 calories.
Avocados contain quite a bit of potassium, dietary fiber, and fats. Avocado oil alone is almost two-thirds (71 percent) monounsaturated fatty acids — aka the “good fats” shown to lower LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol and increase HDL, or “good,” cholesterol, according to the Dairy Council of California.
Vitamins and minerals
Avocados are rich in many essential vitamins and minerals. Some of the most abundant ones include:
- Folate (B-9)
- Vitamin K-1
- Potassium
- Copper
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin B-6
- Vitamin C
Avocado Recipes
Breakfast :
Avocado Toast , Avocado Dips , Avocado Appetizers ,Salads with Avocado.
Lunch :
Mango Black Bean Ginger Rice Bowl ,Avocado & Egg Brown Rice Bowl ,Cauliflower Rice Vegan Burrito Bowl , Brown Rice & Adzuki Bean Bowls , Cauliflower Rice Kimchi Bowl ,Spiralized Daikon “Rice Noodle” Bowl , Portobello Fajita Burrito Bowls.
Dinner :
Grilled Avocado Halves Stuffed with Veggie Ceviche, Avocado & Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash ,Avocado & Lemon Zest Spaghetti ,Easy Vegetarian Chili ,Sweet Potato Chili Fries.
Dessert :
Chocolate Avocado Pudding Pops, Chocolate Cupcakes & Avocado Icing ,Chocolate Avocado Mousse.
Avocado Oils
Avocado oil is oil pressed from the avocado fruit. Its mild taste and high smoke point make it a popular cooking oil, but you can also consume it raw.
Avocado oil is very similar to olive oil in terms of utility and nutritional value. Like extra virgin olive oil, cold-pressed avocado oil is unrefined and retains some of the flavor and color of the fruit, leaving it greenish in color.
Avocado oil is also frequently applied directly to the skin as a moisturizer, and can be found in many cosmetics and skin care products. When produced for external application, the oil is usually refined and bleached, giving it a pale yellow color.
Regional differences in avocado crops and different extraction processes can produce variety in taste and, to a lesser extent, nutritional profile.
Avocado oil is a heart-healthy oil, high in oleic acid, which is an unsaturated fat. It contains vitamin E and also helps the body absorb other fat-soluble vitamins.
Benefits of Avocados
Avocados are loaded with nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B, vitamin E, and vitamin A.
Avocados are also a good source of dietary fiber, which helps reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, reducing symptoms of arthritis and obesity, according to the California Avocados website. (6) Dietary fiber is known to create a feeling of satiety, which can prevent snacking throughout the day.
Nutritional Benefits :
Protection from chronic disease, Antimicrobial action , Osteoarthritis relief , Natural detoxification , Improving digestion ,Reducing depression risk , Supporting fetal health , Components may prevent cancer , May help prevent osteoporosis , Great for vision, Healthy for the heart.
Avocado may help you lose weight because it contains monounsaturated fat.Not only is the monounsaturated fat in avocados good for you, but their fiber fills you up .For every 100 g of avocado, you get about 7 g of fiber.
Adding avocado to your diet may promote a healthy complexion. Its vitamin C may help reduce skin inflammation, accelerate wound healing, and soothe dry skin.
Avocado is a great source of biotin, and adding this B-complex vitamin back into the diet may help hair to grow more healthily. A 2015 study found that minerals in avocado oil, including potassium and magnesium, may seal cuticle cells, which can help hair look smooth and shiny and prevent it from breaking.
Avocado oil may boost collagen production, further reducing signs of aging, research suggests.
Avocados are rich in vitamin B6, potassium and monounsaturated fats. These help to promote good circulation and a healthy heart, both a necessity for a great sex life. The natural benefits of avocados help to prevent artery damage too. Erectile dysfunction is twice as likely in men who have heart disease.
Avocado : Fruit/Vegetable ?
Avocado is a fruit.
More specifically, botanists define it as a large berry with a single seed.
Avocados are one of the few fruits (yes, technically they’re a fruit, not a veggie) that contain healthy unsaturated fats. These fats help lower undesirable LDL cholesterol when eaten in place of saturated fat.
The popular Haas avocado, which has dark-green, nubby skin, grows year-round in California. A larger variety with smoother, bright-green skin grows in Florida. Marketed as SlimCado, it contains about half the fat and a third fewer calories than Haas avocados.
Avocados ripen or “soften” after they have been harvested. To speed up the process, place the avocado in a paper bag with an apple or banana for two to three days. The fruit is ready to eat when the stem comes out easily (or, if the stem is gone, when the fruit yields slightly to gentle pressure).
Benefits of Avocado Seed
Avocado seed extracts are used to manage high blood pressure .
The seeds are considered to be under-utilized, and early research suggests that they may have some health benefits.
Below are some potential ways in which avocado seed may benefit your health:
- Cholesterol:
- Avocado seed flour has been shown to reduce total cholesterol and “bad” LDL cholesterol in mice.
- Diabetes:
- It may
reduce blood sugar levels in diabetic rats. One animal study showed that it was as effective as an anti-diabetic medication.
- Blood pressure:
- Animal studies suggest that avocado seed extracts may help relax blood vessels, which helps to reduce blood pressure, a key risk factor for heart disease ).
- Antioxidant:
Test-tube studies on avocado seed extracts have shown that the avocado seed may have strong antioxidant properties .
- Antibacterial:
One test-tube study found that it stopped the growth of Clostridium sporogenes, a spore-forming bacteria .
- Antifungal:
Avocado seed has inhibited fungal growth in test-tube studies. In particular, it can inhibit Candida albicans, a yeast that often causes problems in the gut.
Side Effects Of Avocado Seed
There are concerns that some plant compounds in avocado seed, such as trypsin inhibitors and cyanogenic glycosides, may be harmful .
Safety tests on avocado seed are in the early stages and limited to animal studies.
Furthermore, based on the local population’s consumption of avocado seeds, it estimated the maximum daily intake of avocado seed extract to be 1.4 mg per pound (3 mg per kg) of body weight in adult humans .
There are also concerns that avocado seed oil may cause harm, as it has been shown to increase enzymes and fat build-up in the livers of rats .
Currently, there is not enough evidence to be assured that avocado seed is safe for human consumption, as the research thus far has been conducted in animals.
Also, the extraction process used in the studies could alter its effects on your body.
How to ripen Avos ?
The easiest way to ripen avocados is to set it on the counter for a few days to let It ripen naturally.
Greener avocados can last 3-5 days on the counter before becoming perfect while darker skin avocados turn ripe quicker.
- To ripen an avocado quickly on the counter, place it in a bowl or paper bag with an apple or banana.
- To make the avocado ripen in 1-2 days, place it in a paper bag with a banana or two.
- Store in the fridge once the avocado is ripe.
