Avocado's are a rich source of mono-saturated fat which are important for your heart health. It can in fact reduce blood cholesterol levels! The oleic acid found in these fats are also linked to a lower risk of breast cancer.
A wide range of other nutrients can be found in the buttery green flesh including vitamins C, E and B5, folate, iron, magnesium and potassium. They also contain the antioxidant plant chemical beta sitosterol which has also been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels, prevent cancer and improve age-related male hair loss.
The high vitamin E content boosts the immune system while lupin helos to protect against eye cataracts and age related degeneration of the retina.
Other benefits include:
Prostate Cancer Prevention - Avocados have been shown to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer.Oral Cancer Defense - Research has shown that certain compounds in avocados are able to seek out pre-cancerous and cancerous oral cancer cells and destroy them without harming healthy cells.
Breast Cancer Protection - Avocado, like olive oil, is high in oleic acid, which has been shown to prevent breast cancer in numerous studies.
Eye Health - Avocados have more of the carotenoid lutein than any other commonly consumed fruit. Lutein protects against macular degeneration and cataracts, two disabling age-related eye diseases.
Lower Cholesterol - In one study, 45 volunteers experienced an average drop in cholesterol of 17% after eating avocados for only one week.
Heart Health - One cup of avocado has 23% of the recommended daily value of folate. Studies show that people who eat diets rich in folate have a much lower incidence of heart disease than those who don't. The vitamin E, monounsaturated fats, and glutathione in avocado are also great for your heart.
Stroke Prevention - The high levels of folate in avocado are also protective against strokes. People who eat diets rich in folate have a much lower risk of stroke than those who don't.
Better Nutrient Absorption Research has found that certain nutrients are absorbed better when eaten with avocado. In one study, when participants ate a salad containing avocados, they absorbed five times the amount of carotenoids (a group of nutrients that includes lycopene and beta carotene) than those who didn't include avocados.
Glutathione Source - Avocados are an excellent source of glutathione, an important antioxidant that researchers say is important in preventing aging, cancer, and heart disease.
Vitamin E Powerhouse - Avocados are the best fruit source of vitamin E, an essential vitamin that protects against many diseases and helps maintains overall health.
The nutritional content of avocado's can be summarised below...
Avocado – average size (150g)
|
|
Calories
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240
|
Protein
|
3g
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Total fat
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22g (34% RDI)
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Carbohydrate
|
12.8g (4% RDI)
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Fibre
|
5g
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Vitamin C
|
9mg
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Potassium
|
728mg
|
Vitamin E
|
3mg
|
Spicy Avocado Dip (serves 4)
2 large avocados
juice of 1-2 limes
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp mild chilli powder or to taste
salt and pepper
Methods
1. Cut the avocados in half. Remove the stones and discard. Scoop out the flesh and discard the skins.
2. Place the avocado flesh in a food processor with the juice of 1 or 2 limes to taste. Add the garlic and chili powder and process until smooth.
3. Transfer to a large serving bowl, season to taste and serve!
If you have dehydrated biscuits with sundried tomato's this would be amazing :) I love to chop avocado into my salad but in raw foods avocado's make a great base for mousse or pudding!
Raw Chocolate Avocado Pudding
(Serves 1)
 |
| Recipe from the Rawtarian |
1 medium avocado (not gross - ripe and at peak of perfection please!)
1/2 cup dates (you can soak in warm water for an hour to soften them and easier to blend)
2 1/2 tablespoons raw cocoa powder
1/4 cup water + 1/8 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/8 teaspoon celtic sea salt (or less)
Methods
1. Throw these raw chocolate avocado pudding ingredients into a high-speed blender. Start blending on slow and then crank up the blending speed to high.
2. Blend until puddingy and gooooood! You might need to start and stop this a few times to get it to blend properly because the dates will require more blending than pudding recipes that don't contain dates. If you have a good blender (AKA Vitamix or Blendtec) then you should be able to get this super smooth.
3. You may need to add a tiny bit of extra water to facilitate blending. But if doing so only add TINY bits at a time! Try not to add extra water or it'll end up watering it down and changing the consistency.
This raw pudding tastes best when chilled in the fridge for at least a few hours.
This is such a versatile super food to incorporate into any meal of your day :)
Rockin Raw
Xox
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