Avocados Effects and Side Effects
Avocados have long been considered a superfood because of their nutritional benefits, not only for maintaining a healthy intestinal tract but also for improving the condition of the skin. In addition to nutrition and skin health, there are many different ways to eat avocado, with a wide variety of food combinations. Its taste is not like our traditional perception the fruit should be sweet and sour, so why do people who advocate a healthy diet are attracted to it?
Avocados Nutritional Value
Avocado is a high-calorie and nutrient-rich fruit. According to the information in the USDA National Nutrition Database, one serving of avocado (about 40 grams) contains:
- 64 calories
- Nearly 6 grams of fat
- 3.4 grams of carbohydrates
- Less than 1 gram of sugar
- Nearly 3 grams of fiber
The nutrient-rich avocado composition also contains vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B-6, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, magnesium, potassium, lutein, beta-carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids.
The calories in an avocado come mainly from the healthy and beneficial lipid-proof it contains, which slows down the breakdown of carbohydrates and helps keep blood sugar stable. Eating good fats helps with skin health, enhances the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, and may even help boost the immune system.
Benefits of Avocado
1. Benefits for the heart
Good quality, healthy fats are vital to the health of the body, especially the heart. Avocados are a high-fat food and are one of the most obese plant foods in existence. The fat in avocados is a monounsaturated fatty acid, monoallelic acid, which is also the main component of olive oil. Avocados also contain 26 mg of a natural phytosterol called beta-sitosterol per 30 grams.
Regular consumption of beta-sitosterol and other phytosterols helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels, including lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglyceride levels and raising good cholesterol (HDL) levels.
If you have hyperlipidemia, it is best to eat more healthy fats such as avocados, while reducing harmful fats (artificial fats, fried foods, etc.) and carbohydrates.
2. Treat arthritis
Oxidative stress is common in arthritis, and in addition, lower levels of antioxidants in the body can lead to joint damage. Studies have proven that a diet rich in vitamins and minerals has a significant impact on arthritis and its complications (such as pain, stiffness, and inflammation).
The vitamin E, vitamin C, and selenium contained in avocados can reduce lipid peroxidation and reduce the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, thus reducing oxidative stress.
3. Good for eyesight
Avocados contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two phytochemicals that are particularly concentrated in the tissues of the eye, and they provide antioxidant protection to help reduce damage, including UV light.
The monounsaturated fatty acids in avocados can also promote the absorption of other beneficial fat-soluble antioxidants (such as beta-carotene), so eating more avocados can help reduce the risk of macular degeneration.
4. Prevent osteoporosis
Avocados are rich in vitamin K, which is very important for the skeletal system, but most of us are deficient in this nutrient. Eating a diet containing enough vitamin K can increase calcium absorption and reduce calcium loss through urine, thus supporting bone health and preventing osteoporosis.
5. Cancer prevention
Avocados contain folic acid, which has been found to prevent undesirable mutations in DNA and RNA during cell division. Avocados may even have a role in cancer treatment, as some studies have found that phytochemicals derived from avocados can selectively inhibit the growth and cause the death of precancerous and cancerous cells while promoting the proliferation of immune system cells called lymphocytes.
6. Improves digestive system function
Seventy percent of the body’s immune system is in the intestines, so the health of the intestines is related to the proper function of the immune system. Avocados contain a lot of dietary fiber, which is very good for promoting intestinal health. Foods that contain a lot of fiber, especially soluble fiber, can relieve constipation and also increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract, regulating the balance of flora.
7. Prevent inflammatory diseases
Chronic inflammation can lead to many diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc. The rich monounsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, lutein, and vitamin E in avocados have significant anti-inflammatory effects and can reduce the risk of inflammatory diseases.
8. Control blood sugar levels
Avocados are very low in carbohydrates, and the healthy fats they contain also help keep blood sugar stable by slowing down the breakdown of carbohydrates and reducing the rate of sugar absorption in the blood. This is very useful for people with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
9. Promotes healthy skin
Avocados are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and fatty acids that can improve your skin from the inside out. Aside from eating them, you can also apply avocados directly to your face after mashing them into a paste, which effectively stops the breakdown of collagen in your skin, keeping it firm and elastic. The vitamin E in avocado is more capable of repairing skin tissue and fighting free radicals, which helps delay aging.
10. Helps with weight loss
Avocados are essential for ketogenic and low-carb diets, providing the body with a wealth of nutrients to ensure balanced nutrition during weight loss. And it contains a large number of high-quality healthy fats, which can increase satiety, reduce appetite and help weight loss.
11. Other benefits
Other benefits include antibacterial detoxification, antidepressant, wound healing, improved liver function, and even reduced risk of miscarriage and neural tube defects in newborns (role of folic acid).
Side Effects of Avocado
1. Weight gain
Despite all the benefits of avocados, it is still the “fattest” plant food, with a high-calorie content. So if you eat too much will still make you gain weight. It is recommended to eat half a day enough.
2. May cause diarrhea
The dietary fiber content in avocados is very high, eating too much will cause an increase in the number of bowel movements.
3. May have an allergic reaction
Although uncommon, some people may be allergic or intolerant to avocados. Major symptoms include:
Rash, zoonosis, nasal congestion, asthma, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.
Avocados Purchase and Consumption Instructions
When choosing avocados, you should choose some of the more mature ones with shiny and wrinkled skin. As the texture and taste of avocado are similar to butter, we can eat it directly raw or cut it into pieces and mix it into a vegetable salad.
1. Seasoned and eaten directly
Cut the avocado and puree it with a fork or spoon, then sprinkle it with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and other seasonings and eat it directly.
2. Salad
Avocado cut into small pieces, and kale, cucumber, sage, lettuce, etc. with tossed into a vegetable salad, you can also sprinkle some walnuts, apricots, raisins, and so on to increase the flavor of the child.
3、Guacamole
Many people like guacamole, often used as a dipping sauce, Mexican snacks, and tortilla chips as its classic partner.
Ingredients:
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ lemon (juiced)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ white onion
- 80 ml fresh cilantro
- 1 tomato (diced)
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
- Peel the avocado and mash it with a fork
- Chop the onion and add it to the mashed avocado with lemon juice
- Add the diced tomatoes, olive oil, and chopped parsley
- Season with salt and pepper and mix well
4. Sandwich in a sandwich
Cut the avocado into slices and make a sandwich with the other ingredients.
5. Fruit and vegetable juice
6. As a side dish
7. With avocado oil
Most people are not familiar with avocado oil, but if you are preparing or following a ketogenic or low-carb diet, it may not be too unfamiliar to you.
Similar to coconut oil, avocado oil is a healthy oil derived directly from the flesh of the avocado fruit. Although not yet as popular as olive oil, more and more people have begun to understand and recognize its value, and in fact, it is more nutritious than olive oil.
Conclusion
Whether it’s any food or anything, it should be eaten in moderation, and the same goes for avocados. Eating in moderation can maximize the use of its rich nutritional value, but eating too much can be harmful to health.