home Audience 2 The health benefits of avocado and possible harm from eating it. The benefits and harms of avocados for the human body

The health benefits of avocado and possible harm from eating it. The benefits and harms of avocados for the human body

Many people are accustomed to considering fruits as products whose calorie content directly depends on their sugar content. However, this is not quite true. A number of tropical fruits can compete in fat content even with cheeses, oils and meat. Avocado is one of these amazing foods. It contains a record amount of fat - up to 20-30% of the total mass! When you first try an avocado, it can be difficult to believe that it is really a fruit and not a vegetable. Due to its high fat content, its taste has a pronounced creamy or nutty hue. They enjoy complementing appetizers, salads and main courses.

What are the benefits of fatty acids in avocados?

Don’t rush to give up avocado after learning about its high fat content. The lion's share of fetal fat (up to 80%) is oleic acid. It belongs to the group of omega-9 unsaturated fatty acids, distinguished by high degree digestibility. The beneficial properties of omega-9 include effective regulation of cholesterol and blood glucose levels, strengthening the immune system and reducing the risk of malignant tumors.

In addition to oleic acid, avocados contain palmitic, linoleic, linolenic and stearic acids. Such a wide composition of fatty acids has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular, digestive, nervous, immune and reproductive systems of the body. Regular consumption of small portions of avocados (1-3 fruits per week) contributes to:

normalization of sleep,
relieve migraine attacks,
improving psychological well-being,
restoration of metabolism,
relieves constipation,
increased brain activity,
improving memory and vision,
normalizing hormonal levels,
frequency reduction colds,
reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes,
restoration menstrual cycle among women,
increasing potency in men.

As you can see, the role of fatty acids in the human body is very great. And those contained in avocados are beneficial, not harmful.

What else does avocado contain?

In addition to fatty acids, avocados contain a significant amount of potassium. Its presence has an effect on the body good service, especially if a person likes to abuse salty foods, thereby constantly increasing sodium levels.

The benefit of avocado is to equalize the proportion of potassium and sodium. This is extremely important to maintain acid-base balance. Its violation threatens the destruction of individual cells and malfunctions various systems and even the death of the entire organism. Also, potassium (together with sodium) is responsible for water balance and correct muscle function.

Good absorption of potassium is possible only in the presence of vitamin B6, which is also found in the fruit. This is another proof that avocados are amazing not only in quantity. useful substances, but also their balance.

Avocados are also valued for the presence of folic acid, which is responsible for normal composition blood, correct fat and carbohydrate metabolism. Folic acid is useful for low acidity gastric juice, neuroses, depressive states, and also to maintain reproductive function in men and women. The role of folic acid in the development of the fetus during pregnancy is high. Pregnant women should definitely monitor the level of folic acid intake, as its deficiency leads to unpleasant consequences.

Avocado is also beneficial due to the vitamin K it contains. This vitamin is primarily responsible for the normal absorption of calcium. With its deficiency, the bone and cartilage systems suffer. Vitamin K also has a beneficial effect on kidney function, preventing the development of pathologies.

Vitamin C is another one useful element, contained in avocados. It is involved in many vital processes: tissue regeneration, redox reactions, carbohydrate metabolism, blood clotting and maintaining immunity. Vitamin C can replace other organic compounds if their intake is insufficient (folic acid, vitamins B1, B2, A, E).

It must be borne in mind that avocado exhibits health-promoting properties only when consumed in moderation. And this is only 1-3 medium fruits per week. Also, do not forget that the benefits of avocado decrease when it is cooked (cooking, frying, stewing, etc.). Like other fruits, it is best eaten raw or added to prepared dishes.

Avocado is very good as a quick and delicious dressing salads Simply grind it into a puree, add a couple of drops of lemon juice/apple cider vinegar, and the dressing is ready. It is noteworthy that avocado can replace salt. Its taste is so bright and rich that you don’t want to add salt to your food.

In addition to salads, avocados are used to make cold sandwiches and soups. In tropical countries they like to add it to smoothies and even make ice cream with it. If you like the taste of avocado and are ready to experiment, then the list healthy dishes on your table will inevitably expand with its help.

Direct contraindications No to avocado, of course, except for individual intolerance. Nursing mothers should take note that after eating avocado, the baby may have loose stools.

