There are many benefits of avocados and avocado oil and they have gained massive popularity in recent years…and for good reason!
Avocados are a decadent and versatile fruit that is great in many recipes. They have a delicious, creamy richness that really satisfies, whether in a dip, on a salad, or blended in a dessert. You can’t help but feel like you’re indulging!
Maybe what adds to the satisfaction is knowing you’re getting a great dose of nutrition to boot!
Nutrition and Benefits of Avocado
Avocados are somewhat unique in the fruit world. It could even be said that avocados are one of the fattiest foods out there…but in a good sense!
They make every calorie and fat gram worthwhile since they are extremely nutrient dense. An avocado contains over 20 vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C, vitamin B-6, magnesium, and potassium. In fact, a cup of pureed avocado contains almost four times more potassium than a whole banana.
Avocado Nutrients
Even just 1/5th of an avocado contains:
- Vitamin K: 26% of the RDA
- Folate: 20% of the RDA
- Vitamin B5: 14% of the RDA
- Vitamin C: 17% of the RDA
- Potassium: 14% of the RDA
- Vitamin B6: 13% of the RDA
- Vitamin E: 10% of the RDA
Then it contains small amounts of Magnesium, Manganese, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Phosphorous, Vitamin A, B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin) and B3 (Niacin). (1)
On top of this, studies show the healthy fats in avocado make the anti-inflammatory carotenoids found in brightly colored vegetables and fruits more bioavailable. So a little diced avocado on your salad both tastes good and helps you get the most nutrition out of your leafy greens, peppers, tomatoes, and other salad fixings!
But you might ask, won’t all that fat make me…fat?
To the contrary!
Avocado Calories
A single serving of avocado contains 50 calories and 4.5 grams of fat (and that’s just in 1/5th of an avocado). I’d say our family tends to eat more like ½ an avocado per individual serving, which makes it 130 calories and 15 grams of fat.
Although this may seem like a lot of fat and calories, studies show that avocado consumption can actually help control cholesterol and weight:
Avocados’ are a medium energy dense fruit because about 80% of the avocado edible fruit consists of water (72%) and dietary fiber (6.8%) and has been shown to have similar effects on weight control as low-fat fruits and vegetables (USDA, 2011; Bes-Rastrollo et al., 2008).
An analysis of adult data from the NHANES 2001–2006 suggests that avocado consumers have higher HDL-cholesterol, lower risk of metabolic syndrome, and lower weight, BMI, and waist circumference than nonconsumers (Fulgoni et al., 2010b). (2)
They can also help with food cravings by replacing that rich and creamy element you might be missing when eliminating dairy and other high calorie, low nutrient foods from your diet.
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