A healthy mind in a healthy body, always with avocado

Avocados: One of the best foods. Contains monounsaturated fats, also known as good fats, helps lower cholesterol and reduces blood clots. MATTHEW MEAD AP

 

“Avocado is a very nutritious food with great benefits, some of which people are not yet fully aware of. This fruit contains high levels of protein and potassium, which help to keep the nervous system healthy, as well as having an exquisite flavor and being the perfect companion in all our meals ”, explains Xavier Equihua, CEO of the World Avocado Organization.

IMPROVES INTESTINAL HEALTH

According to a new study from the University of Illinois, published in the Journal of Nutrition (endorsed by the American Society of Nutrition) eating avocado as part of the daily diet could help improve intestinal health, thanks to the fact that it is a food rich in dietary fiber and monounsaturated fats. Eating avocado on a regular basis allows for a greater abundance of gut microbes that break down fiber and produce metabolites that improve gut health. They also have a greater microbial diversity, compared to people who do not consume this food.

PROTECTS THE SKIN, INSIDE AND OUT

Did you not know that avocado is a great source of vitamin E? For every 100 grams of this fruit we obtain 4.2 grams of vitamin E, according to data from the Spanish Nutrition Foundation (FEN). This vitamin is key to preventing the oxidation of cells and helps to show a young and healthy skin, according to the WAO.

Unlike other foods, avocado helps the health of our skin both inside and out. By consuming it we are helping to prevent the early aging of cells and help tissues to stay strong and renew themselves naturally, in addition to strengthening the immune system. But its aesthetic use as a facial mask is also well known, oxygenating and strengthening the epidermis, resulting in a more radiant skin.

GOOD FOR THE HEART

According to a study recently published in the journal of the American Heart Association, which has been echoed by the Spanish Society of Cardiology, an avocado a day in a moderate-fat diet can help improve LDL cholesterol levels in people overweight and obese.

The results are favorable for the intake of this fruit, as part of a diet with moderate fat intake, in relation to a diet low in fat or a diet moderate in fat without consumption of this product.

AN IDEAL COMPLEMENT FOR ATHLETES

Avocados contain 2 grams of protein per 100-gram piece, more than other fresh fruits and other commonly consumed foods, according to WAO data. That is why professional athletes do not hesitate to include it in their daily diet and doctors recommend it to people who do physical activity frequently.

Likewise, about 200 grams of avocado provide 33% of the recommended intakes of vitamin B6 for a man aged 20 to 39 years with moderate physical activity and 38% in the case of women with the same characteristics, according to studies by the FEN cited above.

REGULATES THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

Another of the little known, but really important benefits of avocado is that it helps to have a healthier nervous system. According to the (Spanish Nutrition Foundation (FEN)), this is because this superfood is rich in fatty acids, magnesium and vitamins of group B (B6 and B12, especially), making it an excellent regulator of the nervous system and a ally in stressful situations, both mental and physical.On the other hand, avocado is also an important source of potassium, a micronutrient that helps the normal functioning of the nervous system and muscles.

A GREAT ANTIOXIDANT

In addition to being rich in vitamin E, avocado provides high doses of other vitamins (C and B), potassium, monounsaturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids, which together create an antioxidant effect in the body, essential to prevent premature deterioration of the cells and organs of our body (for example the health of our eyes). In other words: it helps us fight the effects of free radicals that, over the years and together with a poor diet, can cause various diseases, such as atherosclerosis and cardiovascular ailments.