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Avocado is a fruit that is very easy to eat and, in addition, has many medicinal properties and nutritional values. Avocados, thanks to the content of oleic acid, lowers cholesterol, and the potassium contained in it regulates blood pressure. But beware - avocados are the most calorific fruit. Learn how to eat an avocado, how to prepare an avocado so that it doesn't darken when it is peeled, whether the avocado stone is poisonous, and whether it can be eaten.

Avocadois a fruit that is very easy to eat and has manyhealing andnutritional properties.They were already appreciated by the inhabitants of south-central Mexico, where they come from. The name of the avocado comes from the wordAhuacuatl , which in the Aztec language means "the tree on which the kernels grow". The genesis of this name is closely related to the shape of the fruit and its supposed aphrodisiac properties. However, due to its rough, green skin, it is sometimes referred to asalligator pear . In Poland it is also calledtasty .

Avocados - how many calories does it have? Nutritional values ​​per 100 g

Energy value - 160 kcal

  • Total protein - 2.00 g
  • Fat - 14.66 g
  • Carbohydrates - 8.53 g (including simple sugars 0.66)
  • Fiber - 6.7 g

Vitamins

  • Vitamin C - 10.0 mg
  • Thiamine - 0.067 mg
  • Riboflavin - 0.130 mg
  • Niacin - 1.738 mg
  • Vitamin B6 - 0.257 mg
  • Folic acid - 81 µg
  • Vitamin A - 146 IU
  • Vitamin E - 2.07 mg
  • Vitamin K - 21.0 µg

Minerals

  • Calcium - 12 mg
  • Iron - 0.55 mg
  • Magnesium - 29 mg
  • Phosphorus - 52 mg
  • Potassium - 485 mg
  • Sodium - 7 mg
  • Zinc - 0.64 mg

Fatty acids

  • saturated - 2.126 g
  • monounsaturated - 9.799 g
  • polyunsaturated - 1.816 g

Data Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference

Avocados and slimming. Does avocado make you fat?

Although there is little sugar in avocado, avocado fat is the reason itis the most caloric fruit: 100 g contains 160 kcal (i.e. the average fruit is around 430 kcal) , and e.g. an extremely calorific bananait is 95 kcal in 100 g. Theoretically, therefore, it is not recommended for a slimming diet. However, the answer to the question -does avocado make you fat?- is a bit more complicated.

Researchers at Loma Linda University in California (USA) found thatavocado can help control appetite . Eating half of an avocado for lunch makes you feel full longer and reduces the desire to snack between meals, according to a study published in the Nutrition Journal. Scientists conducted an experiment on a group of 26 overweight people.

During lunch, the respondents were to eat half of a fresh avocado - either replacing another product, or adding to what they planned to eat. It turned out that thanks to this they had 40 percent. less desire to eat something within three hours after a meal and by 28% less desire in five hours compared to a standard lunch without an avocado. They also confessed to feeling greater satisfaction.

What are the properties of an avocado?

  • Contrary to most popular fruits, avocados contain few simple sugars. Avocados, on the other hand, are a rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids. Theomega-9content in avocados averages 20-30%. It also contains a good proportion ofomega -3andomega-6unsaturated fatty acids, which are essential for the proper functioning of the body.
  • Due to the consistency and the presence of fats, they were also called " god's butter ". Thanks to fats, valuable ingredients from other products are better absorbed, e.g. the body absorbs 4 times more anti-cancer lycopene from tomatoes, if we eat avocados at the same time, e.g. in a salad.
  • There is alsoa lot of potassium in avocados(more than in bananas), which regulates blood pressure, ensures the proper functioning of the heart, and also has a positive effect on the nervous system.
  • This fruit containsa lot of vitaminsC, E and A - strong antioxidants that have anti-cancer properties, as well as B vitamins, among them folic acid is especially valuable. prevents fetal malformations.
  • Eating avocado also has a good effect on the eyes, because it contains lutein and zeaxanthin.

Avocado and cholesterol

A medium-sized avocado (270 g) has approx. 40 g of fat. Other fruits contain only trace amounts (0.2-0.4 g). However, it is fat that is beneficial to he alth.

