Some fruits, highly nutritious are still not well known and only a few are aware of it. Avocado and Avocado health benefits comes in this category.

Health is wealth and we all know this. A good diet plan takes care of all the needs of our body through various food sources, as each food come with their own benefits. Fruits are known to be light and come packed with vitamins. A fruit that is good for one may be bad for another due to various factors like diabetes etc. Avocado health benefits can be shared by one and all.

Avocado is a fruit that comes from avocado tree. It can be also called one of the largest berries. Avocado is known to be a highly nutritious fruit. Avocado is rich, creamy and mild flavour. It contains 73% of water in it. Fat in it is 15% while the carbs stand at 8.5% and protein 2%. When compared with other fruits, avocado has lesser sugar in it. Avocado health benefits has benefits for everyone.

Now a days avocados have become darling of some countries which could be due to its awareness. In USA alone, consumption of avocado indirectly like, avocado oil, avocado ice cream has reached all time high.

Just like tofu, avocado has become popular with health conscious individuals and its fan following too has been increasing with every passing day. With so many health properties in it, and increase in awareness of Avocado health benefits, this is no surprise. Its health benefits include weight control, protection against cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and reduction of risks associated with cancers like liver damage and bleeding.

Avocadoes come in shapes like pear shaped and round shaped ones. They come in colours that range from green to dark brown. A small sized avocado may weigh a one fourth of a kilo and a big one may be weigh one and a half kilos.

To eat an avocado, you have to weed out the skin and the seeds. The eatable one comes packed with many nutrients and minerals.

Let's have a look at the nutrients offered by a delicious avocado that it is rich in that weighs about 100 grams:

Vitamin K, Folate, Vitamin C, Potassium, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E.

There are many Avocado health benefits as Avocado contains small amounts of Magnesium, Manganese, Copper, Iron, Zinc, and Phosphorous. Some more additions include Vitamin A, B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin) and B3 (Niacin).

A 100 gram Avocado provides 160 calories. It generates 15 grams of healthy fats and 2 grams of protein. When it comes to carbs, it provides 9 grams of it. Avocado is low in saturated fat and are minus cholesterol, sodium. Avocado comes loaded with potassium which is very good for health and it is said that a high intake of potassium may be linked to reduced blood pressure.

All types of Avocado health benefits:

Blood Pressure: A deficiency of potassium may be linked to high blood pressure. A high BP opens the door for many more diseases like heart attack, kidney stones and heart stroke. Like banana, avocado is quite rich in potassium and a good choice to stay healthy and stay away from risks associated with kidney stones and heart diseases.

The dietary fibre in avocadoes help normalize levels of blood sugar in the bodies and may lower the risk of diabetes.

Prevention of cancer: Antioxidants help in fighting diseases like cancer. They protect body cells from cankerous changes due to damage done by free radicals. They also help in defending body from many diseases.

It is said that Alpha carotene, a type of antioxidant carotenoid, helps in prevention of cancer. Carotenoid is absorbed with the help of monounsaturated fats in avocadoes. Also, vitamin C and vitamin E are abundant in avocados and it is considered that both vitamins have anti-cancer antioxidants in them. Vitamin C keeps cancers like stomach cancer, lung cancer and pancreatic cancers at bay. On the other hand vitamin E prevents breast cancer.

Benefits to skin: Avocado contains monounsaturated fats which are said to be helpful for improving skin tone and skin appearance.

Monounsaturated fats help in balancing good moisture levels in the epidermal layer of the skin making it look healthy.

Omega -9 fats help in dealing with skin irritation and the redness. It also repairs damages cells of skin. A good skin keeps acne and blackheads at a distance.

No one likes wrinkles, which sometimes attack individuals who are not even aged. Avocado helps protect skin against wrinkles and signs of ageing. So overall, avocado is must for healthy appearance.

Diabetes: A lot of individuals, men and women worldwide are becoming victims of diabetes owing to their poor diet that is always in excess of unwanted stuff and hectic life.

Oleic acid that is found in avocado helps in lowering bad LDL cholesterol and raises good cholesterol which is important for diabetic affected individuals.

As we have seen that avocado is rich in monounsaturated fats, this is again helpful for diabetics as it helps in insulin functions improvement and also betters glucose levels. Vitamin C helps in strengthening blood vessels and capillaries. This is good for immune functioning. Vitamin E helps protect against nerve damage.

Potassium rich avocado helps in maintaining a healthy heart and regulates blood sugar. A single avocado is such an useful fruit with doses of all important nutrients in it.

Arthritis: A painful condition that involves joint inflammation and soreness is called osteoarthritis. Unfortunately foods like wheat, corn and milk deteriorate symptoms. Avocado on the other hand is considered to help in reducing arthritic pain.

Digestion helper: Avocado is a high fibre food. A cup of avocado generates 8 grams of soluble and insoluble fibre.

Fibre is considered good for improving digestion and helps in regular bowel movements that keeps issues like constipation at a distance. Avocado is a good option for individuals who have trouble going toilet. The fibre in avocado apart from helping against constipation, also lowers the risk of colon cancer. It also makes you feel full so that you do not crave for more and end up eating unnecessarily.

