Here’s What Avocados Can Do For You:
Avocados are one incredible superfood. They’re creamy, delicious, and overflowing with positive health benefits. The age-old saying of an apple a day might be great, but after reading about the other beautiful green fruit, you might want to transition to a daily avocado instead!
Weight Loss
Not only can an avocado add some extra texture to your lunch, it can also help you with your weight loss goals. A recent study showed that eating 1/2 of an avocado helped increase satiety and gave a feeling of fullness for up to 5 hours after the meal. This helps curb the need for constant snacking or even reaching for those unhealthy foods. It’s every dieter’s dream! (1)
Blood Pressure
Avocados are rich in potassium, which proves very helpful in managing blood pressure. The potassium in avocados can help you flush out excess sodium and can ease the tension in your blood vessel walls, which also contributes to a lower blood pressure. (2)
Eye Health
Avocados have two very important natural ingredients, lutein and zeaxanthin, which are carotenoids necessary for eye health and vision. Avocados are the only plant that contains these two ingredients in such a high dosage. Because of this, eating avocados can help fight blindness and eye dysfunction. (3)
Cholesterol Levels
Avocados can help maintain good cholesterol levels because they are such a great source of healthy fat. Studies have shown that avocados help reduce a bad cholesterol known as LDL. (4)
Diabetes Prevention
Avocados have also proven helpful for those with diabetes. Researchers found when diabetes patients ate a daily avocado, their insulin and blood glucose levels evened out significantly. (1)
Pregnancy
Avocados are great both for a pregnant mother, and the growing baby. Since the fruit is rich in vitamin B6, folate, vitamin C, and potassium, avocados are a great way to get the vitamins you and the baby need. Extra bonus is that it can alleviate morning sickness. (5)
Bone Health
Avocados are a powerful source of vitamin K. Although calcium and vitamin D are most often mentioned when it comes to bone health, vitamin K is equally as vital because it helps the body to absorb calcium more efficiently. (6)
Nutrient Rich
It can be hard, even when eating a wholesome diet, to get all the recommended vitamins and minerals for the day. Avocados can really help out because each serving has over 20 vitamins and minerals. Just one serving can give you the following recommended daily values: 25% of vitamin C, 39% vitamin K, 30% folate, and 21% potassium. (7)
Absorption of Nutrients
Equally as important as consuming the right nutrients is being able to properly absorb them. Otherwise, they just slip straight out of your digestive system. Eating an avocado every day along with a salad or salsa can help to absorb essential carotenoids such as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene. (8)
Healthy Fats
Although fat doesn’t sound like something you want, healthy fats are essential for the human body. And avocados are a powerhouse of healthy fats. These fats can help reduce the risk of strokes, heart attacks, and bad cholesterol levels. (3)
Eat Green
All the current hype about avocados isn’t for nothing. The best part is that they go with practically every recipe and every meal. They’re great sliced up on toast for a nutritious breakfast, they can add a creamy texture to your post-workout smoothie, they are delicious in crispy lunchtime salads, and they are perfect for topping off a grilled chicken dinner! So get creative, and add avocados to the daily menu. Your body will thank you, and you won’t regret it!
Sources: Higherperspectives