Beta-sitosterol found in monounsaturated fats helps to lower the level of "bad" LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

It also helps to maintain the correct level of "good cholesterol" HDL.This means that avocados will also be a good choice for people suffering from atherosclerosis.

Avocado and diabetes

Monounsaturated fatty acids act to prevent or reverse insulin resistance, which is one of the causes of type 2 diabetes.

Avocados for cancer?

Fatty acids contained in avocados, in addition to maintaining normal cholesterol levels, also have an anti-cancer effect.

Canadian scientists have identified a lipid in avocadothat helps treat acute myeloid leukemia , reports Cancer Research. The lipid was called avocatin B. Laboratory studies on human cells have shown that it works by selectively fighting cancer stem cells (they are the main cause of leukemia development and relapse in many patients) without affecting he althy cells.

Scientists hope that the drug containing avocatin B will help increase survival and improve the quality of life of patients with acute myeloid leukemia in the future. They also emphasize that the possibilities of using this lipid in medicine go beyond oncology.

Avocado slows aging?

Relationship concluded, inter alia, in avocados reduces the symptoms of aging in mice, reports Cell Metabolism. Scientists from the University of Washington in St. Louis found that nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) dissolved in water and administered to he althy rodents compensates for this loss of energy, thanks to which it manages to reduce symptoms of aging in the body such as weight gain, loss of physical activity and decreased insulin sensitivity.

Nicotinamide mononucleotide occurs naturally, incl. in broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers or avocado. Administration of NMN to older mice has shown many positive results, including bone density, strength of skeletal muscles, liver function, as well as the work of the immune system, eyesight and insulin sensitivity. "Given that the processes of energy production work in a similar way in human cells - we hope that this research will help us develop methods that allow us to age he althier," comments the author of the study, Dr. Shin-ichiro Imai.

Avocado supports the absorption of provitamin A

Adding a fresh avocado to a tomato or carrot significantly improves the absorption of carotenoids and their conversion to the active form of vitamin A, according to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition.

Scientists from Ohio State University conducted a study on a group of 12 he althy men and women. During the first round, it was checked whether consumption of 150 grams of fresh avocado along with rich in betacarotene in tomato sauce will facilitate the absorption of carotenoids. During the second round of research, the tomato sauce was replaced with fresh carrots.

It turned out that in the first case, avocados increased the absorption of beta-carotene 2.4-fold and increased its conversion into vitamin A by 4.6-fold. When avocados were combined with carrots, the absorption of beta-carotene increased 6.6 -fold, and the absorption of alpha-carotene - 4.8-fold. Conversion of carotenoids into active form was 12.6 times greater.

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Avocados - varieties

Avocado has well over 100 varieties and new ones are still being created, e.g.seedless avocados.Among the more popular ones available in Poland, the following deserve attention:

  • Pinkerton avocado- has a pear-like shape and a rough, dark green skin that easily peels off the flesh. Pinkerton has an extremely intense flavor and its flesh is creamy, pale green in color
  • Bacon avocado- it is oval in shape, its skin is green and quite thin, and its flesh is yellow-green
  • avocado Hass- draws attention with dark - brown and even black, rough skin. The light green flesh has a nutty flavor and a creamy texture
  • Gwen avocado- it resembles the Hass variety, but it is much larger, despite the thick skin it peels very well and the flesh is smooth and definitely green
  • Lamb Hass avocado- is extremely large - the largest avocado of this variety weighs up to half a kilo, and the stone is relatively small. Lamb Hass has a characteristic, very uneven, hard skin, but the flesh is creamy, with a strong nutty aftertaste.
  • Reed avocado- has characteristic round, medium-sized (up to 400 g) fruit, uneven, dark green skin that easily peels off the creamy flesh
  • Fuerte avocado- quite large, pear-shaped, green, smooth skin and light-green flesh with an exceptionally subtle flavor

How to buy a good avocado?

Buying a good avocado when you're out of practice can be difficult. Avocados should beproperly ripe , especially if you want to eat them right away. Of course, ifyou buy an unripe avocado then you can just wait for it to mature but it takes. So there is one rule - if you want to eat it right away - buy soft, if it is to stay for a few days - choose harder. However, do not choose a very hard one, as it may happen that before it matures it breaks down.