Weight control: Avocado is high in fat and also calories. This does not mean that the fat in avocado gets stored in the body but is used in such a way that it keeps the stomach full and generates energy. This is certainly good for health as it satisfies hunger pangs and keep urge in appetite under control.

It is recommended that foods high in healthy fats are a good choice for those who like to track their weight changes and should be opted over other sources like nuts almonds. End of the day a right meal is a necessity to help you with your weight choices so that you don't end up starving.

Most of the women suffering from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome struggle to stay away from obesity which is why avocadoes make the best dietary inclusion.

Due to increasing awareness of Avocado health benefits, it helps in tackling weight issues too.

Eyesight: Avocado is rich in antioxidants. Oxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin are good for eye health and eye sight and these oxidants are found in avocado. It is also claimed that antioxidants like them are known to decrease risks of cataracts and macular degeneration.

Benefits during pregnancy: Avocado contains folic acid that is suggested for pregnant women as it is important to prevent birth defects. Avocado has in it vitamin B that is essential and therefore recommended by doctors at the time of pregnancy. A full cup provides 90 micro grams of folate. A condition called Vitamin K deficiency bleeding or VDBK does not stop bleeding in new born babies as the blood does not have sufficient vitamin K in it. So avocado is suggested for pregnant women as it contains vitamin K in it.

Protects liver: Organic compounds are known to improve liver health. Avocado is considered to play an important role in protecting liver from many unwanted conditions.

-Those who suffer from fatty liver disease (one of the causes being excessive consumption of alcohol) should add avocado in their diets as it contains healthy fats that help in raising good cholesterol and lowering bad cholesterol.

-Glutathione is a type of antioxidant that weeds out harmful substances from liver and shields liver cells from damage. Avocado may increase glutathione levels in the body.

-Vitamin C and vitamin E are known to neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are a danger for liver cells. Avocado is rich in both vitamins.

-Vitamin E and vitamin K reduce cellular inflammation and avocado is popular for anti-inflammatory properties that would also be helpful for liver health. A cellular injury causes cellular inflammation.

So we can say that one of the many Avocado health benefits helps lever.

Dental care: Bad breath is an eternal enemy of everyone - young and old. Halitosis causes bad breath. Flavonoids have antibacterial and antioxidant properties that help get rid of bad breath as they can kill the bacteria in the mouth.

Health of bones: Carotenoids like zeaxanthin and lutein are present in avocado. Both may reduce the risk of cartilage defects. Consumption of avocado may help reduce the risk of osteoarthritis.

It is said that avocado helps in benefiting patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis. Avocado has good levels of minerals like phosphorous, copper, zinc with little amounts of selenium and calcium. All this helps in bone mineral density. One of the many Avocado health benefits is related to bones.

Healing of wound: Avocado is a very good source to tackle of damaged skin. The good fats can protect your skin. Polyunsaturated fats keeps skin protected from sun damage and inflammation. Monounsaturated fats keep the upper layer of the skin moisturized that helps it maintain a distance from premature wrinkles. Vitamin C and vitamin E help skin stay hydrated by protecting skin cells.

Mashed, raw avocado is also used as a face mask because of the good fat contents in it.

Kidney Health: Potassium mineral helps in maintaining normal heart rate. Avocado is a rich source of potassium.

Avocados can be eaten in various forms. It can be had as a salad. It can be consumed as a soup. It can be eaten whole as a fruit too.

Nutrient absorption: It is a good to eat Avocado with other fruits and vegetables, for the simple reason that nutrients in fruits and vegetables are utilized more efficiently when consumed along with avocado. It is said that the absorption of carotenoid antioxidant molecules helps protect the body against free radicals and its effectiveness increases when avocado is eaten with salad.

Blood glucose level: The leaf extracts of avocados also provide benefits. It is said that leaf extracts may help in lowering blood glucose levels. Fibre helps to slow the breakdown of the eaten food into usable sugars. This makes it absorbed by the body in a more proper way. Avocado control the way glucose is metabolized by the body.

Unwanted effects of avocado: There are a few undesired effects of avocado too that may affects some individuals due to various reasons:

Consuming more number of avocados than required may add some kilos to your weight as it is high in calories. A single avocado is generally sufficient for all the needs that anyone requires.

Individuals who are allergic to potatoes, tomatoes, banana, kiwis etc may also become allergic to avocado.

Those who are into medications should ensure they consult their doctors as the medicines may react with avocado.

To get the best of unripe avocado, it should be stored outside the fridge. The flavour of the unripe fruit is best at room temperature.

So we have noticed so many Avocado health benefits that range from weight control to liver health. Some countries like South Korea at present are seen increasing imports of avocado by many times compared with their nominal import many years back. Avocado did not find any mention earlier in our science textbooks like banana and oranges did, but hopefully with increasing awareness, people will incorporate avocado in their diet that would certainly enable them reap good benefits from it.