An Avocado A Day: The Incredible Benefits
Avocado is a really interesting, nutritious and healthy food. In addition to being delicious, it is very versatile in the kitchen, so it can be prepared in different ways.
Fats and cholesterol: the benefits of avocado
This fruit contains fats, but healthy ones. It is excellent for cardioprotective diets aimed at reducing “bad” cholesterol in people who are overweight or suffer from obesity.
Some studies have shown that eating one every day reduces bad or LDL cholesterol levels. It also helps take care of heart health .
The Mediterranean diet is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, such as those provided by extra virgin olive oil or dried fruit.
This type of diet can help us reduce the most serious cardiovascular diseases, such as strokes or heart attacks, by 30%.
Avocado is a source of fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Useful for losing weight
Half a medium-sized avocado contains approximately 138 calories.
It also provides good quantities of oleic acid. In fact, it is an important substance to activate the part of the brain that deals with regulating the sensation of satiety. For this reason it reduces the desire to continue eating.
There are various tests carried out in this regard that have found that the consumption of healthy unsaturated fats are of great help in following a diet and keeping it constant.
Anti-inflammatory properties
Avocado, among its many benefits, helps in the prevention of inflammation of the body. Especially in the various problems related to arthritis.
These benefits are obtained thanks to its high content of phytosterols. In fact, these substances are found in abundance here.
Phytosterols are really important for the inflammatory system. In fact, they help keep inflammation under control.
Antioxidant power
Its high content of carotenoids, as well as other nutrients, is also an important factor among its anti-inflammatory properties.
Avocado has a high content of antioxidants which are transformed into vitamin A, essential for the health of our eyes.
In particular, it is recommended to eat one avocado a day, rich in fat, along with another fruit and vegetable rich in carotenoids. Thus our body will be able to use these antioxidants more effectively.
A great idea is to always add a few slices of avocado to our salads.
An ally against the risk of heart attack
As we have already told you, this fruit is renowned for its high content of healthy fats, which promote levels of good cholesterol (HDL).
This type of cholesterol can help prevent heart disease and strokes. So if you have a history of heart attack in your family, you need to include it in your diet.
In addition, avocado is great for people with high cholesterol.
Positive effects during pregnancy
Avocado is rich in folate and reduces the risk of the baby having problems at birth.
For this reason it is suitable for pregnant women. In fact, they are advised to take folic acid supplements during the gestation period.
A glass of avocado (200 g) contains a quarter of the recommended daily amount of folic acid.
Let’s not forget that folic acid is very important for cellular health. It also serves to avoid the various cellular changes that occur in our body when we have cancer.
Looking at these benefits, we should all always eat avocados frequently.
Furthermore, it is able to inhibit prostate and oral cancer, as well as other malignant diseases.
A large amount of fiber
As we all know, getting enough fiber is essential for the intestine and for the health of our body in general.
It will prevent us from constipation. An avocado provides our body with almost half of the daily requirement of fiber.
Vitamins and minerals
Avocado is a wonderful source of essential vitamins and minerals. Did you know that it contains more potassium than bananas ? It is also rich in Vitamin K, Vitamin B5 and B6 and contains large amounts of Vitamin C.
Remember that vitamin C is an antioxidant and essential for maintaining the health of the immune system.
Other benefits derive from the proper functioning of the immune system, such as improving brain function and preventing dementia.