How to recognize a ripe avocado?

Ripe avocadohas a slightly darker skin (depending on the variety it can be greener or browner or even black). You have to look at it carefully -it shouldn't have darker spotsor stains - it means that there will also be discoloration inside, and the fruit is not suitable for eating.

It is also soft- with light pressure, the skin should bend slightly, but at the same time offer a slight resistance. If it deforms permanently when pressed with a finger - put the fruit back and look for another one. Some also check the maturity and suitability for eating by gently tilting the stalk. If the flesh underneath has the color of a fruit, then everything is ok and you can buy it, if you can see discoloration, it is better not to buy it.

Avocados - how to peel and how to eat

How to peel an avocado?

To cut the avocados, cut them lengthwise (the knife stops on the stone). Then grab the fruit on both sides, twist each half in the opposite direction and remove the stone - you can do this by sticking a knife into it. Then take the pulp out with a teaspoon. You can also cut it with a knife to the skin (so that it becomes a checkerboard), and then gently put it into a bowl with a spoon - this is a way to get the fruit diced into salad.

How to eat an avocado?

Avocados are mostly eaten raw. Avocados can be spread on bread - then we treat them like butter or margarine - on it we put what is usually for a sandwich - cold cuts, cheese, vegetables.

We can also put whole avocado slices on the bread or prepare a paste from it. What? There are endless possibilities here - the only limitation is our imagination and taste preferences. Because, for example, the Brazilians add avocados to their ice cream. Filipinos make a drink from mixed avocado, sugar and milk.

Dice avocado for salads.

How to store an avocado?

Ripe sheepshould be kept in the refrigerator.Unripe fruitcan be put in a paper bag or kept at room temperature for several days.

If you do not use the avocado right away, you can sprinkle it with lemon or lime juice so that it does not change color.

Avocado seed is edible

Avocado seeds do not throw away, eat! It should be bydry for a few days. When the stone is dry, put it in a plastic bag and smash it with a meat pestle or hammer. The crushed stone is then ground in a blender into a fine powder that can be added to e.g. yoghurt.

Poisonous avocados for animals

Avocados contain a toxin called persin that can irritate the digestive tract in herbivores such as cattle, horses, rabbits, and rodents. Persin is especially dangerous for birds, where it causes circulatory and respiratory failure and can lead to sudden death. Not only the flesh is toxic, but also the leaves, branches, bark and seeds of the plant.

Does avocado harm dogs and cats?

Yes, eating a lot of the fruit can cause diarrhea and vomiting. We are not aware of any clinical studies that would support the opinion that avocados are toxic to dogs and cats. However, everyone agrees that these animals should not be fed avocados in large quantities.

According to Dr. Justine A. Lee (veterinarian doctor and toxicologist for years associated with the Animal Poison Control Center in Minneapolis), popular in the United States, avocado in small amounts is not harmful to dogs, because dogs are not sensitive to Persin. Dogs may be more at risk if they ingest an avocado stone, which can get stuck in the esophagus, stomach or intestines and require surgery.

Worth knowing

Avocado is a business better than cocaine. They even want to grow them … drug cartels

The popularity of avocados has increased the demand and prices for this fruit. It turns out that it's such a profitable business that even Mexican drug cartels got interested in it. They are trying to take over the plantations using blackmail or even kidnapping.

The gigantic demand also caused farmers in South America to cut more and more forest for new plantations of "gods' butter". According to The Mail On Sunday, some British restaurants have decided to withdraw avocados from their offer, incl. Tincan Coffee in Bristol and Wild Strawberry in Buckinghamshire, England, despite the fact that avocado dishes were hugely popular there. All because of cartels and the harmful environmental impact of growing this fruit.

Source: AvocaDON’T! Trendy cafes ban 'superfood' amid fears they are damaging the environment and boosting criminal cartels

About the authorMonika Majewska A journalist specializing in he alth issues, especially in the areas of medicine, he alth protection and he althy eating. Author of news, guides, interviews with experts and reports. Participant of the largest Polish conferenceMedical "Polish woman in Europe", organized by the Association "Journalists for He alth", as well as specialist workshops and seminars for journalists organized by the Association.

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