Photo pixabay.com

29 Oct 2015 1720

Discussion: 2 comments

I, of course, heard about the benefits of avocados, but I learned a lot from your article. Thank you! I once decided to try avocado for the first time - I bought it, tried it, then spat for a long time and swore off ever eating it at all. However, it’s not for nothing that the expression “Don’t promise!” was coined. or “Never say never!” And so it happened: my sister’s husband is a chef, he always surprises him with something new and incredibly tasty; Imagine my surprise when I knew that the salad I liked contained that same avocado! Now this product is often a welcome guest on our table.

Answer

I constantly add avocados to salads (2-3 a week) and after a month I almost stopped feeling the burning sensation and aching pain in the area of the heart. The doctor advised me to eat avocados more often.

Answer

Avocado- a unique fruit. Most fruits are primarily made up of carbohydrates, and he is made up of healthy fats.

Let's figure out how avocados are beneficial for the human body.

Useful properties of avocado

1. Nutritional value

Avocado is the fruit of the Persea americana tree; There are many types of this fruit, varying in shape (from pear-shaped to round) and color (from green to black). Average weight- from 220 grams to 1.4 kilograms.

Avocado contains 20 various vitamins and minerals. A 100 gram serving contains (as a percentage of daily norm consumption):

Also not large quantities present: magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, phosphorus, vitamin A, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin).

100 grams of avocado contains 160 calories, 2 grams of protein, 15 grams of healthy fats, and 9 grams of carbohydrates, of which 7 grams are dietary fiber (i.e., it can be classified as low-carbohydrate foods).

It is low in sodium and cholesterol and low in saturated fat.

2. Avocados have more potassium than bananas.

Statistically, most people don't have enough potassium in their diet. Potassium maintains electrical gradients in the cells of our body, and performs many other important functions.

100 g of avocado contains 14% of the daily value of potassium, and 100 g. bananas - 10%. Bananas are considered one of the richest sources of potassium, but avocados still contain more of it. Of course, in fairness, it is worth noting that bananas are cheaper, and you can eat much more of them, so the primacy in this matter still remains with them.

Why do we need potassium? It normalizes blood pressure — high pressure increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure.

3. Avocado contains monounsaturated fatty acids

In fact, 77% of the calories in avocado come from fat, making it the fattest of all plant foods.

However we're talking about not just any fat - most of the fat in it is oleic acid. It belongs to monounsaturated fatty acids and has various beneficial properties. There is also a lot of it in olive oil.

According to scientific research, oleic acid reduces inflammation and can affect genes associated with the occurrence.

Also, the fats that avocados contain are resistant to oxidation caused by exposure to high temperature- this means that avocado oil is suitable for preparing healthy and wholesome food.

4. Avocados are high in fiber

Fiber or dietary fiber is not digested in gastrointestinal tract, but at the same time (or normalization of weight), lower blood sugar, and in general, reduce the risk of many diseases.

Fiber can be soluble or insoluble.

Soluble fiber serves as food for beneficial intestinal bacteria, on whose vital activity the normal functioning of our body as a whole depends.

100 g of avocado contains 7 g of fiber, which is 27% of the recommended daily intake.

About 25% dietary fiber are soluble in it, and, accordingly, 75% are insoluble.

5. Avocado helps lower cholesterol

Exist various studies, confirming the ability of avocado to influence cholesterol and triglyceride levels; in particular, a decrease in the level of “bad” cholesterol in the blood was observed by up to 22%, triglycerides decreased by up to 20%; at the same time, an 11% increase in “good” cholesterol was found.

6. Avocado keeps you healthy

Regular consumption of this fruit helps maintain a healthy lifestyle - this conclusion was made based on a study of 17,567 people in the United States. It turned out that those whose diet included avocado were generally healthier than those who did not eat this product.

Those who regularly ate avocados received more nutrients and had half the risk of developing metabolic syndrome(a set of symptoms that is one of the main factors associated with heart disease and diabetes).

People who regularly ate avocados were more likely to be close to normal weight and also had more “good” cholesterol.

True, it may be premature to say that avocado was the reason for the improvement in health; however, research has established a definite link between regular consumption of this fruit and maintaining good health.

7. Avocado helps plant foods digest better

In particular, this applies to the fats it contains. Some nutrients(for example, vitamins A, D, E, K, as well as carotenoids) are fat-soluble, i.e. For their absorption, fats must be present.

According to one study, adding avocado (either the product itself or its oil) to a salad increased the absorption of antioxidants by 2.5 to 15 times.

