Who would have thought that “greasy” fruits could become a source of nutritional “clear water”?

Avocado is a popular fruit that has become a global hit. It has always attracted much attention! It looks plain, has bumps on its surface, and tastes bland and even a little greasy. However, many people believe that it is nutritious and good for health. Others believe that it is high in calories and will make you fat.

What kind of fruit is avocado? This article will tell you.

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Nutritional Information of Avocado

Avocado is also called alligator pear, avocado, happy fruit, avocado, and cream fruit. It is known as "forest cheese", "plant meat", and "grain fruit". It is native to Latin America and is grown in Hainan, Guangdong, and Yunnan in my country. The flesh is fresh green and smells like butter.

In the World Encyclopedia, avocado is listed as the most nutritious fruit. It is rich in fat, dietary fiber, protein, carotene, potassium, magnesium and other nutrients.

1. Fat

Compared to most fruits, avocado has a high fat content of 15.3g/100g, which is about 77 times that of common fruits such as apples, oranges, mangoes, and bayberries. Although this data looks scary, 80% of its fat is unsaturated fatty acids, mainly monounsaturated fatty acids, mainly oleic acid, which is a kind of fat that is beneficial to health and helps reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

2. Dietary fiber

The sugar content in avocado is very low, less than 1%, and its carbohydrates mainly come from dietary fiber, with a total dietary fiber content of 6.7g/100g. Eating half an avocado can almost meet nearly 20% of the daily dietary fiber requirement of an average adult, which can enhance satiety, promote gastrointestinal motility, and is beneficial to intestinal health.

Picture: Half an avocado weighs about 80 grams (Photo provided by the author)

3. Carotene

The carotene content of avocado is not bad among fruits. Although it is not as high as yellow-fleshed mangoes, papayas and other fruits, it is 7 times, 9 times and 18 times that of apples, grapes and peaches. Carotene can be converted into vitamin A in the body, which is good for the health of eyes and skin.

4. Potassium and magnesium

Avocados are also rich in potassium and magnesium, especially potassium, which is as high as 599mg/100g, 2.3 times that of bananas. Adequate intake of potassium and magnesium helps regulate blood pressure, reduce neuromuscular tension, and relieve fatigue.

5. Phytosterols

An experiment has been conducted to measure the phytosterols in avocados, and the results show that the total phytosterol content in avocado pulp is 107.89 mg/100g, while the sterol content of general fruits and vegetables is below 50 mg/100g, such as apples, strawberries, kiwis, etc. The sterol content is all below 20 mg/100g. This shows that among fruits, avocados have a very advantageous phytosterol content.

In addition, the calorie content of avocado is not low, as high as 171kcal/100g (1 avocado weighs 100~200g), which is higher than common fruits and even higher than durian.

Figure: An avocado weighs 100-200g (Photo provided by the author)

What happens to your body if you eat avocados regularly?

From the perspective of nutritional content, avocado is indeed a healthy fruit. If you eat it regularly, it will bring many benefits to your body.

1. Good for intestinal health

In addition to the rich dietary fiber in avocados being beneficial to intestinal health, studies have also shown that adding avocados to the diet can reduce serum hepatocyte growth factor, increase the abundance of bacteria involved in plant polysaccharide fermentation, and improve intestinal flora.

2. Reduces Risk of Heart Disease

A study on avocado consumption and the risk of cardiovascular disease in American adults was published at the American Heart Association in 2022. The results showed that people who ate at least one avocado per week had a 16% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 21% lower risk of coronary heart disease compared to those who never or rarely ate it. Using the same level of avocado to replace half a serving of margarine, butter, eggs, cheese, yogurt or processed meat (such as bacon) per day may be directly related to a 16% to 22% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease in the body.

3. Protect blood lipids

Although avocados are very oily and have a high fat content, they are good fats. The n-3 series of unsaturated fatty acids they contain help lower blood lipids. Regular consumption of avocados may reduce the level of LDL (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) in the body. LDL is called "bad cholesterol" and will deposit on the blood vessel walls, which is harmful to health; while HDL (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) is called "good cholesterol" and is beneficial to health.

A 2020 study in the American Journal of Nutrition showed that eating one avocado per day can reduce circulating oxidized LDL and small, dense LDL in overweight and obese adults. These particles are susceptible to oxidation in the body and are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Other studies have shown that avocados can increase serum HDL levels.

4. Antioxidant

The phytosterols in avocado are a natural plant active ingredient that has antioxidant and free radical scavenging effects. It can also reduce the incidence of chronic diseases such as coronary artery sclerosis, heart disease, cancer and benign prostatic hypertrophy.

5. Reduce Visceral Fat

Some people may worry that eating high-calorie avocados will make people gain weight. In fact, we often see it in fat-reducing meals. It looks fresh and appetizing.

