Avocado Information

Did you know...

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that the avocado has a strange link to a certain portion of the male anatomy? The word 'avocado' comes from the Nahuatl word ahuacatl which is translated as 'testicle', and is an obvious reference to the shape of this fruit. Now, before you go throwing out all of your avocados, read the rest of this short article and find out why avocados are so good for you!

It is true that avocados are high in fat. They are also called by the nickname "butter pear" for exactly that reason. As an example, a medium-sized avocado contains about 30 grams of fat. However, nutritionists have taken another look. They've found that most of the fat in an avocado is monounsaturated - that's the "good" kind that actually lowers cholesterol levels.

A 1996 study by researchers at the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social in Mexico looked at the health benefits of daily avocado consumption. There were 45 volunteers who ate avocados every day for a week. Surprisingly they experienced an average 17% drop in total blood cholesterol. Their cholesterol ratio also changed in a healthy way - their levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein, or "bad fat") and triglycerides, both associated with heart disease, went down. Their HDL (high-density lipoprotein, or "good fat") levels, which tend to lower the risk of heart disease, climbed.

Researchers discovered that avocados are rich in beta- sitosterol, a natural substance shown to significantly lower blood cholesterol levels.

It is also believed that Avocado Oil is the only oil that can adequately penetrate the upper layers of the skin. That would make avocado oil an ideal moisturizing oil ideal to be considered for the drier/mature skin types. Like other "natural oils" these natural basic oils are so much healthier and more biologically aligned to our anatomy than petroleum based emollients.

When all is said and done, avocados provide heart-healthy fatand are still a highly nutritious choice when eaten in moderation. However, more important (or at least equally as important) than fat content are calories. One avocado contains roughly 320 calories – more than half the number of calories recommended for an average adult meal.

So, instead of spreading butter or cream cheese on your bagel, use some mashed avocado instead. Replace the mayo you'd usually put on a sandwich with a couple of avocado slices. You'll not only save calories, you'll be cutting out saturated fat and increasing your daily intake of monounsaturated fat as well.

But before you heap avocado slices or chunks onto every dish, remember that when it comes to calories, avocados have a lot of them, precisely because of all that fat. Fat of any type has about twice the calories of the same amount of carbohydrates. Avocados do add great variety to a well balanced, low-fat diet, but, like everything else, they should be consumed with a degree of moderation.

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