11 Benefits of avocado for health (and its properties)

Some benefits of avocado for health are helping to hydrate and maintain skin and hair health, by providing vitamins from the B complex and vitamin E. In addition, avocado also has antioxidant properties and good fats, known as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats , which helps to reduce cholesterol and arterial pressure, taking care of the health of the heart.

This fruit can be used in diets to lose weight and by people who suffer from diabetes, as it is rich in fibers that help to increase the feeling of satiety and regulate the absorption of sugars at the intestinal level. However, avocado should be consumed in small portions as it is a very caloric fruit.

In addition to being nutritious, avocado can also be used in various recipes, both sweet and salads, being a food consumed mainly in Mexico and other countries in Central America and South America.

The benefits of avocado for health are:

1. Prevent premature aging

The benefits of avocado for the skin are mainly to combat stretch marks, wrinkles and cellulitis because it is rich in vitamin C, which helps in the metabolization of collagen, substance that gives firmness and elasticity to the skin.

In addition, this fruit also has antioxidants that help protect and prevent the aging of skin cells, giving it a more beautiful and healthy appearance.

2. Promote muscle hypertrophy

The consumption of avocado before performing physical activity favors the formation of muscle mass, this is because, being rich in fats, it provides the body with energy to carry out the training, in addition to providing proteins that favor muscle recovery.

This fruit also provides magnesium, an important mineral for muscle contraction, and potassium which helps fight fatigue and avoid calamities during training. See what to eat before and after exercise.

3. Add folic acid

Avocado is rich in folic acid, so its regular consumption helps to stimulate the formation of blood cells such as red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells, preventing or improving anemia.

In addition, it is an excellent option to be included in the diet of women who intend to become embarrassed during the first trimester of pregnancy, because folic acid is a vitamin that participates in the formation of the nervous system of the fetus, preventing it emergence of some congenital diseases, such as anencephaly and spina bifida.

4. Take care of hair health

When used in hair masks, avocado increases the hydration of the hebras and favors their growth. This is because it is a fruit rich in fat, vitamins B and E, making the hair more shiny and smooth.

5. Favor weight loss

Avocado is rich in fiber, mainly insoluble, providing 3 g for every 100 g of this fruit. Fibers allow you to control your appetite and avoid excessive food consumption, as they increase the feeling of satiety and regulate blood sugar.

Likewise, it also provides B vitamins, which are necessary for good metabolism. However, as it is rich in fat, avocado provides many calories, which is why it should be included in the diet in small portions.

6. Relieve stress

The consumption of avocado, as it is rich in fiber, also helps to relieve stress, as it increases the volume of heces and favors intestinal transit. In addition, it is also important to accompany foods rich in fiber with enough water, so that they are hydrated and smoother, thus favoring their health.

7. Improve brain function

The main benefit of avocado for the brain is to improve memory capacity, because omega-3 stimulates blood circulation and increases concentration capacity.

Also, its contribution of folic acid and magnesium also helps to prevent problems such as depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as this vitamin participates in the synthesis of neurotransmitters that help to improve memory in the soil, as well as concentration and motivation.

8. Prevent heart disease

Avocado, as it is a fruit rich in phytosterols from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, helps to reduce blood markers that increase the risk of heart disease, reducing total cholesterol, “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

In addition, it increases the production of “good” HDL cholesterol, preventing the accumulation of fatty plaques in the arteries and taking care of the health of the heart.

9. Control your blood pressure

Avocado provides a high content of potassium and magnesium, important minerals that contribute to reducing blood pressure, as the potassium favors the elimination of sodium through the urine and magnesium helps to increase the production of nitric oxide, a compound that helps to relax the blood vessels.

10. Prevent cancer

Thanks to its content of antioxidants such as omega-3 and vitamin C, A and E, the regular consumption of avocado helps to neutralize the formation of free radicals in the body and reduce the process of oxidative stress.

Similarly, oleic acid, a type of monounsaturated fat that has an anti-inflammatory and anticancer effect, could induce the death of tumor cells, thus reducing the risk of suffering from cancer.

11. Help regulate blood sugar

Avocado is rich in good fats, low in carbohydrates and with an excellent supply of fiber, which makes it an excellent fruit to be consumed by both people suffering from prediabetes and diabetes, you can help regulate blood glucose and prevent it from he sees.

avocado properties

Avocado has antioxidant, hypolipemic, vasodilating, anticancer, hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, anti-obesity and neuroprotective properties.

Avocado nutritional information

In the table, the nutritional composition is indicated for every 100 grams of avocado:

In order for avocado to provide all the benefits mentioned above, it is important that it be incorporated into a healthy and balanced diet.

how to consume it

The avocado can be consumed in salads, shakes, in creams to grease the crudo. The recommended portion is 1/4 of a small avocado or what is equivalent to 2 spoonfuls (30 g). Also, there is avocado oil, which is heat resistant, so it is an excellent option for cooking food.

Healthy recipes with avocado

Some healthy recipes where you can use avocado as the main ingredient are:

1. Guacamole

Ingredients

• 1 medium ripe avocado;
• 2 tomatoes without skin and without seeds, chopped;
• 1 medium chopped onion;
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped or machacado;
• 2 spoonfuls of olive oil;
• Black pepper, lemon, salt and perejil to taste.

preparation method

Remove the pulpa del aguacate, knead it with a tenedor and keep it in the nevera. Soak for 2 minutes the tomato, the onion and the olive oil with 1 tablespoon of water, add a black pepper pizza.

Let the condiments cool and mix with the avocado to form a paste, season the guacamole with salt, lemon and perejil to taste.

2. Avocado mousse with cacao

Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado;
• 1 spoonful of cacao in octopus without sugar;
• 1 cup of coconut oil;
• 3 spoonfuls of honey.

preparation method

Mix all the ingredients until they are homogeneously mixed, store in the fridge until they have a firm consistency and serve cold.

3. Vegetable salad cooked with avocado

Ingredients

• 1 tomato cut into cubes;
• 1/2 chopped onion;
• 1 diced cucumber
• 1 diced calabash;
• 1 cubed ripe avocado;
• Chopped perejil, salt, olive oil and lemon to taste

preparation method

Mix it all with care so that the avocado does not run out, add to taste with perejil, salt, olive oil and lemon.

4. Avocado smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 avocado;
• 1 cup of skimmed milk;
• 1 spoonful of honey.

preparation method

Cut the aguacate through the mitad, remove the pulp and place it in the blender, add the milk and blend until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. Drink 1 pot a day.

How to plant avocado at home

To plant an avocado forest at home, it is necessary to place 3 sticks on the side of an avocado tree (with the same distance between them) and place it on a pot filled with water. The semilla must be covered with water until the mitad and it must be posed near a window.

The water must change weekly and after 2 to 4 weeks, a bud will begin to appear that with the step of the time will grow. When it grows 10 to 20 centimeters around it, it must be transferred to a mallet, and part of the old hojas must be pruned.

As the plant grows, you will have to change it to a bigger bush or be planted directly in the garden.