Best Proven Benefits of Avocado

Best Proven Benefits of Avocado

It Helps Keep You Smart
Here is some food for thought: avocados are filled with omega-3 fatty acids and natural vitamin E, which are both great for your brain. For instance, they improve the blood supply to your pre-frontal cortex, which is the part of your brain responsible for planning, decision making and critical thinking.

Reduces Cholesterol
Avocado is filled with fats that are good for you, with one cup of sliced avocado providing you with 32% of your daily fat recommendation. The reason the fat is so good for you is because it is monounsaturated fat, which may help to lower bad cholesterol – which has lots of other benefits for your body, such as lowering risks of stroke and heart disease.

Another bonus of monounsaturated fats is that they may also raise levels of good cholesterol in your body.

Absorb Other Nutrients
Many important vitamins are fat soluble, so they actually require fat to be absorbed into the body. These vitamins include vitamin A, K, D and E – so adding avocado to any vegetable heavy meals will help you to get all the vitamins you can out of the meal.

Benefits in pregnancy
Avocados are a natural source of folate which contains folic acid and is important for the development of a healthy fetus. Synthetic versions of folic acid are recommended for all women who are planning to get pregnant; eating avocados is a simpler and tastier option!

Fantastic source of Vitamin E
Avocados are the fruit with the highest level of Vitamin E (yes avocados are a fruit!) Vitamin E is an essential vitamin and helps to maintain overall health. Vitamin E also has positive effects on heart disease, stroke, cancer prevention, and development of cataracts and is widely claimed to have anti-aging properties.

Source of dietary fiber
Avocados contain both soluble and insoluble fiber meaning they help to reduce cholesterol levels by preventing re-absorption, help to maintain bowel function and can assist the body to avoid blood sugar spikes after meals.

A Source of Healthy Fat
They help increase good cholesterol. Avocados are full of fat, but adding avocados to the diet can increase HDL and decrease triglycerides.

Help Cure Cancer
The glutathione found in avocados has been found to help prevent some kinds of cancers.

Researchers found extracts from Hass avocados kill or stop the growth of pre-cancerous cells that lead to oral cancer. Avocado extract was found to inhibit prostate cancer.

Excellent as a First Baby Food
Dr. William Sears puts it as #1 on the top ten list of fruits for babies because avocado nutrition is well-suited for a baby’s growing development.

Weight Loss
If you are trying to lose weight, including avocados in your diet helps. Avocados control your blood sugar, which is an important factor for weight-loss. This is because the avocado has a sugar called mannoheptulose, which not only inhibits the synthesis of insulin, but also in the release of insulin. Eat no more than 1/4th of an avocado, which has about 80 calories. Avocados also have 13 grams of fiber, and we know that fiber keeps us full for a long time. Avocados are double-edged swords: Number One, they control insulin levels to reduce blood sugar spikes and Number Two, because they are high in fiber and good fat, both of which are important keys for effective weight-loss.

Heart Health
Avocados are monounsaturated fats which are considered good fats and when eaten in moderation, can reduce bad cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and improve overall blood lipid levels. Avocados also help in the absorption of antioxidants, Carotenoids such as beta carotene, lycopene, and lutein which are very important for heart health. Avocados have 3 grams of soluble fiber, which cleans plague buildup in the arteries.

Arthritis
Avocados have Polyhydroxylated Fatty Alcohols (PFAs) which is an anti-inflammatory agent, that prevents arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Nourishes the Skin
Avocados can improve your skin tone as the essential monounsaturated fats in the fruit help the epidermal layer of your skin retain moisture.

Avocado oil works great as a natural skin moisturizer. It also can help treat several skin conditions including dry skin, psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema, wounds, age spots, scars and sun damage.

Also, the omega fats present in avocados help reduce skin redness and irritation and promote the body’s natural process of repairing damaged cells.

Regular use of avocado also will reduce signs of aging and improve the production of collagen, which maintains your skin’s elasticity and firmness.

Promotes Brain Health
Health experts consider avocados one of the top brain-healthy foods due to its high content of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E.

Omega-3 fatty acids keep your brain healthy by improving the blood supply to the pre-frontal cortex, the front part of the brain responsible for critical thinking, behavior, decision making, and planning.

The vitamin E has been clinically proven to prevent Alzheimer’s from progressing and even reversing symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Those suffering from Alzheimer’s would benefit from eating an avocado daily.