5 Health Benefits of Avocados

Avocado is a superfood that is loaded with a broad range of health benefits. It is rich in good fats that help reduce cholesterol and, therefore, is effective in protecting individuals from heart diseases. Avocado also helps manage blood sugar and is an ideal food for people suffering from diabetes or those who want to control their blood sugar naturally. Moreover, it is a rich source of potassium and reduces high blood pressure that can lead to strokes, heart attacks, and kidney failure. To help you understand the significance of adding avocados to your daily healthy diet, let’s look at the top five health benefits of avocados:

1. Heart Health

Avocado is a heart-healthy food owing to its high content of oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fatty acid also found in olive oil. The fruit is also sodium and cholesterol free, with over 50 percent of its fat content accounting for monounsaturated fat. Consumption of avocados is also linked with reducing cholesterol level in individuals, which is counted among the significant risk factors for heart problems.

Moreover, avocado is rich in folate content, which is linked with a lower risk of heart disease and heart attack. A study conducted on avocados revealed that individuals who add avocado to their daily diet experience a decrease in unhealthy cholesterol levels, along with an increase in healthy cholesterol.

2. Healthy Digestive System and Weight Management

Ensuring a healthy digestive system and healthy weight management is also among the many health benefits of avocados. Avocado has high fiber content, which makes it an ideal fruit to help you manage your weight. The fiber found in avocado also helps manage blood sugar that may otherwise lead to various health problems. About 25 percent of the fiber content found in avocado is soluble fiber, which improves gut health by feeding the friendly gut bacteria in the intestine. Both the soluble and insoluble fiber found in avocado are essential for maintaining a healthy digestive system.

3. Nutrition Absorption

Merely ingesting nutrients is not enough since your body also needs to absorb the nutrients you consume. As nutrients move from the digestive tract into the body, they are absorbed by the body. Some of the nutrients we consume are fat-soluble, which means that in order to be utilized by the body, they need to be combined with fats. A study carried out on avocado revealed that their consumption is also linked to increased antioxidant absorption in the body.

4. Eye Health

Eye health is also among the significant health benefits of avocados. Avocado is rich in antioxidants, which prevent damage to the body and strengthen the immune system to fight diseases. It also contains zeaxanthin and lutein, nutrients that are vital for eye health. In particular, these nutrients significantly reduce the risk of muscular degeneration and cataracts, which are common among the elderly. Therefore, avocados are helpful in maintaining overall eye health across age groups.

5. Cancer Prevention

Cancer prevention is also included among the health benefits of avocados. A study has suggested that certain compounds found in avocados help in the inhibition and destruction of oral cancer cells. According to another study, avocados also help in reducing the side effects caused by chemotherapy and inhibit the growth of cancer cells in the prostate gland.

Avocados are thus among the superfoods that carry a broad range of health benefits. Therefore, include it in your diet, not only for its nutritional properties but also for ensuring the absorption of nutrition in the body.