What is Avocado?
Avocado ( Persea americana) which is also called alligator pear is an evergreen tree of the family Lauraceae. It usually reaches a height of up to 20 meters. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America.
Avocado fruits are buttery which holds rich, nutty flavor and have greenish or yellowish flesh. Mashed avocado is the prime ingredient of guacamole, a typical appetizer in Mexican cuisine. Avocados provide thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin A, and in some varieties, the flesh contains as much as 25 percent unsaturated oil( Britannica 2018).
An oil; estragol is produced in the leaves of avocado tree which has cosmetic benefits along with insecticidal properties. Besides containing high amounts of vitamins and minerals avocados contain high amounts of calories than any other fruits. In addition, it is a good source of mono-unsaturated fat and soluble and insoluble fibers. In the past, it was known as “poor man’s butter”. It is eaten fresh, mostly in salads, desserts and as a sauce.
Avocado - Superfood:
Avocado is quoted by the Guinness Book of records as being “the most nutritious fruit known to man”: International Tropical Fruits Network.
Due to the high-fat content of avocados, many people avoid them but nowadays it is very popular among health-conscious people. It is also referred to as a superfood due to its surprising health benefits.
Avocado has many nutritional benefits such as reducing arthritis, decreasing the side effect of chemotherapy and cholesterol management ( DiNubile 2010; Paul, Kulkarni et al. 2011).
High fiber, carotenoids, minerals, vitamins, phenolics, fatty acid, etc. are some of the main compounds found in avocado.
Avocado - Why is it a superfood?
Monounsaturated fats
Avocado is rich in monounsaturated fats. It is the healthiest form of fat. Monosaturated fats are believed to increase the good cholesterol (HDL) in the body and reduce the bad cholesterol (LDL). It can decrease the risk of heart disease by improving the cholesterol levels. It can also benefit the brain activity and movement of joints.
Tip: Avocados are high in monounsaturated fats that are believed to increase your good cholesterol.Vitamin E
Avocado contains a high amount of vitamin E which is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants protect the body tissue from free radical damage. When taken with salad and salsa it increases the absorption of carotenoid (1). Vitamin E helps in the formation of red blood cell which carries the oxygen to different parts of the body.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin is also known as pyridoxine which helps the body in the formation of glycogen which is backup energy stored in muscles and liver. It also promotes the healthy skin by moisturizing it.
Vitamin K
Avocado is also loaded with vitamin K which ensures the proper growth and proper maintenance of bone density as by age.
Carotenoids
Avocado increases the absorption of carotenoids when taken with other carotenoids rich fruits and vegetables ( Unlu, Bohn et al. 2005). Carotenoids are rich in Vitamin A which is associated with reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease and eye deterioration ( Carranco, Calvo et al. 2011).
Potassium
Avocado is also high in potassium. It contains twice the amount of potassium than a banana. Potassium prevents from major risk factors like heart attack, strokes and kidney failure by reducing hypertension (Aburto, Hanson et al. 2013).
Fiber
Unlike most of the foods avocado contains both soluble and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber works as natural digestive aid, while soluble fiber is useful for appetite control.
Side Effects
- Over consumption of avocados may cause mouth allergy like itching and swelling of the tongue.
- Avocado increases the level of serum IgE. People who are sensitive to latex can have an allergic reaction by eating avocados.
References
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15735074/
Aburto, N. J., S. Hanson, et al. (2013). "Effect of increased potassium intake on cardiovascular risk factors and disease: systematic review and meta-analyses." Bmj 346: f1378.
BONE, R. A., J. T. LANDRUM, et al. (1997). "Distribution of lutein and zeaxanthin stereoisomers in the human retina." Experimental eye research 64(2): 211-218.
Britannica, T. E. o. E. (2018). "Avocado FRUIT AND TREE."
Butterfield, D. A., T. Koppal, et al. (1999). "Vitamin Ε as an Antioxidant/Free Radical Scavenger Against Amyloid β-Peptide-Induced Oxidative Stress in Neocortical Synaptosomal Membranes and Hippocampal Neurons in Culture: Insights into Alzheimer's Disease." Reviews in the Neurosciences 10(2): 141-150.
Carranco, M. J., L. C. M. Calvo, et al. (2011). "Carotenoids and their antioxidant function: a review." Archivos latinoamericanos de nutricion 61(3): 233-241.
D’Agostini, F., P. Fiallo, et al. (2013). "Chemoprevention of doxorubicin-induced alopecia in mice by dietary administration of L-cystine and vitamin B6." Archives of dermatological research 305(1): 25-34.
DiNubile, N. A. (2010). "A potential role for avocado-and soybean-based nutritional supplements in the management of osteoarthritis: a review." The Physician and sportsmedicine 38(2): 71-81.
Dreher, M. L. and A. J. Davenport (2013). "Hass avocado composition and potential health effects." Critical reviews in food science and nutrition 53(7): 738-750.
Mustad, V. A., T. D. Etherton, et al. (1997). "Reducing saturated fat intake is associated with increased levels of LDL receptors on mononuclear cells in healthy men and women." Journal of lipid research 38(3): 459-468.
Paul, R., P. Kulkarni, et al. (2011). "Avocado fruit (Persea americana Mill) exhibits chemo-protective potentiality against cyclophosphamide induced genotoxicity in human lymphocyte culture." J Exp Ther Oncol 9(3): 221-230.
Sartorius, T., C. Ketterer, et al. (2012). "Monounsaturated fatty acids prevent the aversive effects of obesity on locomotion, brain activity, and sleep behavior." Diabetes: DB_111521.
Stanley, W. C., E. R. Dabkowski, et al. (2012). "Dietary fat and heart failure: moving from lipotoxicity to lipoprotection." Circulation research 110(5): 764-776.
Unlu, N. Z., T. Bohn, et al. (2005). "Carotenoid absorption from salad and salsa by humans is enhanced by the addition of avocado or avocado oil." The Journal of nutrition 135(3): 431-436.
van Zelst, B. D. and R. de Jonge (2012). "A stable isotope dilution LC–ESI-MS/MS method for the quantification of pyridoxal-5′-phosphate in whole blood." Journal of Chromatography B 903: 134-141.
