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Health Benefits of Avocado, Uses And Its Side Effects

Last Updated: Aug 29, 2020

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Avocados are a delicious and unique fruit that offer a range of benefits when consumed. They are very good for your skin and hair as they are rich in beta-carotene, which turns into vitamin A in your body. They are good for your digestive health and keep the liver functioning well.

Avocados can help you regulate the fluids and toxins in your body and are great for your kidneys. Patients suffering from kidney problems can greatly benefit from this fruit. Avocados are also known to be good for your heart as they help lower LDL cholesterol.

Start eating avocados to get rid of morning sickness, arthritis, and even have strong antioxidant properties that help you prevent various types of cancer. Furthermore, they help lower the glucose levels in your blood and are good for people who have diabetes.

Avocado

Avocados are also known as alligator pears and are all the rage these days. It is used as a part of many cuisines and offers a ton of health benefits as it is filled with healthy nutrients.

Many people don’t know this but the avocado fruit is related to the bay laurel and cinnamon, even though it looks nothing like them! They are climacteric fruits. This means that they ripen only after they are harvested, just like bananas.

Nutritional Value of Avocado

Avocados have all the health nutrients your body needs to function well. In a 100 grams of avocado, you’ll find 160 calories. Though this may seem like a lot, this fruit does not make you gain weight. It has a total fat content of 15 grams, including 2.1 grams of saturated fat, 1.8 grams of polyunsaturated fat, and 10 grams of monounsaturated fat. It does not contain any cholesterol and has 7 mg of sodium along with 485 mg of potassium. The total amount of carbs is 9 grams, including 7 grams of dietary fiber and 0.7 grams of sugar. It has 2 grams of proteins and also offers a ton of essential minerals. Of the recommended daily dosage, a 100 grams of avocado contains 2% of vitamin A, 1% of calcium, 16% of vitamin C, 3% of iron, 15% of vitamin B-6, and 7% of magnesium. It does not have any vitamin D or vitamin B-12 in it.

Nutritional facts Per 100 grams

160
Calories
15 g
Total Fat
7 mg
Sodium
485 mg
Potassium
9 g
Total Carbohydrate
2 g
Protein

Vitamins and Minerals

2 %
Vitamin A
0.01
Calcium
16 %
Vitamin C
3 %
Iron
15 %
Vitamin B-6
7 %
Magnesium

Health Benefits of Avocado

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Mentioned below are the best health benefits of Avocado. Start Eating this amazing fruit to get relief from different health issues such as morning sickness, arthritis, digestion, and dental care. Avocado is good for hair and skin care. It contains the right nutrients which are mentioned above and fatty acids good for brain health. We also discuss the side effects of eating Avocado in excess and its cultivation details.

Avocado good for digestion

Avocados are considered good for digestion due to many reasons. They tend to soothe the intestines, preventing any inflammation or symptoms of the same. They are also extremely rich in insoluble and soluble fiber. This helps your stool bulk up and move down the digestive tract, giving you regular and better bowel movements.

Furthermore, avocados also help your digestive system secrete more gastric bile and juices, which goes a long way in maintaining your stomach’s health as they prevent acidity and allow food to break down and be digested in a more efficient manner.

Avocados can help you treat constipation and diarrhoea. They even make sure that the nutrients from the food are absorbed properly into the system.

Avocado good for dental care

Most types of bad breath are caused due to indigestion or other types of stomach problems. Start eating avocado by improving your digestive health, you can prevent or eliminate halitosis completely.

Since avocados help ensure that your digestive system runs smoothly, they can help you get rid of bad breath. Furthermore, avocados also contain antibacterial properties and flavonoids and these eliminate the bacteria in your mouth. Studies have also shown that this fruit can also help you prevent oral cancer.

Avocado has cosmetic properties

Avocados are very good for your skin and hair. If you have dry, damaged, or chapped skin, avocados can help you enrich them. They can also be used to add nourishment to dry and damaged hair. They can help treat plaque psoriasis as well and are known to prevent premature ageing and the signs of the same.

Avocados are rich in beta-carotene, which is what turns into vitamin A in your system. Vitamin A is proven to be very good for your skin and hair.

Avocado good for your liver

Your liver is an extremely essential organ and determines the health of your entire body. This is why it is vital to take care of it well. Avocados can help protect your liver from damage. This is mainly because they help tone up the liver, which means that it secretes bile and gastric juices properly and on a regular basis. This goes a long way in preventing it from damage.

Avocado good for your kidneys

Avocados help you maintain the health of your kidneys. It can balance out the minerals and fluids in your body, which is really handy if you suffer from a kidney disorder.

