Avocados are a fruit that offer many health benefits, but they also have a lot of calories and fat. Here’s a simple explanation of avocado nutrition:
Avocados are mostly water (75%) and fat (23%), with a little bit of carbohydrates (2%) and protein (1%). One medium-sized avocado (200 grams) has 322 calories, 29 grams of fat, 17 grams of carbohydrates, and 4 grams of protein. Avocados have a lot of potassium, vitamin K, and folate, along with other vitamins and minerals.
Potassium is a needed mineral that helps control fluid balance, blood pressure, and how nerves and muscles work. Avocados are one of the best sources of potassium, with over 970 milligrams per medium avocado. Eating a lot of potassium can lower the chance of stroke and heart disease.
Vitamin K is a vitamin that dissolves in fat and is involved in blood clotting and bone health. Avocados give you about 42 micrograms of vitamin K per medium avocado, which is 35% of the recommended daily intake. If you don’t get enough vitamin K, you can get bleeding disorders and osteoporosis.
Folate is a vitamin that dissolves in water and is important for making DNA, dividing cells, and fetal development. Avocados have about 163 micrograms of folate per medium avocado, which is 41% of the recommended daily intake. If you don’t get enough folate, you can get anemia, birth defects, and elevated homocysteine levels.
Avocados also have other good things in them, like monounsaturated fat, fiber, and phytochemicals. Monounsaturated fat is a kind of fat that can make cholesterol levels better and heart health better. Avocados have about 20 grams of monounsaturated fat per medium avocado. Fiber is a kind of carbohydrate that can help your digestion, lower your blood sugar levels, and make you feel full. Avocados have about 13 grams of fiber per medium avocado. Phytochemicals are things in plants that can act as antioxidants, fight inflammation, and fight cancer. Some of the phytochemicals in avocados are lutein, zeaxanthin, and glutathione.
Most people can eat avocados safely, but some people might be allergic or have stomach problems. People who are allergic to latex might also be allergic to avocados, because they have some of the same proteins. Avocados might also give some people gas, bloating, or diarrhea, especially if they eat a lot or eat them when they’re not ripe.
Avocados are a tasty and healthy fruit that you can eat as a snack, put in salads, sandwiches, smoothies, or guacamole, or use instead of butter or oil in baking. Avocados can help your health in many ways, like lowering blood pressure, helping your immune system, and making your bones healthier. But don’t eat too many, because that can make you gain weight or cause other problems. A good amount of avocados to eat is about half to one per day, depending on what you need and like.
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