Avocados
Avocados are not just delicious to eat but have innumerable nutritious qualities as well. An avocado is a single-seeded berry native to Mexico. It mostly grows in warm climates and is also alternatively called as alligator pear because of its color and butter fruit because of its creamy texture. This versatile fruit can be used in salads, wraps, smoothies and even brownies and the best part is that there are so many avocado health benefits for your body!
Avocado Health Benefits
1. Avocados for Weight Loss
One of the best avocado health benefits is that it is the perfect weight loss fruit. Researchers say swapping your cooking and finishing oils for varieties of avocado oil that are rich in monounsaturated and oleic fatty acid can reduce belly fat. A diet rich in monounsaturated fat may actually prevent body fat distribution around the belly by suppressing the expression of certain fat genes. Since avocados are so rich in good fats and calories they can quell your hunger pangs in an instant.
An avocado also provides nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients essential for healthy weight management. Survey results have published that eating half a medium sized avocado on a daily basis was highly correlated with improved overall diet quality. Not only did avocado eaters report a lower body mass index and smaller waist circumference, they also consumed significantly more fruits and vegetables, fiber and Vitamin K- nutrients associated with weight loss.
2. Avocados for Skin
Avocados can give you healthy and glowing skin. It nourishes and protects your skin from inside out. Since it is rich in Vitamins it helps rejuvenate dull and dry skin. It also includes anti-aging properties and helps reduce wrinkles. The antioxidants in the fruit help to detoxify your body and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, making your skin firm and plump. You can apply mashed avocado flesh to your skin as a face mask or drink a cup of avocado juice a day.
You can use avocado oil as a natural sunscreen, and a soothing ointment for sun burnt skin. The oil helps to protect your skin from the harmful UVA and UVB rays, and its natural soothing and healing properties help restore the damaged skin to its natural form. Avocado oil also has amazing moisturizing abilities and will provide you with a deep and long lasting rehydration of skin.
3. Avocados for Hair
Avocados help rejuvenate and moisturize a dry and itchy scalp. Since it is a rich source of proteins, amino acids, and vitamins, the benefits of avocados help soothe the scalp and promote long, strong, healthy hair growth. Massage some mashed up avocado into your scalp and amino acids and proteins will penetrate your scalp to heal and nourish the overall condition of your scalp.
Avocado oil has proved to be a great treatment for damaged and frizzy hair. Get a hot oil massage treatment using avocado oil and it will not only give you smooth and shiny hair but it helps fight split ends as well. The seed of the fruit has some benefits too, it can be powdered and used as a natural dandruff treatment.
4. Avocados for Digestion
One of the avocado health benefits is that it is an amazing way to clear your digestive system. Its dietary fiber helps promote healthy digestion. Fiber doesn’t break down into energy as it passes through your digestive tract, but instead absorbs water to soften and loosen your stool. This helps in preventing constipation. The Vitamin C found in avocados also promotes digestive health. Following a diet rich in Vitamin C offers other digestive benefits as well, including a lower risk of gastric cancer.
Adding avocado to your diet will increase your Vitamin B intake. These nutrients support healthy digestion because they help your cells drive fuel from your food. It is advised to pair avocados with other healthy foods to make meals that support proper digestion.
Avocados contain a wide range of phytonutrients, they are thought to help prevent many chronic diseases and are excellent for eye health. There are 20 carotenoids present in the human body but only Lutein and Zeaxanthin are known to be present in the visual system. These nutrients act like a sunscreen for the eyes. Eating avocados can increase your levels of Lutein which protects against macular degeneration and the formation of cataracts. The anti-oxidants present in avocados supports retinal health and assists in improving overall vision.
One of the avocado health benefits is that it also help to reduce dark circles and puffy eyes. The Vitamins present in avocados may prevent dark circles from forming by controlling blood clotting. Vitamin E present in avocados has anti-inflammatory properties and helps the skin retain its natural moisturizers. Cut up some crescent shaped slices of the fruit and place them under your eyes for 20 minutes to get rid of dark circles and puffy eyes.
6. Avocados for Heart
Avocado health benefits for the heart can be reaped by adding an avocado to your daily diet. It may help lower bad cholesterol, in turn reducing the risk of heart diseases. Avocado is an excellent source of mineral potassium which is vital for maintaining regular blood pressure and proper levels in your diet are known to reduce your risk of high blood pressure, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Vitamin E present in avocados is a potent anti-oxidant that protects against heart disease by reducing cholesterol oxidation.
Avocados are a rich source of healthy monounsaturated fats which is the reason they fill you up so well. Having more fiber in your diet improves digestion and helps moderate blood sugar levels.
