The Incredible Health Benefits of an Avocado

Let’s talk about my absolute favorite food for good health: the avocado. This incredibly nutritious fruit grows on very tall trees in tropical climates, but fortunately for us shorter folks, we can buy some in most grocery stores.

The health benefits of avocados are absolutely incredible. In fact, many food experts consider the avocado to be the world’s most perfect food.

Well, the laundry list is long and distinguished.

Let’s start with protein… Avocados contain all the essential amino acids your body needs, making them a tremendous protein source. 

Avocados are high in both monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. These healthy fats help decrease inflammation in your body and are associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Just be clear, as I talk about fats, I’m talking about healthy fats that your body needs in order to function properly. Adding avocados to your diet is not going to make you fat. 

Avocados contain about two-dozen vitamins, including C, E, A, and K, as well as many B vitamins. They also contain significant amounts of the minerals zinc and magnesium – and they can actually have more potassium than a banana! So, you can get your potassium from avocados and avoid all of the sugar in that banana. Furthermore, avocados contain lots of phytonutrients, which are substances found in plants that you want to consume because of the excellent health benefits. 

Plus, avocados contain antioxidants to boost your immunity and enhance nutrient absorption. One of these helpful antioxidants is lutein, which is best known for eye health, but there’s a host of additional health benefits that lutein provides.

Avocados are a great source of fiber – both soluble and insoluble, and you need both of those. Insoluble fiber promotes better movement through your digestive tract and can reduce strain in your colon. That’s why avocados would be a good choice if you’re having trouble with constipation.

The soluble fiber in avocados helps contribute to healthy blood sugar levels, which can play a role in reducing body fat.

Eating avocados will increase your HDL cholesterol. That’s the good cholesterol, the one where you want the number to be higher.

Meanwhile, avocados help to lower triglycerides, which is good because you really don’t want high levels of triglycerides in your body. High triglyceride levels are linked to obesity and several other health conditions that you just don’t want any part of.

On top of everything else, eating avocados can reduce your risk of developing metabolic syndrome.

They’re even great for skin health. 

I’ve also read articles that claim that avocados are the number one produce with the least pesticide residue. That’s a big deal in today’s toxic environment, particularly when we’re talking about food and pesticides.

Want more reasons to eat avocados? Well, they’re satiating – meaning that they really help handle hunger. This is particularly helpful if you want to lose weight. Not only that, but they’re easy and convenient to bring with you when you’re on the go.

Avocados are also much lower in sugar than other fruits and, yes, even though avocados are not really sweet, and they’re green, they’re still a fruit and not a vegetable.

1. Start simple: add avocados to a meal or a salad, or by using avocado oil in your cooking.
2. Chocolate Pudding: you can actually make chocolate pudding with avocado – and it’s really good! I actually had some today as a snack after my lunch.
3. Replace the mayonnaise: use avocados in place of mayonnaise to bind egg or tuna or chicken salad.
4. Veggie dip: mash an avocado with some lime, then add some sea salt and herbs to make a vegetable dip.
5. Smoothies: throw an avocado into a smoothie with whatever else you like to put in.