Many studies reveal that eating half a medium-sized avocado on a daily basis is highly correlated with improved overall diet quality and a 50% reduced risk of metabolic syndrome.
Though it does cost you an arm and a leg now a days, eating avocados will trim down your belly fat and generally bestow you with many valuable health benefits.
Studies have shown that avocados may help you lose weight by keeping you fuller longer, but the weight loss benefit goes well beyond satiety, according to the research, eating avocados help your body burn fat for fuel and additionally help you keep your weight off.
Let’s look at a few benefit of this unique fruit (yes, it is a fruit from the berry family).
The Weight loss Benefits
Avocados appear to be a dieter’s best friend. Every diet that’s popular now–Keto, Atkins, Zone, and Paleo-may differ on what to eat, but they all agree that eating avocados helps promote weight loss.
High in Fat but Burns Your fat
Avocados have a bad reputation since they’re caloric (high in fat), but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Just because the avocado contains fat, doesn’t mean it will make you fat. Moreover, it’s the monounsaturated fat content of an avocado–20 grams per berry–that researchers say make it so special.
Monounsaturated fats like oleic acid are linked to many health benefits including weight loss. There are nutritionists who tout avocados for their visceral ( fat around the internal organs as opposed to fat under the skin, or subcutaneous fat) fat- burning properties especially around the waistline.
However, if calories are a concern for you, nutritionists recommend incorporating avocado slices in a salad rather than eating a whole avocado topped with sour cream, for instance.
Eating An Avocado At Lunchtime Can Help You Lose Weight
Eating half an avocado keeps you full for six hours afterward, according to a study published last spring by NIH. They compared a control meal to an avocado meal and those who ate the avocado had high measures of appetite-suppressing hormones in their blood for six hours after eating the meal. The scientists attributed this hunger suppression to the perfect combination of fat and fiber in the whole fruit.
The study concludes that people who eat avocados tend to eat less throughout the day and take in fewer calories when they ate an avocado for lunch, which results in a sustained weight loss.
Perfect For Keto Dieters
It’s not just the satiety value of the avocado or the monounsaturated fat, but there is a sugar [in avocados] called mannoheptulose, and this sugar helps the way your body uses the insulin [which] helps to reduce insulin resistance.
In other words, essentially avocado is a perfect combination of fat, fiber, and a plant-based carb that signals your body to burn more fat.
This natural process prevents the body from storing more fat. Instead, the body goes into fat-burning mode, which is why we call avocados, “nature’s keto,” because you need to eat a significant amount of fat on a keto diet in order for the body to enter ketosis, where it uses fat as energy instead of storing it. The result is that you lose more fat by eating avocados.
It Helps You Keep The Weight Off
In a review study, researchers compared avocado intake to weight and body composition changes in adults over time. The longitudinal study, examined two groups of 56-year-old participants, one group ate avocados, and the others did not. Avocado intake was self-reported on a food frequency questionnaire and results showed that the frequent avocado consumers gained less weight and stayed leaner over time compared to those who did not eat avocados regularly.
The report concluded: “avocados contain nutrients and bioactive compounds that may help reduce the risk of becoming overweight or obese.” And concluded with, “habitual consumption of avocados may reduce adult weight gain.”
This is even more remarkable given the fact that most adults gain weight annually, and in the 11 year period of the study, the avocado eaters stayed the same weight.
Other Health Benefits Of Avocado
Besides weight loss the fruit holds its own when it comes to its nutritional content and health support.
Helps control insulin and cholesterol
Research shows that plant sterols in avocado are natural substances that may lower the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) which is considered ‘bad’ cholesterol. When LDL cholesterol is deposited in the walls of the artery, it can lead to a stroke or a heart attack. By lowering LDL significantly, avocados can minimise the risk of heart disease because of the monounsaturated fat content, which is a heart-healthy fat molecule with one unsaturated carbon bond.
Avocados also improve the good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) levels in the blood. This goes a long way in reducing insulin resistance, being overweight, and obese.
Optimum nutrient absorption
It helps absorb more nutrients because it contains monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which have been proven to enhance the absorption of carotenoids, the disease fighting nutrients.
A fresh avocado or guacamole, or a tablespoonful of avocado based vinaigrette will boost the absorption nutrients.
Boosts the immune system
Avocados are rich in nutrients and antioxidants which help keep your vital organs healthy and strengthen your immune system. Avocados are a great source of vitamin E. An NIH study showed that vitamin E can help improve the immune response during aging and suggested that it can reduce the oxidative damage that may contribute to cancer. The study said vitamin E can also help alleviate symptoms of asthma as well as help your body recover after a hard exercise session.
Reduces the free radicals in our body
It may neutralise DNA-damaging free radicals because it contains antioxidants that can neutralise the destructive rogue oxygen molecules, free radicals that are a natural byproduct of metabolism. These free radicals may trigger a number of chain reactions which destroy DNA and cells causing health issues.
Avocado contains oleic acid and antioxidants that may reduce the oxidative stress and prevent damage of the DNA, renal failure, and inflammation-related obesity.
High source of potassium
We have always been told to “eat bananas for potassium,” especially before or after a workout. But you will have better luck eating avocados for potassium, as avocados contain more potassium than bananas, so add them to your smoothies pre or post working out.
Antioxidants in avocado help fight cancer; nourish skin and hair
It is also beneficial in preventing arthritis, skin and hair issues, and some cancers.
Avocado Oil is highly recommended because researchers say swapping your cooking and finishing oils for varieties like avocado oil that are rich in monounsaturated and oleic fatty acids can spot-reduce abdominal fat, which may decrease the risk for metabolic syndrome—the name for a combination of negative health markers associated with weight gain.
Avocado oil is an anti-ageing oil as well.
Disadvantages Of Avocado (there are exactly two)!
Avocados do not stay fresh for long. When cut, they brown quickly and you may be forced to throw it out or make other use of it.
Avocados and avocado oil can be costly.
That’s a wrap on this hugely beneficial fruit. I sure hope my bhajiwala doesn’t read this article, and up the cost of avocados further!
