Monday 14 January 2013

Avocados (Makhanphal) Health Benefits and Nutrition Facts



Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, chances are you’ve heard about the many health benefits of avocado.These tasty “alligator pears” as they are often referred to make a great fat burning treat as well as promotes overall good health. If you think you don’t like avocados, keep reading to find out why you might want to reconsider.
About Avocados (Makhanphal.)
Many people dismiss the health benefits of avocado simply due to its high calorie count. With 322 calories per avocado it is quite high in calories, but that’s not the entire story. Avocados have 54% of your recommended daily value of fiber, which gives this fruit much of its fat burning abilities.
Sometimes called the alphabet fruit because just one avocado provides your body with vitamins A, C, E, K and B6 so you can be sure you’re getting plenty of body nourishments with each bite. Other vitamins found in relatively large quantities in an avocado include riboflavin, niacin, folate and pantothenic acid.
When you’re looking for avocado nutrition facts, pay close attention to potassium because one avocado has 975 mg.
It’s important to note that the outer dark green skin of the avocado is inedible, as is the huge pit in the center. Halve an avocado and remove the seed prior to eating. Slice & scoop or simply scoop out the yummy green center!
Health Benefits of Avocados
The folate contained in avocados is mostly responsible for reducing the risk of heart disease, especially compared to people who have a diet low in folate. The vitamin E in an avocado has also been linked to a healthy heart, something needed to keep you successfully burning fat all day long.
Another health benefit of avocado is that it is extremely helpful in preventing both rheumatoid and osteo-arthritis. The many different antioxidants found in avocados help reduce inflammation, a major concern for sufferers of either type of arthritis. Avocado nutrients responsible for this health benefit include vitamins C & E as well as manganese.
Perhaps the biggest health benefit of avocados is that by adding avocado to certain foods, you can improve your absorption of nutrients. This means that when you combine other fat burning foods with avocado, you can improve your nutrient absorption up to 400%!
Avocados provide many general health benefits, in addition to its fat burning benefits due to its vitamin E and glutathione, which protects you against tons of diseases including several forms of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and cholesterol.
Avocados also help reduce the signs of aging, regulate blood sugar and promote eye health.
With all these health benefits it’s time to find simple ways to get health benefits of avocado regularly.

Here are 15 health benefits of avocados:
1.    Maintain a healthy heart
Avocado contains vitamin B6 and folic acid, which help regulate homocysteine levels. High level of homocysteine is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Besides that, avocado also contains vitamin E, Glutathione and monounsaturated fat which help in maintaining a healthy heart.
2.    Lower cholesterol levels
Avocados are rich in a compound called beta-sitosterol which has been shown to be effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels.According to a study, patients with mild hypercholesterolemia who included avocados in their diet for 7 days had 17 percent decrease in total blood cholesterol levels, a 22 percent decrease in both LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglyceride levels, and a 11 percent increase in HDL (good cholesterol) levels.
3.    Control blood pressure
Avocados are also a great source of potassium, which helps in controlling blood pressure levels.
4.    Anti-Inflammatory properties
Phytonutrient compound found in avocados, such as polyphenols and flavonoids have been found to have anti-inflammatory properties, thereby reducing the risk of inflammatory and degenerative disorders.
5.    Promote eye health
Avocado is an excellent source of carotenoid lutein, which known to help protect against age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
6.    Regulate the blood sugar levels
The monounsaturated (good) fats in avocados can reverse insulin resistance, which helping to regulate the blood sugar levels. Avocados also contain more soluble fiber, which keep a steady blood sugar levels.
7.    Prevent birth defects
Avocados are rich in folate, a B vitamin commonly known as folic acid. One cup of avocado provides you about 23% of the Daily Value for folate. The high amount of folate in avocado is essential in the prevention of birth defects, such as neural tube defect and spina bifida.
8.    Reduce strokes risk
The high levels of folate in avocados also protect against stroke. A study has shown individuals who ate a diet rich in folate had a lower risk of stroke than those who do not
9.    Protect against cancer
Many studies have shown that avocado can inhibit the growth of prostate cancer. The oleic acid in avocado is also effective in preventing breast cancer.
10.  Fight free radicals
Avocados contain glutathione, a powerful antioxidants to helps fight free radicals in the body.
11.  Anti-aging properties
Being rich in antioxidants, avocado is beneficial in preventing aging symptoms. The glutathione in avocado may boosts immune systems, slows the aging process, and encourages a healthy nervous system.
12.  Cure bad breath
Avocados are one of the best natural mouth wash and bad breath remedies. It is cleanses intestine which is the real cause of coated tongue and this unpleasant condition.
13.  Increase nutrient absorption
Avocado intake is linked with increased nutrient absorption. A study suggests that, when participants ate salad included avocados, they absorbed five times the amount of carotenoids (a group of nutrients that includes beta carotene and lycopene) than those who do not include avocados.
14.  Skin Care
The avocado oil is added in many cosmetics because of its ability to nourish the skin and make your skin glow. It also aids in treating psoriasis, a skin disease that causes skin redness and irritation.
15.  Weight gain
The avocado has 200 calories for 100 grams. Typically, fruits has approximately 60-80 calories for 100 grams. Due to the high amounts of calories, avocado is a best diet 
for people who want to gain weight. Avocado is a healthy source of calories, unlike many other calorie-dense foods that may contain excess saturated fats and sugar.


Healthy Eating and the Avocado
Avocado, which can be eaten diced as a topping for salads or in soups, or used as the base for creamy dips and spreads, is a nutrient-dense fruit that can be an alternative to meats or high-fat dairy in many dishes.Avocado is often used for juice or milkshakes. Due to its delicious taste, Avocado is a popular dessert ingredient in many areas of the world.  With the avocado's many potential health benefits, there is no reason why you cannot eat a bit of avocado every day for added nutrition in your diet.
Avocados also contain high amount of monounsaturated fatty acids - approximately two times more than any other fruits. The monounsaturated fatty acid is a healthy fat, so you do not have to worry  that avocados cause weight gain. In fact, these fatty acids help the metabolism and reduce cravings

Store avocados at room temperature until ripened and ready to use, refrigerate ripe avocados. Store open avocado in an airtight container to prevent oxidation, the browning of the avocado due to oxygen

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