PROTECT YOUR EYES
Avocados include the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which absorb harmful light wavelengths. People who consume a lot of antioxidant-rich foods are less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration, which is the major cause of blindness in the elderly. The darker green flesh closest to the peel contains the most of the avocado’s antioxidants.
HELP YOU LOOSE WEIGHT
A half-cup of guacamole has roughly 6 grams of fiber, or nearly 1/4 of your daily fiber requirements. Fiber makes you feel full, reducing your chances of overeating. Avocados contain a lot of fat, but it’s mostly healthy monounsaturated fat. According to studies, including this type of fat in your diet will help you lose weight.
BOOST YOUR MOOD
A cup of avocado slices contains about 118 micrograms of folate, which is over a third of the daily requirement for most adults. People who don’t receive enough of this B vitamin may be more prone to depression, and antidepressants may not work as well for them. Folate also helps to prevent birth abnormalities, so expecting and new moms should get plenty of it.
POWER YOU UP
Other B vitamins, including as thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), and niacin (B3), are also abundant in these green gems (B3). These aid in the conversion of food into energy in your body. Avocados are particularly high in niacin, a B vitamin that reduces inflammation and protects your arteries by lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
GOOD FOR YOUR HEART
When it comes to your blood vessels, the American Heart Association suggests that you consume unsaturated fats like those found in avocados rather than saturated fats found in foods like red meat and whole-milk dairy products. Avocados, in particular, appear to help lower “bad” cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure, according to preliminary study.
GOOD FOR THE BRAIN
Avocados are high in vitamin E, which may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and reduce the decline of your memory and cognitive abilities. This could be due to vitamin E’s antioxidant qualities, which can help battle cell damage caused by factors like pollution and sunlight over time.
GOOD FOR THE BONES
People typically eat half an avocado at a time. This provides 15% of an adult’s daily vitamin K requirements. This vitamin may aid in bone density and fracture prevention. To add even more vitamin K and vitamin D to a spinach salad with salmon, tuna, or egg, toss avocado chunks in with the salmon, tuna, or egg.
HEALTHY BLOOD SUGAR
Because they’re low in carbs and sugar and high in healthy fat and fiber, avocados check all the boxes as far as being friendly for someone with diabetes. If you don’t have it now but are worried about the future, here’s some good news: Eating a plant-based diet (that includes avocados) could drop your chance of developing type 2 diabetes by about 20%, according to a Harvard study that tracked 200,000 people for 20 years.
SKIN CARE
Whether you eat it or make it into a mask, avocado is great for your skin. Its antioxidants, like vitamin C, can help keep your skin looking youthful by smoothing out wrinkles. And the same nutrients that protect your eyes also protect your skin from UV damage. Avocado paste may help wound healing, so you could slather it on a sunburn.
FIGHT CANCER
Avocados contain oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid found in olive oil and almonds that, according to a study of almost 4,000 women, can reduce the risk of breast cancer. According to a lab research, avocatin B, a chemical found in avocados, can kill leukemia cells. Scientists are even investigating whether the papery husks that encircle avocado pits are beneficial.
IMPROVES PROSTRATE
Beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol, may aid in the relief of symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate. (It’s a phytonutrient that helps your body prevent “bad” LDL cholesterol from being absorbed.) Avocados have more than four times the amount of beta-sitosterol found in oranges, the next most abundant fruit.