Lower Your Cholesterol With Avocado

Avocado fruit is known for its miraculous health benefits all over the world. The origin of this fruit is in Mexico. There are 80 varieties of this fruit and ‘HASS’ variety of avocados is available throughout the year. You cut the outer surface with knife it will come off in two parts. You can scoop the flush with a spoon and then cut into small pieces after removing the seed. Avocados have diverse fats. About 75 per cent of an avocados calories come from fat, most of which is monounsaturated fat. Avocado’s have high fiber content of 75 per cent insoluble and 25 per cent soluble fiber. They are packed with essential nutrients in abundance. They contain vitamins A, B, C, E, and K and Minerals copper, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, fiber and protein. Intake of avocado helps you decrease blood cholesterol, protect your heart, skin and protect from diabetes, arthritis etc.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Heart: Avocados contain rich variety of heart nutrients including Vitamin E for preventing cholesterol oxidation, folate for reducing dangerous homocysteine levels in the blood, potassium for regulating blood pressure and heart rate, phytosterols for reducing cholesterol absorption and dietary fiber to control blood sugar levels.

Skin: Avocado protects your skin from wrinkles with its anti-oxidant carotenoids; Vitamin E helps guard against photo aging from sun exposure; Vitamin A helps purging off any dead skin cells; Vitamin C helps in the creation of elastin and collagen for maintaining skin’s elasticity and firmness. The glutamine amino acid present in avocados cleanses skin and protects against harsh environmental factors.

Arthritis: Anti-inflammatory avocado is one of the few foods consistently reported to reduce arthritic pain. Vitamin K in avocado helps grow bones properly and bone density is maintained properly in later life which in turn protects from joint pain. The high levels of mono unsaturated fats, phytosterols like Vitamin E and Vitamin C and a variety of carotenoids also help reduce the inflammation.

Cancer: Certain compounds in avocado appear to inhibit and destroy oral, skin and prostate gland cancer cells. Lab studies on cancer cells on consumption of avocado extract shows that in healthy cells avocado works to improve inflammatory and oxidative stress levels. But in cancer cells avocado works to increase oxidative stress and shift the cancer cells into a programmed cell death cycle, lessening the cancer cell numbers. Avocado appears to selectively push cancer cells to increase their likelihood of dying while at the same time actively supports the health non cancerous cells by increasing their supply of anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients.

Diabetes: Monounsaturated fats in avocados can reserve insulin resistance that helps to regulate insulin levels. The soluble fiber in avocados keeps a steady blood sugar levels.

Cholesterol: Avocados are rich in a compound called beta-sitosterol that has been shown to be effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels. Studies on few mild hypercholesterolemia patients kept on a seven day diet rich in avocados have shown significant decrease in total blood cholesterol levels, 22 per cent decrease in LDL (bad cholesterol and triglycerides) and 11 per cent increase in HDL (good cholesterol) levels.

Brain health: Avocados can effectively prevent Alzheimer’s. The folate in avocado helps prevent formation of brain tangles that are considered a factor for Alzheimer’s. Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin E in avocado prevent this disease from progressing and even reversing it in its earliest stages.

By Nibhanapudi Suguna