Avocado… The Magical Fruit?

Are Avocados a Superfood?

The short answer, yes. According to Merriam-Webster a superfood is a food that is rich in compounds considered beneficial to a person’s health. As you will see below, avocados contain lots of nutrients that are beneficial to a person’s health and have been studied for their benefits in preventing and assisting in a variety of health conditions. One caveat, you can have too much of a good thing in this case. A serving size of avocado is only 2 tablespoons containing about 55 calories, while a whole avocado packs about 250 calories.

What are the health benefits of avocados?

1.       Healthy fats

Avocados have so many calories in a small serving because they are high in monounsaturated fats. These are the healthy fats also found in olive oil. They can make you feel full longer and lower your risk of heart disease.

2.       Vitamins and minerals

Avocados are a great source of vitamin C, E, K as well as many B vitamins used for energy including B6, niacin and folate. Avocados also have high levels of magnesium (many folks don’t get enough of this mineral!) and potassium.

3.       Weight loss/maintenance

Because avocados are high in those healthy fats as well as fiber they are great at keeping you full longer and therefore can help with weight loss and weight maintenance. In fact, one study found that consuming ½ avocado with lunch helped boost weight loss results as participants were kept full until dinner without the need for afternoon snacking.

4.       Heart health and lowering cholesterol

Got high cholesterol? Avocados are great way to improve cholesterol and heart health. Not only are avocados high in healthy fats but they are also high in plant sterols and fiber, both of which can lower the bad cholesterol, LDL.

5.       Cancer

Regularly consuming avocados may help lower your risk of cancer. Avocados are a great source of phytochemicals that can inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

6.       Digestion

Avocados are a great source of fiber! One avocado has about 10 grams of fiber, compare that to your standard serving of whole grains which only has about 3-5 grams. That means this superfood is a great way to improve digestion and gut health.

How can you incorporate avocado into your diet?

-          Avocado toast for breakfast

-          Add avocado to your salad at lunch (pro-tip: try using avocado instead of salad dressing!)

-          Whole grain chips and guacamole

-          Try ½ an avocado as a snack!