Avocados are also very rich in potassium. This is pertinent because this mineral helps your body maintain its fluids and channel them out of the body when they are not required. When these fluids are balanced, your kidney functions at an optimum level as it is responsible for moving out the fluids and toxins in your body.

Avocado helps in morning sickness

Morning sickness is a normal part of pregnancy but that doesn’t stop it from being highly inconvenient and even uncomfortable. While there’s not much that can usually be done about this, eating certain fruits and vegetables can help make it easier, or even make it stop eventually.

Avocados are one such fruit. They are rich in vitamin B-6 and this vitamin is known to help with nausea and vomiting. While you may not be completely free of morning sickness till your body dictates otherwise, this fruit can certainly reduce the amount you throw up or help with the frequency.

Avocado good for arthritis

Avocados can help treat arthritis. They are filled with a variety of healthy nutrients such as omega 3 fatty acids, carotenoids, flavonoids, phytochemicals, and fatty alcohols.

Avocado help in reducing inflammation that occurs in the muscles and joints and can be very useful for people suffering from arthritis. It can help with the pain that is associated with arthritis and even bring down some of the swelling that may make it hard to live a normal life.

Avocado has antioxidant properties

Including food products that contain antioxidants in your diet is vital these days because of the kind of strenuous lifestyles that most people lead. Harmful pollutants in the air, stress, and an unhealthy diet can really take your system for a toll and it’s important to have some sort of damage control mechanism in place.

Avocados are rich in antioxidant properties. This means that they help get rid of the free radicals in your system and also boost your immune system, keeping you healthy. They are even known to be effective against certain types of cancers.

Avocado good for eyes

Avocados are rich in beta-carotenes, which turn into vitamin A in your body, they are good for your eyes and can help improve your vision.

Avocado benefits for diabetic patients

Avocados also offer a host of other health benefits. They can prevent you from a vitamin K deficiency. They can help you prevent weight gain while still maintaining a diet that’s rich in important nutrients. They help reduce blood glucose levels and can therefore be very beneficial for diabetics.

Avocados also promote a healthy heart as they help lower LDL cholesterol levels, prevent cardiovascular disease. Since they are rich in potassium, they also help lower your blood pressure on the whole.

Uses of Avocado

Avocados are mainly used for their culinary properties and are a part of many world cuisines. They can be used in salads, soups, and dressings. They are used in smoothies and drinks as well to provide a unique twist to a simple beverage.

Avocados and avocado oil are used in many cosmetic products as they are very good for your skin and hair. They are used in certain dental products as well as they help eliminate bad breath. Many people also use avocados to make homemade face masks and hair masks to nourish the same.

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Side-Effects & Allergies of Avocado

Avocados do have certain side effects to be vary off. They can cause migraines, which are a common type of headaches that occur frequently. Some of the symptoms of migraines include nausea, vomiting, and light sensitivity, and these can make it hard to function normally on a daily basis. Therefore, if you experience any of these symptoms, you should avoid eating avocados.

In case you are not sure whether or not you’re allergic to avocado, you can always perform a patch test to see how your body reacts to it. On a general note, it is always better to consult with your physician before adding anything new to your diet or lifestyle.

Cultivation of Avocado

Avocados originated in Mexico in the state of Puebla, and are major part of the Mexican cuisine. Avocado trees can grow in subtropical or tropical temperatures and are therefore only found in parts of the world that have this type of temperature. They are also found naturally in Africa and India.

References

  • Chaudhary P, Khamar J, Sen DJ. Avocado: the holistic source as a natural doctor. World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research. 2015 May 12;4(8):748-61.[Cited 20 June 2019].
  • Pérez Álvarez S, Ávila Quezada G, Coto Arbelo O. The Aguacatero (Persea americana Mill). Tropical crops 2015 Jun; 36 (2): 111-23. [Cited 07 August 2019]. Available from:
  • Yasir M, Das S, Kharya MD. The phytochemical and pharmacological profile of Persea americana Mill. Pharmacognosy reviews. 2010 Jan;4(7):77.[Cited 19 June 2019]. Available from:

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    Written ByDrx Hina FirdousPhD (Pharmacology) Pursuing, M.Pharma (Pharmacology), B.Pharma - Certificate in Nutrition and Child CarePharmacology
    Reviewed By
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    Reviewed ByDt. Ms. Shilpa MarwahB.Sc (Home Science), Post Graduation Diploma in Dietetics and Public Health NutritionDietitian/Nutritionist
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