In addition to being tasty, easy to prepare and ‘trendy’, avocado is good for health ! And for many reasons… Focus on the many virtues of this health ally.
Thanks to its fiber content! The avocado contains, on average, 7% of fibers … which makes it an ideal food for facilitate intestinal transit. Complicated digestion? Consuming avocado will contribute to prelieve constipation and aid digestion. Even better, it contributes to the good health of the intestinal microbiota1a set of micro-organisms whose proper functioning is very closely linked to health, more generally.
Does avocado make you lose weight or gain weight?
Rather rich in fat, the avocado has the reputation of being fat, and by shortcut we think (wrongly) that avocado makes you fat … Beware of confusion! In fact, the avocado contains ‘good fats’, namely monounsaturated fats, which contribute to improving cardiovascular health (see below the paragraph “Is avocado good for the heart?”).
In reality, it is quite the opposite: the lawyer would even be a slimming ally ! Thanks to its fiber content and its fatty acids, the avocado is a real appetite suppressant since it will give a feeling of satiety. Ideal as part of a diet or when looking to lighten up. Downside ? If we compare it to other fruits and vegetables, the avocado has a fairly high calorie content… Like all good things (and not so good ones for that matter) it is better not to overdo it!
Does the avocado provide iron?
Vitamins C, vitamins E, vitamins K, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium… what more might you ask for? Iron ! Avocado is full of vitamins and trace elements essential for the proper functioning of the body! In fact, the consumption of avocado is ideal for alleviating all kinds of deficiencies … in particular iron deficiencies since avocado also contains it. Like that contained in other plant sources, the iron in avocado is less well absorbed by the body than the iron contained in foods of animal origin.
Is avocado good for the heart?
Avocado is fat. It contains unsaturated fats which are excellent for heart health. Indeed, these monounsaturated fats will both lower ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL) – thanks to phytosterols – and increase ‘good cholesterol’ (HDL) – thanks to oleic acid -. And since these different cholesterol levels turn out to be cardiovascular risk factors, it improves its ability to prevent heart disease and improve the entire vascular network. A recent scientific study2 claimed that people who eat 2 servings of avocado per week are 16% less likely to have a heart diseasecompared to people who eat little or none at all.
The avocado for healthy eyes…
Eating avocado to have eyes on top? Like carrots, avocado contains carotenes (lutein and zeaxanthin) and vitamin E which are good for eye health.
Cancer, women’s health and avocado…
Avocado cures all ills! Thanks to the antioxidants it contains, the avocado would be able to reduce inflammation and might help reduce stomach aches during menstruation. It is to these same antioxidants that the avocado owes the fact of being sometimes quoted as a food allowing to prevent certain cancers – in particular that of the prostate – but the scientific proofs are lacking…
Yes … for people who are allergic to it, of course, but also people sensitive to salicylates, present in several fruits, and which can cause an allergic reaction in some people! Some people may be allergic to avocado or may be bothered by a cross allergy ; that is, reacting to one substance while being allergic to another chemically related substance. In the case of avocado, people allergic to birch pollen or latex may thus have sensitivity to avocado. If you suffer from a food allergy, do not hesitate to seek advice from your doctor.
Why is avocado bad?
This is its biggest flaw: the avocado is as good for your health as it is bad for the environment! And it is above all Mexico, the largest avocado producer in the world, which is paying the price.
In question ? The explosion in demand which has led to a intensive cultivation with heavy environmental consequences. Jumbled up, this booming culture is responsible for deforestation, overconsumption of water necessary for cultivation, arson, illegal plantations, ecological footprint linked to transport from one end of the world to the other…
The avocado boom also has serious human consequences. He was even called a new “diamant de sang” (referring to diamonds mined in Africa, sources of deadly conflicts) by the Irish chef JP McMahon, a Michelin star. Another (big) problem? In a country where some populations do not have access to water, the culture of avocado is very water-intensive: to irrigate one hectare of crop (i.e. 1 kg of avocado), you need an average of 100,000 liters of water every day… and if you don’t yet have there is no doubt that the intensive cultivation of avocado – and the use of agrochemicals – has an impact on the health of local populations. Moreover, the avocado is so precious to the country’s economy that it has been nicknamed ‘green gold’ and attracts the interest of cartels and criminal gangs eager to take control of this very lucrative market.
1. “Avocado Consumption Alters Gastrointestinal Bacteria Abundance and Microbial Metabolite Concentrations among Adults with Overweight or Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial”, étude publiée dans le Journal of Nutrition.
2. “Avocado Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in US Adultsconducted by scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health, supported by the American Heart Association.