11 Health Benefits of Avocado (With Recipes)
Some of the health benefits of avocado include helping to hydrate and maintain healthy skin and hair, as it contains B vitamins and vitamin E. In addition, avocado also contains healthy fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which have antioxidant action, helping to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, taking care of heart health.
This fruit can be incorporated into weight loss diets and by people with diabetes, as it is rich in fiber that helps increase the feeling of satiety and regulate the absorption of sugars in the intestine. However, avocado should be consumed in small portions due to the fact that it is a very caloric fruit.
Avocado can be eaten raw or added to salads, smoothies and creams. The avocado seed can be consumed for medicinal purposes, in the preparation of teas and tinctures. Learn more about what avocado seeds are used for .
11 Health Benefits of Avocado
The main health benefits of avocado are:
1. Prevents premature aging
The benefits of avocado for the skin are mainly to combat stretch marks, wrinkles and cellulite as it is rich in vitamin C, which helps in the metabolization of collagen, a substance that gives firmness to the skin.
In addition, this fruit also has antioxidants that help protect and prevent the aging of skin cells, providing greater elasticity and leaving the appearance more beautiful and healthy.
2. Promotes muscle mass gain
When consumed before physical activity, avocado helps build muscle mass, as it is rich in good fats, which provide the body with energy to perform the workout, in addition to providing proteins that promote muscle recovery.
This fruit is also rich in magnesium, an important mineral for muscle contraction, and potassium, which helps combat fatigue and prevent cramps during training.
3. Provides folic acid
Avocado is rich in folic acid and, therefore, its regular consumption helps to stimulate the formation of blood cells, such as red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells, preventing and improving anemia.
Furthermore, it is an excellent option to be included in the diet of women who intend to become pregnant or who are in the first trimester of pregnancy, as folic acid is a vitamin that participates in the formation of the baby’s nervous system, preventing the emergence of some congenital diseases, such as anencephaly and spina bifida.
4. Increases hair hydration and shine
When used in hair masks, avocado increases hair hydration and promotes hair growth. This is because it is a fruit rich in fats, vitamins B and E, making hair shinier and healthier.
5. Helps you lose weight
Avocado is rich in fiber, mainly insoluble, providing 3 grams of fiber per 100 grams of fruit. Fiber helps control appetite and prevent overeating, as it increases the feeling of satiety and regulates blood sugar.
In addition, it also contains B vitamins, which are necessary for the proper functioning of the metabolism. However, because it is rich in fats, avocados are high in calories, and it is recommended that they be included in the diet in small portions.
6. Combats constipation
Avocado, being rich in fiber, also helps combat constipation, as it increases the volume of feces and promotes intestinal transit. In addition, it is also important to increase water consumption so that feces become more hydrated and soft, facilitating their elimination.
7. Improves brain function
The main benefit of avocado for the brain is to improve memory capacity, as omega 3 stimulates blood circulation and increases the ability to concentrate.
Furthermore, as it is rich in folic acid and magnesium, it also helps prevent depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s, as it participates in the synthesis of neurotransmitters that help improve not only memory, but also concentration and motivation.
8. Prevents heart disease
Avocado, as a fruit rich in phytosterols from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, helps prevent the risk of heart disease, reducing total cholesterol, triglycerides and “bad” cholesterol, LDL.
Furthermore, avocado also promotes the formation of “good” cholesterol, HDL, preventing the accumulation of fatty plaques in the arteries and promoting heart health.
9. Prevents cancer
Due to its antioxidant content such as omega-3 and vitamins C, A and E, regular consumption of avocado helps to neutralize the formation of free radicals in the body and reduce the process of oxidative stress.
Furthermore, oleic acid, a type of monounsaturated fat present in avocado, has an anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effect, as it can induce the death of tumor cells, thus reducing the risk of cancer.
10. Controls blood pressure
Avocados contain good amounts of potassium and magnesium, important minerals that help reduce blood pressure, as potassium helps eliminate sodium through urine and magnesium helps increase the production of nitric oxide, a compound that helps relax blood vessels.
11. Help regulate blood sugar
Avocado is rich in good fats, in addition to being low in carbohydrates and with a good amount of fiber, which makes it an excellent fruit to be consumed by both people with pre-diabetes and people with diabetes, as it helps to regulate blood sugar levels and prevent them from becoming high.
Nutritional information table
The table shows the nutritional values for every 100 g of avocado:
| Components | Amount per 100 g of avocado |
| Energy | 114 calories |
| Proteins | 1.1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2.3g |
| Total fat | 10.5 g |
| Monounsaturated fats | 6.5 g |
| Polyunsaturated fats | 1.2 g |
| Linoleic acid | 1.1 g |
| Saturated fat | 2.2 g |
| Fibers | 3 g |
| Vitamin A | 5 mcg |
| Vitamin C | 3 mg |
| Vitamin E | 2.1 mg |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.1 mg |
| Vitamin B2 | 0.17 mg |
| Vitamin B3 | 1.1 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.3 mg |
| Folates | 11 mcg |
| Potassium | 330 mg |
| Phosphor | 36 mg |
| Calcium | 4 mg |
| Magnesium | 21 mg |
| Iron | 0.3 mg |
To ensure the benefits of avocado, it is important that it is included in a healthy and balanced diet.
If you want to know how to include avocado in a healthy diet, make an appointment with the nutritionist closest to you:
How to consume
Although there is no specific indication on the amount of avocado per day, the minimum daily recommendation of fruit is 2 to 3 portions, which is equivalent to between 160 and 240 g per day.
Avocado can be eaten raw or added to salads, smoothies and creams. The avocado seed can be roasted and consumed in the form of flour, and can be added to sauces, juices or used in preparations such as cookies and cakes, for example.
In addition, avocado can also be used in the form of oil, making it a great option for preparing food. Learn more about avocado oil and its benefits .
Healthy recipes with avocado
Some healthy recipes that can be made using avocado as the main ingredient are:
1. Guacamole
Ingredients:
- 1 medium ripe avocado;
- 2 tomatoes, skinned and seeded, chopped;
- 1 medium onion, chopped;
- 1 clove of garlic, chopped or crushed;
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil;
- Black pepper, lemon, salt and parsley to taste.
Method of preparation
Remove and mash the avocado pulp and store it in the refrigerator. Sauté the tomato, onion and garlic in olive oil and pepper, adding 1 tablespoon of water. Let it cook for two minutes. After it has cooled, add the avocado and mix until it forms a paste, then season with salt, lemon and parsley.
2. Vegetable salad with avocado
Ingredients:
- 1 tomato cut into cubes;
- 1/2 chopped onion;
- 1 cucumber, diced;
- 1 zucchini, cubed;
- 1 ripe avocado, cubed;
- Chopped parsley, salt, olive oil and lemon to taste.
Method of preparation:
Mix all the ingredients carefully so that the avocado does not break up, season with parsley, salt, olive oil and lemon and serve chilled.
3. Avocado brigadeiro with cocoa
Ingredients:
- 1 ripe avocado;
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder;
- 1 teaspoon of coconut oil;
- 1 spoon of honey.
Method of preparation:
Blend all the ingredients in a blender or with a mixer until you get a smooth mixture and leave it in the refrigerator to get a firm consistency. Serve cold.
