Avocado
Control cholesterol, Lower blood pressure, Prevent birth defects
Avocado has more calories than almost any fruit on the planet – 731! Its also has the dubious distinction of being one of the few fruits with a measurable fat content, with up to 30 grams each. That’s the daily recommended amount for an average adult.
You wouldn’t think that a food that’s so fattening could be good for you. But the word from dietitians, who say that adding a little avocado to your diet every day could actually improve your health.
Avocados are great source of folate and potassium. They also contain high amount of fiber and monounsaturated fat, both of which are good news for people who are concerned with diabetes or heart health.
People with diabetes have traditionally been told to eat more carbohydrates and cut back on fat. Overall that’s good advice, but it’s not necessarily the best advice for everyone.
Doctors have discovered that when some people who have diabetes eat a lot of carbohydrates, they tend to develop high levels of triglycerides, a type of blood fat that may contribute to heart disease. Surprisingly, when people replace some of those carbohydrates with fat, particularly the kind of fat found in avocados, the dangerous fats in the bloodstream tend to decline.
Avocados are rich source of monounsaturated fats, particularly a kind called oleic acid, and these monounsaturated fats improve fat levels in the body and help control diabetes.
In one study, scientists put 160 women with diabetes on a relatively high-fat diet, with about 40% of calories coming from fat. Most of the fat came from avocados. The result was a 20% drop in triglycerides. Women on a higher-carbohydrate plan, by contrast, had only 7% drop in triglycerides.
What’s nice about avocados is that they provide a lot of these monounsaturated fats. Someone on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, for example, might be advised to eat 33 grams of monounsaturated fat. You can get about 20 grams from just one avocado.
People with diabetes aren’t the only ones who benefit from eating a little more avocados. The oleic acid in avocados can also help people lower their cholesterol.
In a small study from Mexico, where guacamole is considered almost a food group, researchers compared the effects of two low-fat diets. The diets were the same except that one included avocados. While both lowered levels of dangerous, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the avocado diet raised levels of healthful high-density lipoprotein cholesterol while lowering triglycerides.
Avocados have large levels of potassium, half of avocado provides 548 milligrams of potassium, 16% of the Daily Value. That’s 15% more than you’d get in a medium banana. You can never get too much potassium – even small additions can make bid difference to your hearth’s health.
Avocados one of the perfect foods when you’re eating for two, particularly when it comes to getting enough folate, a nutrient that helps prevent life-threatening birth defects of the brain and spine. Many women don’t get enough folate in their diets, but avocados can go a long way towards fixing that. Half an avocado contains 57 milligrams of folate, 14% of the Daily Value.
Moms-to-be aren’t the only ones who should be dipping their chips in guacamole, though. Everyone needs folate. Its’ an essential nutrient for keeping nerves functioning properly. It also help fight hearth disease.
more at: http://foodsthatheal.blogspot.com
Little Feather
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