Avocado Health Benefits and Nutrition Facts

I love drinking Avocado shakes, but many friends tell me that it’s unhealthy. They say it has high cholesterol and fat content.

Well, I’m not giving up eating guacamole and drinking avocado shakes that’s for sure. But just to be on the safe side, I tried to research on the health benefits and some nutrition facts on avocados.

Good thing I have a friend who’s also a doctor to ask. And here’s what he had to say.

Avocados are high in good fat, which is HDL or high-density lipoprotein. This actually helps reduce the risk of having a heart disease. It also has beta-sitosterol, a natural substance shown to significantly lower blood cholesterol levels. Also, avocados don’t have any cholesterol. Plant foods don’t have cholesterol in general.

Avocados have “monounsaturated” fat, which can also be found in olives. Aside from these, avocados also have beta carotene, fiber, folate, fiber, and potassium.

Did you know that an ounce of avocado has 60% more potassium than bananas? And that avocados has less fat than lean beef of the same amount?

And to convince you more that avocados are healthy, here are some health benefits that I’ve found in some health magazines.

• Avocados helps inhibit the growth of prostate cancer.
• Certain compounds in avocados can destroy some oral cancer cells.
• Avocado is high in oleic acid, which helps prevent breast cancer.
• It also has carotenoid lutein which protects against macular degeneration and cataracts
• Avocados aid in digestion because it helps in the absorption of food nutrients.
• Avocados are an excellent source of glutathione, a popular natural antioxidant (and skin whitener).
• It is one of the best fruit source of Vitamin E.

Great news for avocado lovers, right?

Do take note though that avocados have a lot of calories. So if you’re a calorie-counter, then better eat this in moderation.

Image Credit: Darwin Bell