Avocado is among the finest and healthiest fruits available by nature. The popularity of avocado is down to its rich, creamy, velvety texture and mild flavor. Those of you who have eaten avocado must be knowing its delicious taste. But do you know about the many benefits of avocado? Avocado benefits are not limited to only health but skin, hair, and much more.
Nutritional Benefits of Avocado
Avocado is an excellent source of monosaturated fat and Vitamin D. Avocado is a rich source of dietary fiber, potassium, sodium, and magnesium. It has a high content of Vitamin A, E, K, and B which makes it a complete package of health. It is rich with healthy fat so it is helpful in lowering the LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase the HDL (good cholesterol).
Healthy Benefits of Avocado
With people being more and more conscious about healthy eating, avocado is one such fruit to rely on when the question is about eating a healthy diet. Here is the generous list of health benefits of avocado:
- Heart health: Avocado helps promote a healthy heart. Our heart health is directly related to our cholesterol levels. Eating avocado helps to increase good cholesterol in the blood and decreases bad cholesterol. Avocado’s way of maintaining the cholesterol levels helps to keep the heart healthy and fit.
- Weight reduction: Weight reduction is another wonderful benefit of avocado. Avocado promotes a healthy weight loss because it is rich in monosaturated fats. It is a fiber-rich fruit that not only makes you full but also increases your metabolism which is very important to maintain a healthy weight. For those with major weight issues, avocado reduces hunger by 28 percent. It plays a major role in appetite regulation.
- Healthy bones: Eating half of avocado adds up to 28 percent of the daily dose of Vitamin K. it is often overlooked but Vitamin K is very important to maintain bone health. Eating avocado will make the bone healthy and fit for any age group. A good option for those with osteoporosis.
- Cures cancer: Avocado is rich in folate. Folate is quite promising in decreasing the chances of colon, stomach, pancreatic and cervical cancer. Research says that folate protects against undesirable mutations in DNA and RNA during cell division.
- Healthy eyes: Adding avocado to the diet helps to protect any vision-related issue. It contains lutein and zeaxanthin which provide antioxidant protection and also minimizes the damage from ultraviolet rays.
- Improves digestion: Avocado is fiber-rich which is important to maintain a good digestive system. This fiber-rich fruit helps to prevent constipation, maintains a healthy digestive tract, and lowers the risk of acidity.
- Lowers the risk of depression: Those who have avocado in their diet have lower chances of getting struck by depression. Folate in avocado helps to prevent the build-up of homocysteine, a substance that can impair the circulation and delivery of nutrients to the brain. Avocado helps to regulate mood, sleep, and appetite.
- Healthy pregnancy and healthy babies: Folate is extremely essential for a healthy pregnancy. It reduces the chance of miscarriage and neural tube defects. Eating avocados during pregnancy is highly recommended. It has no side effects on the expecting mother.
Beauty Benefits of Avocado
Avocado is a fruit that promotes healthy and beautiful skin. Here is what good can it do for your skin:
- Soft and healthy skin: Eating avocado means healthy and soft skin. Vitamin C helps to reduce skin inflammation and also heals the skin making it soft and hydrated.
- Reduces sign of aging: The hydrating properties of avocado reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and skin sagging. It also boosts the skin’s immunity against stress and other environmental factors.
- Avocado face mask: Not just eating avocado makes the skin healthy but also an avocado face mask is great for the skin. Half an avocado mixed with yogurt and a tablespoon of honey is a great mask for dry to normal skin. It leaves the skin super hydrated, nourished and shiny. Using an avocado face mask once a week can do wonders for your skin.
Avocado Oil Benefits
Eating avocado is a full nutrition package. But another great usage of avocado is its oil. Avocado oil has endless benefits and usage. It can be used for cooking, for hair, on the skin or simply adding to your bathing water. Here is the list of avocado oil benefits:
- Skin hydration: As mentioned above, avocado oil is rich in Vitamin E and Omega-3 which is an excellent hydrating agent. So you can use avocado oil as a moisturizer to make your skin soft, healthy, and supple. It is highly effective in treating dry skin, skin burn, eczema, and mosquito bite.
- Anti-aging: Applying avocado oil on the face reduces the sign of aging like wrinkles, fine lines, and dark circles. The high level of proteins, amino acids, and Vitamins A and D are great in reducing anti-aging issues.
- Healthy hair: Avocado oil if applied on hair will make hair silky smooth and super healthy. It reduces hair fall, dandruff, and itchiness on the scalp. Using avocado oil on the hair once or twice a week, one hour before wash will give visible results.
- Avocado oil for cooking: If you use avocado oil, there is nothing better than that. Avocado oil is rich in antioxidants, healthy fat, detoxification, and Omega 3. Avocado oil for cooking will be helpful in providing all the essential nutrients that avocado is rich with.
How to use avocado oil: It can be used in cooking, baking, as a moisturizer, on hair, and as a dressing for salads or pasta.
The Avocado Diet
Choosing the right avocado is very important. Gently press an avocado with your fingers to check if it is properly ripe. If it does not budge, it still needs to be kept for a couple of days to reach a soft point. By following ways you can use avocado in your diet:
- Salad: Avocado can be added to your salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, and every you like. It will be one rich salad to have for breakfast or lunch.
- Dip: The avocado that is overripe can be used to make a nice avocado dip for your crackers or salads.
- Avocado toast: Avocado toast is many people’s favorite breakfast. Simply spreading avocado on your toad instead of butter is something to relish.
Avocado has recently proved to be on the highly nutrient-dense fruits. Benefits of avocado are many and adding it to your diet decreases your chances of being affected by numerous diseases and it also promotes healthy, beautiful skin and long shiny hair. So add avocado to your diet today and say hello to a healthier you.