Although avocados are not a good food for weight loss in terms of calories, the high dietary fiber and high fat content of avocados can significantly enhance satiety and help control appetite. In addition, a study on the relationship between eating avocados and abdominal obesity was published in the American Journal of Nutrition in 2021. A total of 105 overweight subjects with a BMI of > 25 kg/m2 were included in the study. The experimental group ate one fresh avocado per day, while the control group did not eat avocados. Both groups were on an equal calorie diet for a total of 12 weeks.

The results showed that the abdominal fat of women in the experimental group was significantly reduced, while there was no significant difference in men before and after.

Therefore, for women, if you can replace part of your diet with an avocado, it may help you lose belly fat, thereby reducing visceral fat. But if you add an avocado every day to your original diet, you will definitely gain weight.

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How to choose avocado?

Many people think that avocados are not tasty, but that may be because you have chosen the wrong one. If the avocado you buy is not fully ripe, it will be hard and taste bland; a ripe avocado will be soft and have a light fatty aroma, a bit like cheese.

If you want to eat a ripe avocado, you can choose avocados that are dark green or dark green in color and feel soft when you press your hand. If the skin is obviously green and the fruit feels hard when you pinch it, it is not ripe. You can leave it at room temperature for a while and eat it when the skin becomes darker and the flesh becomes soft.

Picture: Ripe avocado (Photo provided by the author)

Upgraded way to eat avocado

If you really can't accept eating avocado directly, you can try some upgraded ways of eating it.

1. Avocado Sandwich

Mash the ripe avocado into avocado puree, spread it on sliced ​​bread, sprinkle with appropriate amount of black pepper, put a fried egg on it, then top it with another slice of bread and press it tightly.

2. Avocado Banana Milkshake

Scoop out the avocado pulp and put it into a juicer together with the chopped bananas, milk and other ingredients to make juice. Avocado and banana are a perfect match, the taste is harmonious, and the color is fresh and appetizing.

Photo: Avocado banana milkshake (Photo provided by the author)

3. Avocado Baked Eggs

Cut the avocado, dig out the core and some of the flesh around it, slowly beat in 1 egg, sprinkle with a small amount of salt, black pepper and other seasonings, and bake in the oven at 200℃ for about 12 minutes.

4. Avocado with soy sauce

Cut the avocado, remove the core and skin, cut the flesh into 0.5 cm thick slices, dip it directly in soy sauce and a little mustard. The taste is similar to salmon and tuna belly, very soft and tender, and melts in your mouth.

Overall, avocados are nutritious. If you choose the right one and eat it right, you will probably gradually fall in love with it!

It should be noted that avocados contain phenolic substances and polyphenol oxidase, which will turn brown when exposed to oxygen after being cut, causing the flesh to change color and affect appetite. Therefore, it is best to eat it immediately after cutting it. If you can't finish it, you can seal the rest with plastic wrap and refrigerate it.

References

[1] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[2]https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171705/nutrients

[3] Tian Dandan, Li Yan, Mei Xiaohong. Identification and antioxidant and antibacterial activities of phytosterols in avocado[J]. Food Science, 2019, 40(03): 30-35.

[4]Henning SM, Yang J, Woo SL, Lee RP, Huang J, Rasmusen A, Carpenter CL, Thames G, Gilbuena I, Tseng CH, Heber D, Li Z. Hass Avocado Inclusion in a Weight-Loss Diet Supported Weight Loss and Altered Gut Microbiota: A 12-Week Randomized, Parallel-Controlled Trial. Curr Dev Nutr. 2019 Jun 12;3(8):nzz068. doi: 10.1093/cdn/nzz068. PMID: 31367691; PMCID: PMC6658913.

[5] Pacheco LS, Li Y, Rimm EB, Manson JE, Sun Q, Rexrode K, Hu FB, Guasch-Ferré M. Avocado Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in US Adults. J Am Heart Assoc. 2022 Apr 5;11(7):e024014. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.121.024014. Epub 2022 Mar 30. PMID: 35352568; PMCID: PMC9075418.

[6]Wang L, Tao L, Hao L, Stanley TH, Huang KH, Lambert JD, Kris-Etherton PM. A Moderate-Fat Diet with One Avocado per Day Increases Plasma Antioxidants and Decreases the Oxidation of Small, Dense LDL in Adults with Overweight and Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Nutr. 2020 Feb 1;150(2):276-284. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxz231. PMID: 31616932; PMCID: PMC7373821.

[7] Mahmassani HA, Avendano EE, Raman G, Johnson EJ. Avocado consumption and risk factors for heart disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018 Apr 1;107(4):523-536. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqx078. PMID: 29635493.

[8] Khan NA, Edwards CG, Thompson SV, Hannon BA, Burke SK, Walk ADM, Mackenzie RWA, Reeser GE, Fiese BH, Burd NA, Holscher HD. Avocado Consumption, Abdominal Adiposity, and Oral Glucose Tolerance Among Persons with Overweight and Obesity. J Nutr. 2021 Sep 4;151(9):2513-2521. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxab187. PMID: 34191028; PMCID: PMC8417923.

Review | Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center