It’s National Avocado Day! If there was ever a food that deserved to be celebrated for an entire day, it’s the avocado. It’s delicious, nourishing, and filling. It’s used in delicate culinary creations and your favorite dip for chips. The humble avocado is bursting with nutrition. In fact, we’ve listed 10 reasons to eat avocados today.
From your taste buds to your brain to your skin, you’ll want to eat as many as you can get your hands on. Here are our favorite reasons:
10 Reasons to Eat Avocados
1.Taste and Texture
When it comes to avocados, it starts with taste. Avocados offer a velvety, thick, creamy texture and rich, delicious flavor. In fact, they can stand alone as a snack, stuffed with eggs and vegetables, added to your favorite dinner, or be used in spectacular high-end culinary dishes.
2. Dairy Replacement
If you’re avoiding dairy for any reason, avocados can replace it in many recipes and provide a rich, satisfying addition.
For example, you can use avocados to make ice cream, pudding, or amazing guacamole in place of a sour-cream dip. Or, avocados provide creaminess in smoothies such as this recipe:
Place 1 cup organic kale (chopped), 1/4 cup fresh organic mint leaves, 1/2 organic avocado (peeled and pit removed), 1 stalk organic chopped celery, 1/2 organic peeled and chopped cucumber, 1 scoop Hydrolyzed Collagen + Probiotics (Unflavored), 1 scoop Fermented Green Supremefood, 1 cup almond milk, unsweetened, 2 tablespoons almond butter, and the juice of 1 organic lemon in a high powered blender. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!
Nutrition info: 233 calories, 16 grams fat, 7grams net carbs ( 13 grams carbs, 6 grams fiber), 13 grams protein
Lastly, if you typically eat cheese on a dish like tacos but are avoiding it, try avocado slices instead. You won’t miss it.
3. Eye and Brain Health
Avocados contain special antioxidants called carotenoids. These antioxidants support eye health and reduce inflammatory reactions in the body (1). In fact, avocados contain 8+ carotenoids including:
- beta-carotene
- alpha-carotene
- lutein
- neochrome
- neoxanthin
- chrysanthemaxanthin
- beta-cryptoxanthin
- zeaxanthin
And for an extra boost, an avocado’s fat actually increases the carotenoid absorption from other vegetables, by as much as 15 times (2)!
Many of these carotenoids directly support eye health and brain health (3). And, they are highly anti-inflammatory.
4. Healthy Fats for Heart Health
Avocados are a healthy high-fat food at 85% fat (a delicious fat bomb!). The fat is mostly monounsaturated fats, which support heart health, healthy blood sugars, and reduced inflammatory.
They are perfect for keto zone eating.
5. Reduced Full-Body Inflammation
As described above, avocados are an anti-inflammatory food. However, did you know they promote reduced inflammation in 3 different ways?
- Phytosterols, in an avocado’s fats, are key supporters of our inflammatory system. In fact, they may help support pain reduction in those who suffer from arthritis.
- Avocado’s polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PFAs), are highly anti-inflammatory.
- The high amount of oleic acid in avocado aids digestion and improves healthy fat absorption while decreasing inflammation.
6. Good Source of Fiber for Overall Health
If there’s one type of carbohydrate you want, it’s fiber. Luckily, avocados are abundant in fiber. In fact, ½ cup provides 5 grams of fiber (and only 1 gram of sugar) (4). An avocado’s specific fiber supports healthy cholesterol, balanced blood sugars, and digestive health.
7. The Super-Antioxidant: GLUTATHIONE
If you’re unfamiliar with glutathione, it’s time to become acquainted. Glutathione is a super-antioxidant that can be consumed in foods or produced by our cells. It promotes cellular health, anti-aging, and overall good metabolism and cellular cleansing.
Turns out, avocados are a great source of this wonder-nutrient.
8. Healthy Weight for Life
Healthy, low-carbohydrate whole foods can promote healthy weights throughout the lifecycle. In fact, studies have found that those who regularly consume avocados often have a lower weight, lower BMI, and better heart health markers than non-consumers (5). This may be an indication of other good lifestyle choices as well.
But one thing is for sure, the healthy fats in avocados can support healthy weights throughout life.
9. Anti-Cancer Nutrients
Like many fruits and vegetables, avocados have been linked to the lowered risk of cancers in the mouth, skin, breast, and prostate gland. In fact, cancer risk factors often include excessive inflammation and oxidative stress.
One action avocado nutrients may take in the fight against cancer is to decrease inflammation and reduce free radicals. In addition, lab studies have found that avocados increase programmed cell death cycle (apoptosis) in some cancer cells (6).
10. Vitamin E for Full-Body Health
Avocados are the best fruit source of vitamin E, an essential vitamin that protects against many diseases and helps maintains overall health. In fact, Vitamin E is an antioxidant that supports brain, cardiovascular, and respiratory health. It’s a fat-soluble vitamin, so it takes a high-fat fruit to deliver it.
High-fat avocados can keep you in the Keto Zone.
Bottom Line
You likely didn’t need more reasons to eat avocados. Still, here are 10 of our favorites. Eat up – it’s National Avocado Day!