Those. It turns out that avocado is not only healthy in itself, but it also helps other foods be healthier for our body.

8. Avocado is good for your eyes

It contains the antioxidants Lutein and Zeaxanthin, which are very important for eye health.

Research shows these two antioxidants are closely linked to reducing the risk of cataracts and degeneration macular spot, often found in older people.

Thus, regular use Avocado supports the health of your eyes, also affecting your “perspective”.

9. Avocados may prevent cancer

Although there is little data on this issue, one study suggests that avocados help reduce side effects from the effects of chemotherapy on human lymphocytes.

Avocado extract has also been found to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells.

10. Avocado Extract and Arthritis

Various studies have shown that an extract of avocado and soybean oil (called avocado-soybean unsaponifiables) may reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis.

However, it has not yet been established whether this is due to this effect the effect of the avocado or the whole extract.

One study found that people who consumed this fruit were 23% more likely to feel full during meals, and their desire to eat again in the next 5 hours was 28% lower.

If these effects of avocados can last over the long term, then simply adding avocados to your diet may naturally limit your caloric intake and help you stick to longer meals. healthy eating.

In addition, it contains a lot of fiber, but few carbohydrates, so this combination itself will already contribute (provided, of course, that we still eat right).

12. Avocado fruit is delicious and good in a variety of dishes.

The remarkable property of this fruit is that it can be added to different dishes, or even eaten raw.

It has a creamy, rich texture that blends well with a variety of products.

When the avocado is ripe, it will feel a little soft to the touch. If you peel it, the product will begin to oxidize quickly - this can be slowed down by adding lemon juice.

These are the benefits of avocado for the body. Now let's see how it can be harmful.

Harm and contraindications of avocados

1. Pregnancy and breastfeeding

If a nursing mother eats avocado in large quantities, the baby may experience an upset stomach (which, however, can also occur in an adult if he/she eats this fruit in large quantities).

2. Increased sensitivity

In this case it is better not to eat this product, because the result may be increased skin sensitivity and vomiting.

3. Allergies

An allergy to avocado is possible, which manifests itself in forms such as hives, itching, redness of the skin and eczema.

It can also cause irritation in the mouth and swelling of the tongue.

4. Various side effects

The following side effects were recorded in people who ate avocados: flu, paralysis, nausea, gastrointestinal disorders, vomiting, migraine, fever, drowsiness and asthma.

Of course, the likelihood of such effects occurring is very relative.

5. Liver Damage

The potential harm of avocado is its ability to damage the liver. This is especially true for some types of avocado oil. In particular, it is best to avoid Mexican avocados, which contain estragole And anethole- substances with carcinogenic properties.

If you have liver dysfunction, it is better to refrain from consuming this fruit and its oil.

6. Latex sensitivity

Avocado increases the level of IgE antibodies in the blood serum, which can cause an allergic reaction.

7. Cholesterol

Avocado lowers cholesterol, but if consumed in large quantities, it can lead to problems.

The fact is that it contains a lot of Beta-sitosterol (beta-sitosterol), which absorbs the cholesterol the body needs.

8. Calories

If you are on a diet, limit this product in your diet, because... it contains a lot of calories.

9. Medicines

Eating large amounts of avocado can reduce the effectiveness of anti-inflammatory drugs and also lead to blood thinning.

These are beneficial features and contraindications of avocados for the human body.

Avocado, like most fruits, has a very positive influence on the human body.

Containing a unique set of vitamins and microelements, as well as a large amount of monounsaturated fats, avocado will be useful for people who are overweight and trying to lose weight, and for people leading healthy image life.

Monounsaturated fats also provide invaluable services for lowering blood cholesterol, improving metabolism, and stabilizing blood sugar levels.

Detailed information about avocados, how to eat avocados, their health benefits and harms, we'll talk In this article.

Where does avocado grow?

Avocado is an evergreen plant - a tree with a bushy crown, the height of which reaches 20 meters. It grows quite quickly, which allows it to be grown in “industrial” quantities.

The fruits of the tree were eaten, and furniture was made from the tree trunk. Avocado has been known since the third millennium BC!

Avocados grow mainly in southern countries. It is also actively grown in the USA, Brazil, Africa and Israel.

A ripe avocado fruit is slightly elongated in length, appearance looks like a pear. Avocado peel is dark green to almost black (depending on the variety), with black spots throughout the surface.

The color and appearance of the skin of the avocado fruit makes it look like the skin of a crocodile, and because of this similarity, the avocado is often called the “alligator pear.”

