HEALTH BENEFITS OF AVOCADO

THE GREEN GEM I just had to write about one of my absolute favorite fruits, Avocado! Avocado has been a social media darling for a long time. It turns out that avocados are popular for good reasons. They are not only tasty, they are packed with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that can help you stay healthy.

BETTER THEN THE BANANA Your body needs potassium to function normally. For example, the mineral helps keep your heart rate stable. Most people think of bananas when they think of this nutrient. But no, avocados have more. HELPS YOU LOOSE WEIGHT Half a cup of guacamole has about 6 grams, almost 1/4, of your daily fiber needs. Fiber helps you feel full, so you are less likely to overeat. And although avocados are high in fat, they are primarily healthy monounsaturated fats. Research has found that this type of fat in your diet can help trim your waistline. Instead of chicken salad with mayonnaise, try chickpeas with mashed avocado. THE MOOD In a cup of avocado slices, you get about 118 micrograms of folate, which is almost a third of what most adults need daily. People who do not get enough of this B vitamin may be more likely to get depression - and less likely to respond well to antidepressants. GOOD FOR YOUR HEART The American Heart Association recommends that the majority of the fat you should eat is unsaturated, as found in avocados, rather than the saturated fats in foods such as red meat and milk. Early research now shows that avocados in particular can also help lower "bad" cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure.

PROTECT YOUR EYES Avocados have lutein and zeaxanthin, which absorb light waves that can damage your vision. People who eat a lot of food rich in these antioxidants are less likely to have age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness in older adults. Most of an avocado's antioxidants are found in the darker green flesh closest to the skin. GIVES YOU POWER These green gems are packed with a host of other B vitamins, including thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2) and niacin (B3). These help your body convert the food you eat into energy. Avocados are especially rich in niacin, which can fight inflammation in the body and protect your arteries by improving cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

HELP YOUR BRAIN Avocados give you a good dose of vitamin E, which can help protect against Alzheimer's disease and slow down your memory and thinking ability. This may have to do with the antioxidant properties of vitamin E - it can help fight cell damage caused over time by things like pollution and radiation from the sun. STRENGTHENS YOU BONES On average, people should seat half an avocado at a time. It gives an adult 15% of their daily vitamin K needs. This nutrient can help improve bone density and prevent fractures. Toss avocado pieces in a spinach salad with salmon, tuna or eggs for even more vitamin K along with vitamin D, another nutrient that is important for bone health.

HEALTHY BLOOD SUGAR Because they are low in carbohydrates and sugar and high in healthy fats and fiber, avocados mark all the boxes as far as it is friendly for someone with diabetes. If you do not have it now but are worried about the future, here is some good news: Eating a plant-based diet (which includes avocados) can reduce your chance of developing type 2 diabetes by about 20%, according to a Harvard study that tracked 200,000 people for 20 years. WONDRFUL FOR THE SKIN Whether you eat it or turn it into a mask, avocados are good for your skin. Its antioxidants, like vitamin C, can help your skin look youthful by smoothing out wrinkles. And the same nutrients that protect your eyes also protect your skin from UV damage. Avocado paste can help heal wounds, so you can throw it on a tan. FIGHTS CANCER Avocados have oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid (also found in olive oil and nuts) that can reduce the risk of breast cancer, according to a study of more than 4,000 women. And an avocado compound called avocatin B can kill leukemia cells, according to a lab study. Researchers are even investigating whether the paper-like shells surrounding avocado pits have anything useful. IMPROVES THE PROSTATE Beta-sitosterol, a type of plant sterol, can help relieve the symptoms of an enlarged prostate. (It is part of the family of phytonutrients that help block your body from absorbing "bad" LDL cholesterol.) Avocados have more than four times as much beta-sitosterol as oranges, the second richest fruit source.

TEAM PLAYER Certain nutrients - such as vitamins A, D, E and K, and the antioxidant lycopene - are fat-soluble, which means your body will absorb more of them when you eat them with some fat. Enter the avocado, which just happens to taste good with tomatoes. Try it with pink grapefruit, watermelon or cantaloupe as well. What are you waiting for - try my favorite too! Regards Kennet on Kickstart