Commitment + Clinical Leadership = Better Outcomes

Avocado is an extremely popular fruit that is typically used as an ingredient in smoothies, sandwiches, tacos, and guacamole.

Avocado makes a great addition to any meal or recipe because of its fresh and distinct taste. Avocados also contain a variety of health benefits that can help you meet your nutritional needs and goals.

Here are 4 reasons why avocados are good for you, as well as how you can add more avocados into your diet.

Avocados Contain Healthy Fats

One reason why avocados are good for you is because they contain healthy fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These are both unsaturated fats, which are the healthy fats that your body needs to function.¹

Unsaturated fats help to raise your HDL cholesterol, which is the good cholesterol your body needs to discard LDL cholesterol, known as the “bad” cholesterol.² It’s necessary to maintain your LDL cholesterol levels to prevent your arteries from slowing down or clogging your blood flow circulation, which can damage your heart over time.³

Avocados also contain magnesium and potassium, both of which help to lower blood pressure.¹ Maintaining a healthy blood pressure is necessary for blood flow to the heart. If your blood pressure is too high, your arteries can become damaged, which decreases blood flow and oxygen to and from the heart.⁴ This can lead to issues such as heart disease, heart failure, or heart attacks.

 Additionally, unsaturated fat aids your body in more ways including²:

• Giving your body energy
• Protecting your organs
• Helping your body absorb nutrients

Overall, avocados are a great source of healthy fats that are necessary in many functions in your body, as well as keeping your heart healthy.

Avocados are High in Fiber

Avocados contain a decent amount of fiber, between 4 and 9 grams, depending on the size of avocado you eat.⁵

Most of the fiber found in an avocado is insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber aids your body in healthy and regular digestion.⁶ Because insoluble fiber speeds up the digestion process, it helps to prevent gastrointestinal blockage and lowers your risk of hemorrhoids and colorectal cancer.

The soluble fiber in avocados can benefit your health as well. Soluble fiber helps your body maintain healthy cholesterol levels, as well as healthy blood sugar levels. Maintaining your blood sugar levels can help to prevent heart disease and kidney disease.⁷

If you’re looking for a way to naturally increase the amount of fiber in your diet, try adding an avocado into your next meal!

Avocados Aid in Skin Health

Avocados contain healthy fats and vitamins C and E, all of which can benefit your skin.

The fats and vitamins in avocados have been found to help your skin in multiple ways, including soothing irritated skin, repairing skin cells, and improving skin tone.⁸

Studies have also shown that vitamin C and vitamin E play a critical role in protecting your skin from the sun.¹⁰ These vitamins help prevent sun damage, wrinkles, and aging. Additionally, the monounsaturated fat in avocados can help improve your skin’s elasticity, which helps your skin to remain visibly youthful.⁸

Avocados are Loaded with Nutrients

Avocados are packed with a ton of nutrients. One avocado contains approximately 20 vitamins and minerals.¹¹

Along with fats and fiber, here are some of the vitamins and minerals in avocados and why they’re beneficial¹²:

• Potassium – Potassium aids your body’s metabolism, as well as the functioning of cells and organs.¹¹
• Magnesium – Magnesium is an essential nutrient that gives you energy.¹¹
• Iron – Iron, which helps to make up hemoglobin, is critical to your body as it aids in moving oxygen to your tissues and muscles. Iron is also needed for growth and cell function.¹¹
• Vitamin A – Vitamin A supports your immune system and skin.¹³
• Vitamin E – Vitamin E protects tissues from free radicals and keeps your skin healthy.
• Vitamin C – Vitamin C is essential for growth and repairing tissues in the body. It also helps prevent iron deficiency.¹⁴
• Vitamin B6 – Vitamin B6 helps your body make red blood cells and boosts cognitive functioning.¹³

Ultimately, avocados contain a large amount of nutrients that can benefit your health.

