Understanding Avocado, the fruit
Avocado tree is a medium-sized, evergreen tree native to America and its neighbouring regions. Cultivated for its large, fleshy fruit, avocado is basically a large berry with a single large seed. Depending on the variety of the fruit, avocados can have a green, brown, purplish, or black skin, and maybe pear-shaped, egg-shaped, or spherical. For commercial use, avocados are picked while they are still semi ripe, and then ripened after harvesting. The high nutrient and fat content and the texture of avocado makes it useful in different cuisines, including salads and vegetarian and vegan diets.
How to eat an Avocado?
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A healthy nutrient-dense fruit, avocados provide substantial amounts of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to the body. The best way to eat an avocado is just by itself. Just cut a ripe avocado in half, peel off the skin, season it according to your taste and have it as it is. You can also spread the pulp on a piece of toast and use it as an avocado spread.
There are more ways of having an avocado that are more complex, like making a guacamole or a salad but more on that later.
What are the benefits of Avocado?
Avocado is a fruit loaded with benefits. From health benefits to skincare and haircare, the fruit works wonders in all aspects.
Rich in nutrients
Avocados are rich in the vitamins C, E, K, and B6, as well as riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium. They also provide lutein, beta carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids. Avocados are also rich sources of good, healthy fats, which keep you fuller for a long time and curbs your appetite.
It’s healthy for your heart
Another avocado benefit is that it’s good for your heart health. Every 100 grams of avocado contains 76 milligrams of a natural plant sterol called beta sitosterol which maintains healthy cholesterol levels, when consumed regularly. Healthy cholesterol leads to a good and sound heart.
Good for eyesight
The long list of avocado benefits also includes the fact that they are good for your vision. Loaded with lutein and zeaxanthin, which provide antioxidant protection to help minimise damage, including UV damage.
Minimises the risk of cancer
Even though there’s no direct link yet between avocados and cancer, studies have shown that carotenoids, which are high in avocados, may protect against cancer progression.
Avocado for skincare
Prevents skin damage
According to a research, avocados contain compounds that may help protect the skin from sun damage and inflammation and the damage caused by UV rays. Avocados also contain Vitamin C and E, both of which are essential for skin care.
Improves elasticity of the skin
In a 2010 study, it was found that a high intake of fat, especially healthy monounsaturated fat, like the one found in avocados, helped improve skin elasticity and reduced the appearance of wrinkles over time.
5 easy recipes by which you can include more Avocados in your diet
Packed with so many benefits, you can’t help but include avocados in your diet. Here are five easy recipes by which you can add avocados in your everyday meals.
Conclusion
To sum up, avocados still may be relatively new to the Indian palette, but the amount of benefits avocados have, it would be a wise choice to include them in your diet. Currently, there’s more research going on to find the many other health benefits of avocados.
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