A ripe avocado tastes like a mixture of butter and herbs with a slight nutty flavor. The ripe fruit contains natural vegetable fat, which makes it useful for a healthy diet. The fruit is actively used in cooking, including for making vegetarian culinary dishes.

How to choose an avocado

Choosing an avocado to eat is not difficult.

Take the fruit in your hands. Look carefully from all sides. Avocados arrive in our stores, as a rule, a little unripe. The fruit of this Avocado is very hard, resembling an unripe pear or potato in density.

However, after two to three days, such a fruit will ripen, become much softer and can be eaten. If you bought an unripe fruit, you should not eat it - it is very hard and does not taste good. I don't think you'll want to chew on it. Just leave the unripe fruits at room temperature, you can wrap them in a paper napkin or towel, and in a couple of days the fruit will ripen and you can eat it.

Ideally, when choosing an Avocado, the fruit should be dense, slightly pressed to the touch, and not have any damage to the skin, without rotten rot and without oozing juice.

Please note that you cannot eat unripe avocados! It contains toxins allergic and poisoning up to acute forms with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain. For the same reason, you should not eat avocado seeds.

The benefits and harms of avocados

Perhaps, eating avocado fruit can only bring benefits to our health.

In fact, the composition of avocado, which includes not a large number of proteins and carbohydrates, natural monounsaturated vegetable fats, despite their high calorie content, are extremely beneficial for human health.

The fruit is actively used in the menu of people suffering from diabetes, in the menu of vegetarians, in the menu of people watching their weight.

The ability to reduce cholesterol levels and stabilize blood pressure attracts people suffering from cardiovascular diseases to consume the fruit.

Despite the fact that the fruit is exotic for middle latitudes, do not refuse to eat it. It seems to me that you will not only like the taste, but will also bring tangible benefits and lightness after consuming it.

Avocado nutritional value

Per 100 grams of ripe fruit:

Calorie content - about 160 kcal. Calorie content may vary slightly depending on the type of avocado.
Carbohydrates - 8.5 g.
Proteins - 2 gr.
Fats - 14.7 gr.
Water - 74.8 g.

In turn, fats are divided into:

saturated - 2.1 g.
monounsaturated - 9.8 g.
polyunsaturated - 1.9 g.

Essential vitamins and minerals found in avocados

Health Benefits of Avocado

As I wrote above, eating avocados will benefit our health invaluable benefits. In particular, avocados should be consumed:

For blood purification purposes. The vegetable fat contained in the avocado fruit does an excellent job of preventing the formation of cholesterol plaques.
In order to prevent diseases such as heart disease vascular insufficiency, atherosclerosis. The presence of magnesium in the fetus improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
In order to prevent colds: the presence of vitamins in the fruit saturates human body necessary substances.
The presence of calcium and phosphorus - allows you to strengthen bone tissue a person, including a beneficial effect on the condition of teeth and nails.
The presence of potassium - strengthening muscle tissue body, reducing the level of toxins, saturating the brain with oxygen, etc. That is, eating avocado, which contains a large amount of potassium, reduces the risk of diabetes, atherosclerosis, hypertension, etc.
Short glycemic index product (10 units) is also useful for people maintaining blood sugar levels and using protein diets.
Improves memory and increases performance.
Improves mood and increases the pleasure of eating.

Harm of avocado to human health

Despite the pronounced positive properties This fruit has several contraindications for its use.

In particular:

The fruit should not be eaten if you are allergic to the fruit itself or some of its components.
It is not recommended to give the fruit to children under three years of age, also due to possible allergic reactions.
You cannot eat unripe fruit. The unripe fruit contains toxic substances, which can cause indigestion, up to acute pain and flatulence.
The avocado seed is poisonous. It should not be eaten!

The benefits of avocado for weight loss

Regular consumption of vegetables and fruits has a beneficial effect on our figure. Avocado is no exception.

As I already wrote in the previous part of the article, avocado contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals. It also contains the substance L-carnitine, thanks to which avocado has the inherent function of a natural “fat burner”, accelerating metabolism, promoting the active breakdown and removal of fats from the body.

That is, avocados contain substances that promote effective weight loss.

But it's not that simple.

You should not eat avocado in unlimited quantities, and even more so it cannot be used for fasting days or mono diets!

