Did you know that many think avocado is a vegetable, not a fruit? Maybe you believed it so too.
Well, because of avocado’s green color and savory taste, it’s easy to label it vegetable. But technically it’s a fruit, filled with many important nutrients and providing many health benefits.
Read on to know more about avocado nutrition facts chart, and, more importantly, just why you should’ve a few bites of it every day.
Nutrition Facts
As shown by the avocado nutrition facts chart, nearly two-thirds of weight of avocados comes from water (73%), and the rest from fat (15%), carbs (8.5%), and protein (2%). Most of the carbs content in this fruit is fiber.
Thanks to high-water content and decent amount of fiber content in it, the avocado is a filling fruit and keeps hunger pangs away—two qualities that make it a good weight-loss fruit.
Carbs
Most fruits contain a good amount of sugar; however, the avocado is an exception.
One full avocado usually contains no more than 1 grams of sugar, present as glucose, fructose, and galactose. While 100 gm of avocado has 8.5 grams of carbs, the net digestible carbs amounts for only 1.8 grams.
Fiber
Almost 79% of the carbohydrate content in Avocados is fiber. One full avocado provides 9 grams of fiber, making it an extremely good source of fiber.
Health experts recommend a healthy dose of fiber in the daily diet because it provides many health benefits, like improving digestion and regulating appetite.
Fat
Avocado is a decent source of monosaturated fatty acids, a healthy component usually not found in fruits.
The acid present in the greatest amount in avocados is oleic acid, which is believed to reduce inflammation.
Vitamins and Minerals
A source of many vitamins and minerals, the avocado is a particularly good source of the following:
- Folate (B9), vital for normal tissue growth.
- Vitamin K1, crucial for blood clotting and beneficial for bone health.
- Potassium, important for blood pressure control and many other things.
- Vitamin C, crucial for immunity and skin function.
Other Plant Compounds
The following three are main plant compounds found in the avocado:
- Carotenoids: Many carotenoids are present in this fruit, the two main ones being lutein and zeaxanthin, both important for eye health.
- Persenones A and B: These two antioxidants may protect against inflammation.
- D-Mannoheptulose: A kind of sugar which is believed to help in managing blood sugar.
Health Benefits of Avocados
Avocados are an extremely good source of antioxidants and several nutrients, some of which are almost completely absent in the modern diet.
This fruit provides many health benefits, and everyone should have a bit of avocados on a regular basis.
Weight Loss
Despite its high fat content, the avocado is a good option for those looking to lose or maintain weight. This is because avocados promote satiety, that is, a feeling of fullness.
One doesn’t feel hungry for a longer time after eating avocados in comparison to a similar meal sans avocados. Therefore, overall you are likely to eat less in a day if you eat one meal with avocados in it.
In a study, one group was asked to eat a meal containing avocado and another was instructed to eat a similar meal without avocado. Participants who ate the avocado felt 23% more full than those who didn’t. They also felt 28% less hungry than the participants who didn’t eat the avocado over the next 5 hours.
This fruit is also rich in fiber and low in carbohydrates. Further, it does not cause a spike in the blood sugar levels. These three properties, in addition to its ability to promote satiety, make it a good weight-loss food.
Heart Health
Avocados are linked with a reduced risk of heart disease. Research shows that regular consumption of this fruit may lower triglycerides and blood cholesterol significantly, both of which are a risk factor of heart disease.
In addition to these two, avocados may also reduce LDL cholesterol, which is bad for heart health if present in high amounts, and increase the HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol).
Relief from Arthritis
Arthritis, a condition characterized by inflammation and pain in joints, can be a painful condition. Avocados can help reduce the symptoms of this disease.
More than one study have shown avocado soybean unsaponifiables, supplements made from avocado and soybean oils, can reduce symptoms of arthritis, especially of the arthritis of the knee and hip.
Cancer Prevention
There is some evidence that avocados may help in preventing cancer. One study revealed that this fruit might help in reducing the side effects of chemotherapy in human lymphocytes.
Another study has shown the extract of this fruit stalls the growth of prostate cancer cells.
These results, however, are not conclusive, as the studies were not done on living humans but rather on isolated cells.
Improves Eye Health
Avocados contain antioxidants and also help the body absorb antioxidants from other foods. These include two very important eye nutrients: lutein and zeaxanthin.
Numerous studies have shown that these two compounds either help prevent macular degeneration or may slow the rate of progression of this disease. Macular degeneration is the primary cause of severe vision loss in people over age 60.
Therefore, consuming avocados regularly might augur well for eye health in time.
Adverse Effects
For most people, avocado is a safe option. However, the fruit may cause discomfort in people with latex allergy or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Avocado Allergy
This is a rare condition. But if you have it, you should not consume avocado.
People with latex allergy might experience an allergic reaction, called latex-fruit syndrome, upon eating certain fruits, like kiwis, bananas, or avocados.
The latex allergy is caused by certain proteins present in latex. Some fruit proteins are similar to allergy-causing proteins in latex. In latex-fruit syndrome, the human immune system attacks those fruit proteins that mimic allergy-causing latex proteins.
Common symptoms associated with latex-fruit syndrome are stomach cramps, upset stomach, and headaches. In rare cases, the allergy may cause a severe reaction, symptoms of which include wheezing, tightness in the chest, fast heartbeat, dizziness, itchy skin, or loss of consciousness.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Short-chain carbohydrates, called FODMAPs, present in the avocado may cause discomfort in IBS patients. Monitor your symptoms carefully if you experience gas, bloating, stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea, or cramping after eating avocados.
Avocados are loaded with healthy nutrients and are beneficial in many health conditions. They are also filling and tasty. Include them in your diet and enjoy the multiple health benefits they provide.