9 Reasons You Should Be Eating Avocados!

Avocados have often been deemed a superfood, but what is it about avocados that really makes them a great addition to most diets? Whenever I hear people talking about avocados, I always hear that they are high in fat, but the “good” kind.

Avocados are high in the “good” fats, but they also have tons of other health benefits. They are one of the only fruits, that is limited in carbohydrates, and high in fat, and not sweet at all.

Avocados are truly a unique food.

No matter what your goals are, I highly recommend including avocados into your diet. Everything in moderation, however, because despite the countless health benefits of the avocado, they are also high in calories. If your goal is to cut and get leaner, then make sure to use portion control when consuming avocados.

Listed Below Are 10 Reasons You May Want To Include Avocados In Your Diet

 

1. Eating Avocados May Be A Good Indicator That You Are Healthy!

There was a study published in Nutrition Journal that showed that individuals who consumed avocados on a daily basis, had a lower body weight, a lower waist circumference, a lower BMI, a higher amount of HDL (good cholesterol), higher fiber, higher amount of Vitamins E and K, magnesium, and potassium, and an overall healthier diet/lifestyle, than those who did not consume avocados.

Grant it, this does not say too much about the avocado, besides the fact that those who eat avocados daily, tend to be much healthier overall.

2. An Avocado Is Packed With Nutrients!

It is generally accepted that one serving of an avocado is approximately 50 g, or 1/5th of a medium-sized avocado. I do not know about you, but I generally consume a whole avocado when I eat this delicious fruit. Thus, I am going to give the nutrition information for a whole, medium-sized avocado.

In one avocado, there are:

– Vitamin A – 25%

– Vitamin B-6 – 20%

– Magnesium – 11%

– Vitamin B-5 – 21%

– Vitamin E – 15%

– It also contains a small amount of magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, vitamin A, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, and phosphorus

3. Avocados Have More Potassium Than Bananas!

Bananas are often the go-to foods when it comes to potassium, but avocados actually contain more potassium! In one avocado, you receive 730 g of potassium, or 20% of your recommended intake.

4. Avocados Are Really High In Fiber

In one avocado, there are 10g of fiber, which is 40% of your recommended intake. Fiber is great for many reasons. For one, is prevents your body from absorbing sugar too quickly. When you eat candy, or processed sugar, your blood sugar rises quickly and then crashes.

When you consume adequate fiber, however, your blood sugar rises gradually, preventing any crash to occur.

Fiber is also great for healthy bowel movements.

5. Avocados Are Great Sources Of Healthy Fats

In one medium-sized avocado, there are 22g of fat (3 g saturated, 3 g polyunsaturated, and 15g monounsaturated).

Avocados are one of the healthiest sources of fat that you can eat in your diet. Most of the fats found in avocados, are in the form of oleic acid.

Oleic acid is great for reducing inflammation, and has been shown to prevent cancer as well.

Avocado oil is also a great choice for low-temperature cooking.

6. Avocados Are Good For Your Eyes

Avocados are high in the antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin, which are great for eye health. Many studies have found that these two antioxidants reduce macular degeneration and cataracts.

7. Great For Decreasing Inflammation

Avocados are a great food to eat, to decrease inflammation throughout the body.

Avocados contain phytosterols, carotenoid antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids and polyhydroxolated fatty alcohols, which have all been found to decrease inflammation.

8. Avocados Decrease Cholesterol

A study published in the journal Archives of Medical Research showed that individuals with high cholesterol, who included avocados in their diet for 1 week, had decreased their cholesterol levels by over 20%.

This may be a result of the compound, beta-sitosterol, which is found in avocados, and is known to reduce cholesterol levels.

9. They Are Delicious

Not only are avocados extremely nutritious, they are also delicious. Their creamy texture is great in a variety of foods, including salads, hamburgers, sandwiches, by itself, and even smoothies. They are truly a gift to the world.