A large number of vegetable fat and the high calorie content of the fetus can play both a positive and negative role when you want to lose weight. The body may simply not be able to cope with a large intake of food that is unusual for it, and instead of losing weight, you will either get indigestion, with all the ensuing “consequences,” or your weight will begin to increase due to an increase in calories taken!

Everything should be in moderation. If you really want to lose weight with avocados, simply add just one fruit per day to your diet. Not more. This will be enough to start losing weight effectively, taking into account general approaches to proper nutrition and active image life, bring your weight to the desired result. On the pages of our website you will find a lot useful information O proper nutrition, effective ways weight loss, and the health benefits of certain foods.

Eating just one avocado per day will improve both your metabolism and your health!

How to peel an avocado

Before consuming avocado fruits, they must be peeled. This is done very easily. The photographs below of the stages of peeling an avocado will help you with this. When you click on a photo, it will enlarge.

To clean the fruit you need:

Carefully peel the fruit with a knife
Cut the fruit into two halves
Carefully remove the bone
Cut the fruit for salad or other culinary needs

I also suggest watching a video filmed specifically for the site, in which I show in detail how to peel an avocado for salad or other culinary purposes:

As you can see, this is done very easily!

How to eat avocado, avocado salads

You can eat avocado fruits in their usual form, simply eating the pulp with a spoon, preparing cold snacks from it, such as sandwiches, salads, cocktails and much more.

I suggest you watch a couple simple recipes with avocado.

Sandwich or light snack with avocado

This is perhaps the most easy way eating avocado fruit.

Peel the avocado, remove the pit from the fruit, and cut the fruit halves into slices. After this, you need to place the slices on a piece of bread. If the fruit is very soft, it can be spread on bread like butter.

For such sandwiches, brown bread, grain bread, bran bread, or low-carbohydrate bread are best.

You can put a piece of processed cheese on top of such a sandwich, or sprinkle with finely crushed nuts.

By adding a glass of kefir to such a sandwich, you will get an excellent snack that can easily replace dinner.

Fruit salad with avocado

Cut any fruits you have on hand, such as apple, kiwi, pomelo and avocado, into small cubes or slices.

Season with light low-calorie yoghurt, mix, and eat with great pleasure.

Avocado, or as it is also called alligator pear, or butter pear, is an exotic (and not a vegetable, as many believe), which appeared in our area relatively recently and immediately fell in love with many gourmets. Its homeland is considered to be Mexico, where the natives called it ahuacatele. The pulp of a ripe avocado has a delicate nutty taste, a pleasant soft consistency, some compare it to butter. This exotic fruit for us, in addition to its excellent taste, has a lot of useful properties. It should be noted that only the pulp of the fruit is eaten; the pit and peel cannot be eaten, since they contain toxic substances.

Avocados contain a lot of vitamin E.

The pulp of an alligator pear contains quite a lot of useful substances. It contains a large amount of vitamin E, which is powerful antioxidant, has antitumor and regenerating effects, essential for health reproductive system. Avocado contains almost all the B vitamins that are needed for normal operation nervous system, vitamin D, beneficial for normal functioning musculoskeletal system. Avocado is rich ascorbic acid, which is involved in maintaining immunity, it also contains vitamin A and substances that promote its absorption, so it is useful to use it to prevent visual impairment.

Avocado also boasts a large number of microelements included in its composition. Its pulp contains especially a lot, even more than bananas, so it is useful for people suffering from diseases. Also, a lot of phosphorus, iron, copper, and other trace elements were found in the alligator pear, but in much smaller quantities. All of them are healthy and necessary for the normal functioning of the body.

100 g of the pulp of this fruit contains up to 30 g of fats, which are polyunsaturated fatty acids, most of is oleic acid. These substances are essential for the body to ensure normal fat metabolism, they help reduce the level of so-called “bad” cholesterol in the blood and prevent the formation of plaques and blood clots in blood vessels. Therefore, avocado is useful for people suffering from diseases of cardio-vascular system and prone to obesity. There are very few carbohydrates in avocado, so you can safely eat it.

The fruit is useful for, as it contains a large amount of easily digestible plant fiber, which helps normalize intestinal motility, and also helps remove waste and toxins from the body.

Avocado pulp is rich in easily digestible protein. Unfortunately, not everyone is included essential amino acids, necessary for the human body, nevertheless, in terms of nutritional value, this fruit is not inferior to meat and eggs. By the way, not so long ago, avocado was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most nutritious fruit in the world, and for good reason, because 100 g of fruit pulp contains 150-250 kcal (depending on the variety). Due to these properties, it is very often used in their diet by vegetarians.

