Health and Beauty Benefits of an Avocado
Avocados for Health
Also known as alligator pear, avocadoes belong to the same family as bay laurel, cinnamon and camphor. Originally believed to have come from Mexico, avocados come from the Aztec word that means 'testicle' since due to their resemblance.
Popular in the cuisine of vegetarians, avocados are great meat substitutes for salads and sandwiches due to the high content of fat. Used as a Mexican dip base for guacamole, avocados are also popularly used in California roll sushi. Many chicken dishes use avocadoes as well and serve these on toast with pepper and salt.
In countries including Brazil, Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia, avocados are used frequently for desserts such as ice cream and milkshakes. The drink is made with crushed ice, sugar and milk with the addition of chocolate syrup at times. In addition, avocadoes are quite healthy since they contain twenty-five nutrients including potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper and vitamins A, B, C and K.
As a matter of fact to get the same content of potassium as an avocado, you will need to eat 2-3 bananas. Also, avocados contain beneficial phytochemicals such as lutein, glutathione and beta-sitosterol phytochemicals plus protein and fiber that protect against various illnesses and disease. Due the large amount of fat, avocados are one of the highest calorie fruits you can eat. On the other hand, the monounsaturated fat is quite healthy.
Bad Breath
The best type of natural mouth wash, avocados clean your intestines which cause an unpleasant coated tongue.
Stroke Risk Prevention
Avocados have high folate which protect against strokes. Studies reveal that people eating folate in large amounts lower stroke risks compared to those who don't.
Cancer
Studies show that avocados inhibited prostate cancer growth. Breath cancer is also prevented by the oleic acid in avocados.
Anti-Aging
Rich in antioxidant content, avocadoes prevent the symptoms of aging. Your immune system is boosted by the glutathione in avocadoes which encourages healthy nervous systems and slows down the process of aging.
Blood Sugar Regulation
Avocados have monounsaturated fat which reverses resistance to insulin, helping to regulate levels of blood sugar. The soluble fiber in avocados also keeps these levels steady.
Eye Health
An excellent source of carotenoid lutein, avocado helps protect against cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
Anti-Inflammatory
Avocados have phytonutrient compounds such as flavonoids and polyphenols which have properties that are anti-inflammatory, reducing the risk of disorders that are degenerative and inflammatory.
Lower Blood Pressure
A great source of potassium, avocadoes help control levels of blood pressure.
Lower Cholesterol
A compound called beta-sitosterol is contained richly in avocado. This shows to be effective in lowering levels of cholesterol in the blood. Studies show that patients eating avocados for a week decreased their levels of cholesterol by seventeen percent.
Healthy Heart
Maintain a heart that is healthy with the folic acid and vitamin B6 of avocados. These regulate levels of homocystein. High homocystein levels are associated with increased risks of heart disease. The monounsaturated fat of avocadoes, glutathione and vitamin E also help in healthy heart maintenance.
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