Avocado for health and wellness
I found out these wonderful words on a website of WebMD:
I eat three avocados a day - says George Bliss, age 81, has been eating avocados morning, noon, and night…After eight decades of daily avocado consumption, he’s still going strong; at 6 feet tall, he weighs a trim 180 pounds.
In addition to great taste, avocados is great health.
But why avocados are so good for health and wellness?
- regulate cholesterol
- 1996 study by researchers at the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social in Mexico (Archives of Medical Research, Winter 1996) that looked at the health benefits of daily avocado consumption. The 45 volunteers who ate avocados every day for a week experienced an average 17% drop in total blood cholesterol. Their cholesterol ratio also changed in a healthy way: Their levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein, or “bad fat”) and triglycerides, both associated with heart disease, went down. Their HDL (high-density lipoprotein, or “good fat”) levels, which tend to lower the risk of heart disease, climbed.
- In the December 1999 issue of the American Journal of Medicine, researchers pointed out that beta-sitosterol was shown to reduce cholesterol in 16 human studies. Among all commonly eaten fruits, oranges and avocados contain the most beta-sitosterol and contain at least twice the amount of the phytosterol found in other foods, including corn, green soybeans, and olives. - boost brainpower
Avocado won’t increase your IQ, but it will help you make the most of what grey matter in your brain you’ve got. The potassium in avocados helps fight fatigue and depression, both of which reduce your ability to concentrate. - immune support
The combination of B group vitamins (including B6 and niacin) vitamins C and D, riboflavin and manganese found in avocados helps maintain a strong immune system. They are also a good source of vitamins A and E, which help protect against cancer. Other nutrients include niacin, biotin, pantothenate, thiamin and riboflavin. Avocados are high in omega-3, which reduces the risk of heart disease and lecithin, a type of fatty acid crucial for healthy nervous tissue. - antioxidant support
Avocado, additionally to vitamins C and E, contains a lot of glutamine – antioxidant, necessary to neutralize free radicals that could harm our organism with heart disease and some cancers. Avocados may be one of the best fruit sources of glutathione, which may offer some protection against oral, throat, and someother types of cancer. - Avocados along with other fruits and vegetables are nutrient-dense in vitamins E and C – antioxidants that help promote healthy teeth and gums and protect the body tissue from oxidation damage.
- The richest fruit sources of potassium are avocados and bananas. Potassium helps the body’s fluids and other life-essential minerals stay in balance. Avocado is said to be protective against the formation of kidney stones because of its high potassium content. Potassium reduces the urinary excretion of calcium and people who eat diets high in potassium (like plenty of fruits and vegetables), are at a low risk of forming kidney stones. This is in addition to the beneficial effect of reducing blood pressure.
- Avocados contain more folate per ounce than other fruits. Folate is another important nutrient that promotes healthy cell and tissue development. Consuming enough folate is essential for pregnant women and women of child-bearing age.
- The blend of antioxidant vitamins in avocado makes it protect the eyes from cataract formation, especially the vitamin A, alpha-carotene and beta-carotene.
- Avocados contain a very concentrated dietary source of the carotenoid lutein and contains measurable amounts of related carotenoids (zeaxanthin, alpha-carotene and beta-carotene) plus significant amounts of tocopherols (vitamin E). Avocado has also been found to protect the prostrate from hyperplasia (non-cancerous growth) and prostrate cancer. A research published in the January 2005 edition of the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry stated that an extract of avocado inhibited the growth of prostrate cancer cells.
- Avocado also offers significant protection against breast cancer. This is said to be due to the oleic acid, carotenoid lutein and vitamin E amongst other things.
- Avocado is also good for arthritis and helps in combination with other therapy to reduce pain.
- Avocado is also said to be good for asthma patients. The antioxidants in it reduce the susceptibility of asthmatics to attacks.
Avocados contain over 12 minerals. These minerals stimulate growth and keep other body functions in check. If you are tired all the time and struggle to deal with stressful situations, you may be suffering from nutritional anaemia, in which case the excellent copper and iron content in one of these little green wonders will aid red blood cell regeneration and help prevent the anaemia.
Recent research (University of Ohio) shows that avocados significantly increase the absorption of phytochemicals contained in other fruits and vegetables.
They contain oleic acid which is great for your heart and can help lower cholesterol levels. They are rich in Vitamin E – vital for healthy skin and offer an excellent source of protein. The high magnesium content helps fight against osteoporosis.
Avocados have more potassium than a banana, but even though an avocado is technically a fruit, it contains only 2% sugar so much better for you if you are trying to reduce your sugar intake to control candida.
EAT AVOCADOS! THEY ARE REALLY, REALLY GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH AND WELLNESS!
[tags]avocado, health and wellness, nutrition, health, immune[/tags]
