Many individuals around the world love to eat avocado. In fact, it seems as though avocados have become more popular in recent years.
One thing about avocados is they have a diverse nutritional profile. Besides culinary purposes, they can be used for managing the skin and hair.
Avocados are not only popular for their tastiness but also because they provide many health benefits. It’s no wonder individuals constantly use avocados in their daily lives.
Health Benefits of Avocado
Read on for more details on the health benefits of avocado now.
1. Low-Carb and Ketogenic Diet Friendly
Avocados are low in carbohydrates, which is one of the reasons why they are ketogenic diet friendly. Avocados are especially a great choice for individuals on the keto diet as they contain a high amount of healthy fat.
Avocado is also a major source of nutrients such as potassium and magnesium. Unfortunate symptoms of the keto diet typically have to do with low levels of these minerals, which are also considered electrolytes.
Since the ketogenic diet consists of very few carbohydrates, it will throw the electrolytes off in balance. Many individuals starting the ketogenic diet reportedly experience abdominal discomfort as well as fatigue with nausea and vomiting.
Additional symptoms are confusion, heart palpitations, insomnia, weakness, muscle cramps, muscle weakness, irritability, and constipation. Avocados help prevent these symptoms!
2. Reduction in Blood Pressure
Consuming more avocados can cause a reduction in blood pressure. This is due to the fruit’s high potassium content. In one study published in 2014, 766 patients were instructed to collect a urine sample over twenty-four hours.
The patients with higher sodium excretion were shown to have higher blood pressure. On the other hand, the patients with greater potassium excretion had lower blood pressure. The link is also shown in a comprehensive review from 2017, which details several studies demonstrating beneficial effects of potassium intake on blood pressure.
The reasoning for potassium’s effect on blood pressure is because it helps relax the blood vessel walls, increasing blood circulation.
Plus, potassium can help enhance sodium excretion. In a 2016 study, it was found a daily dosage of one hundred or 368 milligrams for a month or so helped decrease blood pressure.
3. Reduction in Blood Sugar Spikes
Avocados can also cause a reduction in blood sugar spikes. The fruits contain very little sugar themselves, but they are a good source of fiber, which slows down the rate at which carbohydrates are digested.
This allows for slower absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. Several studies demonstrate fiber can be helpful in controlling blood sugar levels.
One study revealed a diet high in avocado helped maintain adequate glycemic control in patients with type II diabetes. Information from other studies is detailed in a review published in 2012.
Avocados are also linked to blood sugar because they are a major source of monounsaturated fats. These fats are suggested to help improve insulin sensitivity. When insulin sensitivity is low, it can cause blood sugar to become unnecessarily high.
A study published in 2007 revealed a diet high in monounsaturated fats helped improve insulin sensitivity in insulin-resistant participants. Additional studies are necessary for a broader assessment of MUFA-rich diets for insulin sensitivity.
4. Lowers Cholesterol and Triglycerides
Research also indicates the consumption of avocados lowers cholesterol and triglycerides. One study from 2015 documented the effects of avocado consumption on cholesterol levels in both overweight and obese participants.
The study found following a moderate-fat diet that included one avocado per day reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (bad cholesterol) by 13.5 mg/dL.
This is higher than the amount that resulted from following a moderate-fat excluding the avocado. In addition, the diet helped improve triglycerides.
In an older study, a diet high in MUFA content from avocados improved total cholesterol in both healthy and hypercholesterolemic participants. The diet was found to help reduce both low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides by twenty-two percent.
Participants also saw a rise in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (good cholesterol) by eleven percent. Another study details the effects of a MUFA-rich diet on dyslipidemia participants with avocados being the primary source.
The participants kept on the diet for four weeks. By the end of the course, participants saw an improvement in both low-density and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol as well as triglycerides.
5. Full of Powerful Antioxidants
Avocado is full of powerful antioxidants. Thus, they can help support the immune system as well as other parts of the body. These fruits contain a wide variety of healthful substances, such as vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, phytonutrients, and carotenoids.
As mentioned, avocados contain lots of magnesium. Low levels of the mineral may contribute to oxidative stress, as indicated by a few studies.
Vitamin E, another one of the many nutrients in avocados, is widely believed to help protect against cell damage from free radicals. These properties are assessed in several reviews.
Avocados also contains vitamin C, another nutrient thought to be beneficial for cellular health. In a 2013 assessment, vitamin C is shown to have weakened the destructive effects of hydrogen peroxide on HT29 cells.
Carotenoids are known to act as antioxidants as well. The carotenoids included in avocados include beta-carotene, lutein, cryptoxanthin, and zeaxanthin.
Via: MedicalNewsToday | MedicalDaily