Many substances found in avocado pulp are considered natural aphrodisiacs, as they enhance the production of sex hormones and sexual desire both men and women. Vitamin E and folic acid are necessary for the normal functioning of the reproductive system, these same substances must be supplied to the body of a pregnant woman in sufficient quantities for the normal development of the fetus. The nutrients in avocados are also beneficial for nursing mothers, as they improve the quality of breast milk.

Avocado damage

As already mentioned, you should not eat the pit or peel of an avocado, as this can cause poisoning or an allergic reaction.

Digestive disorders and other reactions indicating individual intolerance to the fetus are extremely rare. Don't forget about the calorie content of avocados. People who are obese should not consume it in large quantities. Avocado is one of the most harmless fruits, however, as they say, everything is good in moderation.

Applications of avocado

Thanks to its rather unusual taste, avocado is used in the preparation of many dishes, mainly salads and snacks. It is advisable to consume the fruit pulp fresh; during storage it darkens and loses its beneficial properties. To prevent the avocado pulp from changing its color, it is recommended to sprinkle it with lemon or lemon juice immediately after cutting. orange juice. Thanks to its taste, avocado goes well with a huge number of foods, especially seafood, cheeses, vegetables and other fruits. It is not recommended to subject the fruits to heat treatment, since after it very few useful substances remain in the avocado pulp, and it can also become bitter.

17 984 0 Avocado or “alligator pear” was brought to us from Mexico. This fruit quickly entered our diet. Although, of course, it is not yet as widespread as, say, apples or bananas. In countries with a tropical climate, avocado is considered a food for the poor; in our country, this fruit is somewhat more expensive than apples or pears that are familiar to our climate. In general, it should be said that the benefits of avocado are underestimated. In today’s article we will talk about the benefits and harms of avocado or alligator pear for a woman’s body. And also about how avocados are used in medicine, how you can grow this fruit at home, what diets exist based on avocados, and much more.

A ripe avocado is more yellow than green. The consistency is similar to butter. This is one of the most common fruits in the diet of vegetarians; avocados contain more potassium than bananas.

Since early times, avocado has been considered a powerful aphrodisiac. It enhances desire, excitability and potency.

Useful properties of avocado:

Avocado cleanses the blood. Therefore, it is often recommended for diabetics. This wonderful fruit prevents the appearance of cholesterol plaques.
Improves memory and increases performance.
Protects against viruses at the cellular level, and also increases immunity and hemoglobin. Many doctors recommend eating avocados for people who have had infectious diseases.
Prevents the development of diseases such as atherosclerosis and cardiovascular failure. In general, avocado is a valuable fruit for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases.
Prevents anemia, increases stress resistance and performance.
Calcium and phosphorus help strengthen teeth and bones.
Relieves constipation.
Pregnant women are advised to consume some of the avocado. Since it promotes the full development of the fetus, in particular, the development of the brain and nervous system. But it is better to first consult with your doctor about your individual tolerance to this fruit.

Harmful properties of avocado :

The most toxic part of an avocado is its pit. Do not under any circumstances eat it!
It is not recommended to eat avocados for people with allergies to citrus fruits, directly to avocados or to latex.

How to choose a ripe avocado?

Very simple! There should be no stains on the peel. It should not have cracks, but it should be easy to bend when pressed with a finger. Again, if the fruit is heavily dented, it means it is overripe and has lost some of its beneficial properties.

On average, one fruit contains up to 30% oil. Avocado oil is no less beneficial than the fruit itself. It is included in many cosmetic products.

Choose your avocado carefully, because it depends on whether it will be full useful microelements or there will be almost none left in it.

In the following picture you can see how to properly peel an avocado.

How to store and grow avocados at home?

The maximum shelf life in the refrigerator is 4-5 days.

If the avocado is not ripe, it is better to store it on the windowsill.

If you feel bad about throwing away a seed, you can plant it. In addition, this is a very beautiful tree, and picking avocados while in a Stalinist apartment is very pleasant. For a second you imagine that you are somewhere in a tropical area;) In order to grow this wonderful fruit at home, you need to put the seed in a glass of water as shown in the picture. Pierce the pit in 3 or 4 sides with toothpicks and lower halfway into the glass, sharp end up. The fruit germinates in a period of 3-7 weeks.

