Avocado – sources, health benefits, nutrients, uses and constituents at NaturalPedia.com

06/21/2017 / By Bridgette Wilcox

One of the most versatile and nutritious fruits, avocado is a favorite not only among foodies and healthy eaters alike. The fruit, also called the alligator pear of butter fruit according to MedicalNewsToday.com, is a central feature in South American cuisine, and is native to warmer regions.

The fruit has a green, leathery outer skin that in most popular varieties turns a deep purple color when they ripen. Avocados are notoriously difficult to catch at the perfect ripeness. The best way to check if the fruit is ripe is to give it a gentle squeeze — if the avocado just a bit soft, then the fruit is ready to be consumed, an article on HuffingtonPost.com.au said.

Avocado is known for being filled with nutrients and healthy monosaturated fatty acids.

List of known nutrients

According to AvocadoCentral.com:

Amino acids
Ascorbic acid
Biotin
Carotenoids
Copper
Essential fatty acids
Fiber
Folate
Folic acid
Glutathione
Iron
Manganese
Potassium
Pyridoxine
Riboflavin
Vitamin A
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Zinc

Medicinal uses for avocado

Avocados are best for the cardiovascular system. They are high in healthy monosaturated fats, allowing them to lower the levels of LDL cholesterol, which can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries, SymptomFind.com said. At the same time, it contains a significant amount of folate, which reduces the swelling in arterial walls. This makes avocados an ideal food for staving off heart disease and stroke. At the same time, they also contain three times more potassium than a banana, allowing them to keep blood pressure at healthy levels.

The folate also prepares women for a healthy pregnancy. The significant amount of vitamin B6 can also prevent nausea in pregnant women.

The fruit is rich in antioxidants, particularly glutathione and vitamin A, both of which protect against damage from free radicals, effectively helping to prevent cancer. They also contain phytonutrients that can protect against prostate cancer, as well as oleic acid, which can protect against breast cancer. The antioxidants can also slow aging, keeping the immune and nervous systems strong, and the skin young.

These antioxidants, along with a good amount of omega-3 fatty acids, are effective for reducing inflammation, making the fruit ideal for relieving symptoms of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.

Avocados also contain lutein, which can prevent severe eye diseases that come with age, in particular, macular degeneration and cataracts.

Avocado may also be efficient against:

Cancer
Dry skin
Fungal diseases
Heart disease
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Stomach ulcers
Weight gain

Body systems supported by avocado

Here are the body systems that benefit from avocado, according to HealthLine.com:

Circulatory system
Immune system
Intestinal tract
Liver
Lungs
Skin

Ways to use avocado

The creamy texture and subtle flavor of avocados make them well suited for a variety of healthy recipes — from smoothies to dips to salads and everything in between. Blending avocado with other fruits such as kiwi to make a smoothie, spreading mashed avocado on toast as a butter replacement, and turning it into a soup are just some of ways to include avocado in a diet, based on recipes recommended by Greatist.com.