Avocado is fruit good for our heart. It’s rich in fat, but they’re the healthy kind. Maintain healthy cholesterol levels with the help of a good dose of monounsaturated fats from avocados.
Avocados are also rich in potassium, lutein, beta-carotene, and other essential nutrients. These nutrients help reduce blood pressure, reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol levels, promote heart health, and maintain metabolic health. No wonder this creamy green fruit is considered a superfood.
Avocado in the kitchen
Avocado is not sweet, but distinctly and subtly flavored, with smooth texture. It is used in both savory and sweet dishes, though in many countries not for both. The avocado is common in vegetarian cuisine as a substitute for meats in sandwiches and salads because of its high fat content.
Avocado – nutritional values
A typical serving of avocado (100 g) is moderate to rich in several B vitamins and vitamin K, with good content of vitamin C, vitamin E and potassium (right table, USDA nutrient data). Avocados also contain phytosterols and carotenoids, such as lutein and zeaxanthin.
Avocados have diverse fats. For a typical avocado:
- About 75% of an avocado’s energy comes from fat, most of which (67% of total fat) is monounsaturated fat as oleic acid
- Other predominant fats include palmitic acid and linoleic acid
- The saturated fat content amounts to 14% of the total fat.
- Typical total fat composition is roughly: 1% ω-3, 14% ω-6, 71% ω-9 (65% oleic and 6% palmitoleic), and 14% saturated fat (palmitic acid).
Although costly to produce, nutrient-rich avocado oil has diverse uses for salads or cooking and in cosmetics and soap products. Avocados are also a good source of vitamins B, E, and C, copper and fiber; their potassium content is higher than bananas.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avocado, https://calorie-charts.info/blog/2019/10/23/the-most-eaten-fruits-in-the-us-and-what-theyre-good-for/
