AVO-CAN-DO

• 

Let’s talk about avocados and their benefits. Avocado keeps joints supple, helps lower blood pressure, helps improve fertility, and much more.

The avocado has the distinction of being the fruit with the highest fat content. The avocado also contains monounsaturated oils ( the good fat) which lowers blood pressure and can also help to lubricate your joints. The avocado’s benefits doesn’t just stop with your health but it is also a good hair mask, the avocado’s fatty oils can help strengthen and add a shine to your hair as well. You could puree an avocado to create a hair mask or you could possibly use avocado oil.

What Is It Good For

• Arthritis and osteoporosis. Studies on oil extracts from avocados show they can reduce osteoarthritis symptoms. The vitamin K in avocados boosts your bone health by slowing down bone loss and warding off osteoporosis.

• Depression. Research shows a link between depression and low levels of folate. Folate helps block the buildup of a substance called homocysteine in your blood. Homocysteine slows down the flow of nutrients to your brain and ramps up depression. The high levels of folate in avocado may help keep depression symptoms at bay.

• Inflammation. Chronic inflammation can kick off many diseases, including diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and arthritis. The vitamin E in avocados lowers inflammation in your body.

The nutrients in avocados can also help maintain healthy:

• Digestion. Avocados are packed with fiber. They’re especially high in insoluble fiber, which is the kind that helps waste through your body. Fiber keeps you regular and can prevent constipation.

• Blood pressure. Avocados are rich in potassium. Potassium helps level out your blood pressure by lowering sodium sodium levels in your blood and easing tension in your blood vessels.

• Heart. Most of the healthy fat in avocado is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid. This heart- healthy fat helps lower cardiovascular inflammation. Avocados also have a nutrient called beta-sitosterol, the plant version of cholesterol. Beta-sitosterol helps lower your cholesterol levels.

• Vision. Lutein and zeaxanthin are two antioxidants in avocados that are good for your eyes. They protect the tissues in your eyes from UV light damage and help prevent both cataracts and macular degeneration.  

• Pregnancy. You need at least 400 micrograms of folate a day during pregnancy to help prevent birth defects in your baby’s brain and spine. One avocado gives you around 41% of that.

When consuming and avocado, there are many ways to enjoy it such as guacamole, add slices to a salad or sandwich, and you could even slice an avocado and season it and eat it by itself.