How to Eat Avocados

If you’re wondering how to eat more avocados or searching for new recipes to try, here are some ideas to add more avocados into your diet:

• Include half an avocado in a smoothie
• Make guacamole or salsa with avocado
• Slice an avocado and put it on a sandwich
• Make avocado toast
• Top chili or soup with sliced avocado
• Make tacos and use avocado as one of the ingredients
• Try cooking with avocado oil instead of vegetable, canola, or olive oil

Try Eating Avocado Today

If you’re interested in the health benefits that avocados provide, try incorporating them into your diet today!

At Saber Healthcare, our Dietary Department works to ensure our residents meet and exceed their nutritional goals with a variety of meals. If you want to learn more about Saber Healthcare and what we do, click here.

Saber Healthcare is an organization dedicated to providing consultant services to long term care providers. This article is for informational purposes and is not meant to be seen as professional advice. Please consult with a medical expert before relying on the information provided.

Sources

1. Baum, Isadora. “I’m a Cardiologist, and This Is the Heart-Healthy Food I Eat Every Single Day.” Well+Good LLC, wellandgood.com. October 15^th, 2020. Accessed September 14^th, 2021. https://www.wellandgood.com/avocado-heart-health/.
2. “Know the facts about fats.” The President and Fellows of Harvard College, Harvard Health Publishing: Harvard Medical School. April 19th, 2021. Accessed September 14th, 2021. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/know-the-facts-about-fats.
3. “Cholesterol Education Month: Learn About Cholesterol.” Saber Healthcare Group, saberhealth.com. September 1^st, 2021. Accessed September 14^th, 2021. https://www.saberhealth.com/news/blog/maintain-healthy-cholesterol-levels.
4. “High Blood Pressure Symptoms and Causes.” U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 18^th, 2021. Accessed September 15^th, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/about.htm#:~:text=High%20blood%20pressure%20can%20damage%20your%20arteries%20by%20making%20them,Chest%20pain%2C%20also%20called%20angina.
5. Campbell, Meg. “The Type of Fiber in an Avocado.” Hearst, SFGATE. November 21^st, 2018. Accessed September 14^th, 2021. https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/type-fiber-avocado-5799.html.
6. Huizen, Jennifer. “Soluble and insoluble fiber: What is the difference?” Healthline Media, Medical News Today. August 31^st, 2017. Accessed September 15^th, 2021. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319176.
7. “Manage Blood Sugar.” U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April 28^th, 2021. Accessed September 15^th, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/manage-blood-sugar.html#:~:text=It's%20important%20to%20keep%20your,improve%20your%20energy%20and%20mood.
8. Lindberg, Sara. “Can Avocados Improve the Health of Your Skin?” Healthline Media, healthline.com. May 13^th, 2020. Accessed September 14^th, 2021. https://www.healthline.com/health/avocado-benefits-for-skin#benefits.
9. “Vitamin C in dermatology.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, PubMed. Accessed September 14^th, 2021. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3673383/.
10. “The Role of Phytonutrients in Skin Health.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, PubMed. Accessed September 14^th, 2021. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257702/.
11. “Avocado Nutrition Facts.” California Avocado Commission, californiaavocado.com. Accessed September 14^th, 2021. https://californiaavocado.com/nutrition/avocado-nutrition-facts/.
12. Robinson, Katie. “What Are the Health Benefits of Avocado, and Can It Help You Lose Weight?” Everyday Health, everydayhealth.com. July 12^th, 2019. Accessed September 14^th, 2021. https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/diet/avocados-health-benefits-nutrition-facts-weight-loss-info-more/.
13. “Are You Deficient in Any of These Essential Vitamins?” Saber Healthcare Group, saberhealth.com. December 11^th, 2020. Accessed September 15^th, 2021. https://www.saberhealth.com/news/blog/are-you-deficient-in-any-of-these-essential-vitamins.
14. “5 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Vitamin C.” Saber Healthcare Group, saberhealth.com. September 4^th, 2020. Accessed September 15^th, 2021. https://www.saberhealth.com/news/blog/5-vitamin-c-benefits.