Avocado benefits: 6 reasons to love the guac
Avocado benefits: 6 reasons to love the guac
As if we didn’t need any more reason to love avocados. Avocado benefits mean avocados more than live up to the hype, according to top nutritionists. For better or worse, avocados have exploded in the culinary scene in recent years. The beloved fruit has appeared in countless Instagram newsfeeds, with millennials spearheading the trend with gusto.
But are they really worthy of our praise? For those of you forgoing your house deposit for more avo on toast, here’s what you need to know about avocado benefits, nutrition-wise.
What exactly are the avocado benefits?
Let’s take a look at it the nutritional breakdown of avocados. For any typical avo lover, it might come as a surprise to learn that the official serving size of an avocado is about one-third of an avo. Small but mighty, this serving size packs a nutritional punch, boasting 30% of our recommended daily intake (RDI) for Vitamin B6 and a whopping 41% of our RDI for folate.
Avocado nutritional information
Average quantity per serving:
- Energy (kJ): 684
- Protein (g): 1.34
- Fat, total (g): 17.0
- monosaturated (g): 6.67
- polyunsaturated (g): 1.20
- saturated (g): 2.50
- Carbohydrate (g): 0.06
- sugars (g): 0.0
- Dietary Fibre (g): 3.86
- Sodium (mg): 8.6
- Vitamin B6 (mg): 0.47
- Folate (µg): 81.6
- Niacin (mg): 1.85
- Vitamin E (mg): 1.25
- Vitamin C (mg): 2.02
- Potassium (mg): 390
Over and above the nutritional information, avocados contain a wealth of benefits for your health.
1. Rich in antioxidants
Thinking about doing a detox? You might want to include avocados in your detox diet. Avocados are rich in a certain superstar of the antioxidant family. Meet glutathione, the “Beyonce” of antioxidants and avocado’s secret weapon. Glutathione helps eliminate toxins and heavy metals from your liver, lungs, intestines, and kidneys.
2. Goodness for the heart
Among the list of avocado benefits are healthy fatty acids. Avocados are loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. In fact, around two-thirds of the total fat in avocado is monounsaturated. A study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming a diet rich in monounsaturated fatty acids from plant-based sources reduces the risk of heart disease.
3. Assists with nutrient absorption
It’s one thing to eat a nutrient-rich diet. It’s another thing entirely for your body to absorb those nutrients. Some nutrients need fatty acids to help them pass from your digestive tract to the places they’re needed most. Vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as antioxidants like carotenoids, are all fat-soluble. Research has shown that adding avocado or avocado oil to a meal can increase antioxidant absorption up to 15-fold.
4. Promotes healthy digestion
Avocados are rich in both fibre and Vitamin C, both of which promote healthy digestion. Fibre doesn’t break down into energy as it passes through your digestive tract. Instead, it absorbs water to soften and loosen your stool. Vitamin C helps produce collagen to maintain tissue strength in your intestinal walls. One cup of avocado contains roughly 15% of your RDI for fibre and 10% of your daily Vitamin C needs. Now those are some avocado benefits we can get behind!
5. Healthy, glowing skin
Avocados boast an impressive resume of skin-boosting benefits. The fats, compounds and vitamins found in avocados can speed skin repair, prevent sun damage, improve elasticity and reduce inflammation. What’s more, avocado oil makes for a simple, natural alternative in your daily skincare routine. Feel good, inside and out.
6. Supports weight management
Up until recently, everyone seemed to fear fats. But nutritional science has demonstrated that the good fats and fibre found in avocados can actually contribute to weight loss. When consumed as part of a well-balanced diet, avocados can help curb hunger pangs, thanks to its high fibre content. One study found that people who ate avocados were 33% less likely to be overweight or obese.
So for anyone wondering about avocado benefits while they slather their piece of toast with creamy goodness, you’re in safe hands.
Craving avos? Pick up a box of Bay of Plenty handpicked avocados delivered to your door faster than you can say “guacamole”.