I’m coming to end of week three in my first round of the E2M fitness challenge and I’ve never eaten this much avocado. I’m not complaining. I really like avocado but I was also interested in just what health and wellness benefits I am getting from eating so much of these versatile fruits.
Here are the four best reasons I found for eating more avocados:
1. Source of Potassium & Fiber
Avocados are an all-around nutrient rich bomb. They are a great source of vitamins C, E, K along with other micronutrients, while having very little sugar. But the humble avocado really excels with delivering potassium and fiber.
A 100-gram serving contains 485 milligrams of potassium, according to the USDA. In comparison, a banana has 358 milligrams of potassium per 100 grams.
For someone with Addison’s, the potassium boost, in conjunction with an active lifestyle, is very important. The mineral helps regulate nerve function and move nutrients into cells while taking away waste.
Potassium also works to combat high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association. High levels of sodium can increase blood pressure, the CDC said, and potassium allows more sodium to leave the body through our urine. Another beneficial thing for everyone but especially important for Addison’s where the treatment involves low dose steroids, which can raise blood pressure.
And I haven’t mentioned the fiber yet. Avocados have nearly 7 grams of fiber per 100 grams, again according to the USDA. Foods with more fiber tend to keep you feeling full longer so this makes avocados great for the E2M challenge which involves slow carbs and intermittent fasting.
2. The Good Fat
Monounsaturated fats are the good fats. In simple terms, they are unsaturated fats that works to lower LDL cholesterol without affecting the good HDL cholesterol, she added. When you have too much LDL cholesterol, it hardens along the edges of your arteries and narrows them. This reduces blood flow through the arteries, which can cause blood clots and other medical complications. Not good ones.
3. Get Your Vitamins
Okay, it’s probably worth detailing more about the vitamins. An alligator pear (my favorite alternative name for an avocado) really is a vitamin bomb!
It’s rich in:
- Vitamin C to support strong bones and teeth and
- Vitamin E to support a healthy immune system
- Vitamin A to promote healthy vision
Plus more than 20 other vitamins and minerals.
Avocados not only deliver the nutrients, they can help your body better absorb the antioxidants. Many nutrients are fat-soluble which means you should consume them with fats so your body can properly absorb them.
Avocados also rev up a salad and help unlock powerful nutrients in those leafy greens. In an Ohio State University study, people who ate a salad with avocado greatly increased their nutrient absorption compared to one without avocado.
4. Help Your Joints
Avocados can help ease arthritis. Jeez, it’s like these big fruits were made for me. A 2010 review published in the journal The Physician and Sports medicine found that avocados can help with arthritis of the hip or knee due to their high volume of vitamin E which in addition to supporting the immune system also has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Plus, they also helped in a preventative measure, decreasing or slowing further joint damage seen in early arthritis.
In Summary
Avocados not only taste delicious but are a great source of nutrients, and they can help lower bad cholesterol. And, they can keep you satisfied longer. You should be aware, that like other high-fat foods, avocados are calorically dense, so all the benefits do come with other considerations but I think these four reasons for eating more avocados show that the tradeoffs are more than worth it.