There is another way. To do this, the avocado seed should be planted in soil consisting of a mixture of peat and crushed expanded clay. Cover it with thick film to create greenhouse conditions and expect germination in 30-40 days.

Avocado masks at home

Masks made from avocado pulp or oil are very useful and effective. Many French cosmetic companies use avocado oil in their products. The Mexicans also believed that avocados have a rejuvenating effect. This fruit has the following properties:

smoothing effect thanks to phytohormones;
promote skin cell regeneration;
normalize the water balance of the skin;
even out complexion and fine wrinkles.

In addition, avocado or its oil is often used in massage.

Avocado based hair mask

Hair mask No. 1

mix with 2-3 tbsp olive oil- for dry and brittle hair; honey / kefir - for oily hair;
1 egg.

Apply the mask to your hair and leave for 30 minutes.

Hair mask No. 2

Massage avocado oil into your hair. Leave this mask on overnight and wash it off in the morning. This procedure promotes hair growth by strengthening hair follicles. Repeat the procedure at least once a week, and within a month you will notice the result. Hair will become richer, healthier, and fragility will decrease.

Mask for dry skinavocado based

Mask for dry skin

Mash 1 ripe avocado into pulp;
mix with 2-3 tbsp olive oil.
* an additional ingredient can be grated apricot. Apricot pulp helps cleanse facial skin. + Extra portion of vitamins!)

Mask for oily skin faces

Mash 1 ripe avocado into pulp;
egg white;
1 tbsp. lemon juice.

Apply to face and keep for 20 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

Use avocado oil for more than just masks. Rub it into your nails, use an avocado-based hand cream. This product perfectly strengthens nails and smoothes out fine wrinkles on the hands.

Healthy Avocado Dishes

Avocados are often used to prepare salads, cold appetizers, sandwiches, and rolls. This
An indispensable fruit for those who like to experiment in the kitchen.

If you are preparing a salad, add the avocado last, so this fruit will be preserved and will not quickly turn black in the salad. In addition, it is better not to expose avocados heat treatments. This way you will preserve the beneficial properties of this fruit, including the tinin found in avocados.

Very tasty Avocado sandwiches:

crisp toast;
avocado (you can cut it into pieces, you can spread it with a paste like butter);
a piece of cheese or lightly salted red fish, and you can also add shrimp.

When preparing salads, the main thing is to use your imagination and everything will work out! For example, you can put it in a salad bowl:

boiled shrimp;
avocado, diced;
canned pineapple cubes;
lettuce leaves;
and use natural yogurt for dressing.

Avocado diet menu

Despite its high calorie content for fruit (up to 150 kcal per 100 g), with correct observance
diet, you can lose up to 900 g per day. Avocado fats are quite easily digestible and contain no sugar. So, look what you need for this:

For breakfast:

Low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt mixed (with a fork or in a blender) with half an avocado. You can put the curd consistency on inner part fruit and eat it that way.

For lunch:

1.5 avocados, diced, mixed with juicy cucumber, chopped boiled egg. Chopped greens with natural yogurt are perfect for dressing.

For dinner:

Mix half an avocado with low-fat cottage cheese. Serve as a dressing for a small piece of steak, boiled chicken or fish.

This diet should be followed for up to 4 days. Repeat this diet 2 times a month. During this time and after that, observe. Remember, any diet also depends on your willpower. You don’t need to immediately dive into muffins or pies after this, so that you won’t be surprised later that the diet didn’t help. This diet will help you normalize the metabolism in the body, after which all you have to do is follow the new rules. summer season you will be prepared!

Avocado in medicine

Avocado is widely used in folk medicine. For example, in eastern countries they use not only the pulp of the fruit, but also its roots, branches, leaves, and peel. Thanks to them, gastrointestinal infections, as well as cholera, are treated. Using an infusion of avocado leaves, eczema, arthrosis, periodontal disease and other diseases are treated. But we do not recommend self-medication. If you calculate the consistency incorrectly, you can get poisoned. Therefore, be careful when using decoctions based on avocado root, leaves or twigs.

Avocado oil is used to heal fresh wounds and burns. In northern countries, avocado oil is used for frostbite. In elderly people who have suffered fractures, bedsores that appear from lying for a long time are lubricated with oil.

As you already understand, avocados are an invaluable product. The scope of its application is very wide, ranging from its use in food, in cosmetics, before medicine, but that’s not all.

Regular use of avocado improves well-being, increases performance and improves mood.