Avocados: Exploring The Health Benefits Of This Delicious Fruit

Say avocados and the first thing that comes to your mind is guacamole. Well, on Super Bowl Sunday it is one of the most popular items on our snack tray!

It is associated with Mexican food and is believed to have originated in Mexico and Central America. In Spanish the name is Aguacate Palta, or alligator pear, stemming from its dark green leathery skin.

There are many varieties grown in many countries. They will weigh anywhere from four ounces up to as much as five pounds. Now that's a lot of guacamole!

Which Vitamins And Minerals Do They Contain?

Dietary fiber

Vitamin K

Vitamin C

Vitamin B6

Potassium (more than provided in a medium banana)

Copper

Folate

Carotenoid lutein

Oleic acid

What Are The Benefits Of These Vitamins And Minerals?

An adequate amount of potassium in your diet can help protect you from hypertension, circulatory diseases, heart disease, and stroke. A statement given by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration states: "Diets containing foods that are good sources of potassium and low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke."

Studies show they help increase the good cholesterol HDL and help reduce the LDL, and helps lower cholesterol overall. Avocados contain oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat that may help lower cholesterol, and oleic acid has been shown to help guard against breast cancer.

For athletes and body builders, it is the most recommended fruit to help increase body mass.

They are a very high density food that is very filling and slow burning, a perfect digestible fruit.

Note: The skin and the pit are not edible.

How To Select And Store Your Avocados

When picking out your avocados, keep in mind that the ones you should choose will depend on how soon you want to use them and for what. If you want to make guacamole when you get home from the store, they should be soft to the touch, no cracks in the skin, and without any mushy spots.

Should you want to use them several days later then we recommend you pick out the ones that are firmer to the touch.

They can be placed in a paper bag, in the flour canister, or a bowl of apples or bananas to help them ripen faster. The riper they get the darker the skin will become.

Once you have cut one open and have some left over, it is best to put the leftover piece in a Ziploc bag, squeezing out as much of the air as possible.

Ways To Enjoy Avocados In Your Diet

How about a nice bowl of guacamole with your friends at a party?

Every salad can be enhanced with a few slices mixed in.

Another favorite is to add a few slices to your hamburger or BLT.

Mexican foods and soups; use them for garnish as well as added flavor.

Add thin slices on your pizza.

Add fruit to avocados and blend together for a great tasting baby food.

Other Uses For Avocados

There are hundreds of great ways to enjoy this healthy fruit as a food, but there are also other uses! They are also commonly used in skin care products, cleansing facial scrubs, sunscreens, hair shampoos and conditioners, as a makeup base, and in moisturizers.

So, the next time you go to the grocery store add a few of these fruits to your basket for your family to enjoy. They are versatile, healthy and the best part is...they taste great!

For more articles of similar interest click these links:

Carrots: Why We Need To Eat More Of This Healthy Vegetable!

Celery A Natural Way To Help Control High Blood Pressure

Mediterranean Foods Are Rich In Olive Oil Providing A Healthier Life Style.

Spinach One Of Natures Health Foods.

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