{"id":1730,"date":"2023-06-14T00:39:38","date_gmt":"2023-06-13T22:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medicallib.co.za\/health-info\/?p=1730"},"modified":"2023-06-14T01:44:57","modified_gmt":"2023-06-13T23:44:57","slug":"avocado-types-nutritional-facts-usage-benefits-and-side-effects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medicallib.co.za\/health-info\/avocado-types-nutritional-facts-usage-benefits-and-side-effects\/","title":{"rendered":"Avocado: Types, nutritional facts, usage, benefits, and side effects"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][pac_divi_table_of_contents _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” level_markers_1=”icons” level_markers_2=”icons” icon_marker_2=”]||divi||400″ indent_amount_2=”30px” indent_amount_3=”40px” level_markers_3=”icons” icon_marker_3=”E||divi||400″ title_container_bg_color=”#0C71C3″ sticky_enabled=”0″ open_icon_color=”#FFFFFF” marker2_text_color=”#7CDA24″ title_font_font=”|600|||||||” heading_all_font_size=”18px” heading_all_line_height=”30px” body_area_text_link_color=”#0b91c6″][\/pac_divi_table_of_contents][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”2em” header_2_text_color=”#0C71C3″ global_colors_info=”{}”]

What is an avocado?<\/h2>\n

An avocado, also called alligator pear, or butter fruit is a large berry with a single large seed covered by a smooth and oily golden-green flesh, and a dark leathery skin. The skin of an avocado can be green, brown, purplish, or black while the shape can be pear-shaped, egg-shaped, or spherical. The term avocado can refer to both the tree and the fruit. An avocado tree (Persea americana<\/em><\/strong>) is an evergreen tropical and Mediterranean tree belonging to the Lauraceae family<\/strong>. The trees are partly self-pollinating, but a new plant is grown through grafting to keep up production, standard, and quality of the fruit. For commercial purposes, the fruits are picked unripe and ripened after harvesting.<\/span><\/p>\n

The avocado tree can grow between 9-20 meters while the fruit is 7-20 centimeters long and weighs between 100-1000 grams. On the other hand, the seed is around 5-6.4 centimeters long. Avocado has a neutral or slightly earthy flavor, and it is not sweet. But because of its nutritional and health benefits, the avocado has been called a superfood.<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”2em” header_2_text_color=”#0C71C3″ global_colors_info=”{}”]

Which avocado is the best and heathiest to eat?<\/h2>\n

There are more than one hundred varieties or types of avocados classified as A-type or B-type cultivars based on the pollination and flowering behavior of the avocado tree flowers. All these varieties are classified into three main groups namely West Indian, Guatemalan, and Mexican. The most common and most popular type (or variety) of avocado is the Hass avocado. The Hass avocado is popular because of its high fat content and rich nutty flavor which makes it very creamy and irresistible for most recipes. <\/span><\/p>\n

The second most popular type of avocado after the Hass is the Fuerte avocado. Although the Fuerte avocado is less creamy and waterier than the Hass avocado, it is sweeter and fruitier with notes of hazelnut and grassy flavor. Although not as popular as the Hass avocado, the Reed avocado is the best tasting avocado. The Reed avocado is larger, creamier, and denser than the Hass avocado although they taste slightly less oily and less nutty than the Hass avocado. Although avocados might vary in flavor, taste or fat content, the overall nutritional difference between them is very negligeable.<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”2em” header_2_text_color=”#0C71C3″ global_colors_info=”{}”]

Health benefits and uses of avocado<\/h2>\n

No matter the popularity, taste, or flavor, both A-type (green) and B-type (dark) avocados provide multiple health benefits. The health benefits of eating avocado include:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Enabling the body to absorb fat-soluble nutrients during a meal. This comprises of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and vitamins A, D, E, and K.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. It helps improve LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in people who are overweight or obese.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Makes you feel full faster and longer and hence beneficial to consume during weight loss efforts. This is because of its high monounsaturated fat and rich fiber content. This also helps reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Lowers the harmful effect of blood pressure since it contains higher potassium content. For example, a 100 gram of avocado contains 485 milligrams of potassium but only 7 milligrams of sodium.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Supports brain function, healthy memory, and cognitive vision.<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Contain no cholesterol and hence lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases.<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. It contains more than 25 essential nutrients including amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Avocado helps to boost the immune system since it is rich in vitamin E and vitamin C.<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. Avocado is a substitute for fat-based ingredients in recipes, condiments to dip snacks in or spreads on your sandwiches. More than 75 % of avocado\u2019s fat is good fat. It is one of the only fruits rich in monounsaturated fat, making it a good substitute for food high in saturated fat. Saturated fats cause cholesterol to build up in the artery, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Saturated fatty acid also increases liver and belly fat. Fortunately, avocado does not contain any saturated fat and no cholesterol.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”2em” header_2_text_color=”#0C71C3″ global_colors_info=”{}”]

    How to know if an avocado is ripe and ready to eat<\/h2>\n

    To know if an avocado is ripe and ready to eat, then squeeze it gently. If it yields to firm gentle pressure, then it is ripe and ready-to-eat. The skin of A-type avocados like reed remains green even when ripe while B-type like Hass and Fuerte become very dark, almost black, when ripe.<\/span><\/p>\n

    It is also possible to tell if an avocado is ripe without squeezing it. To achieve this, pull back the small stem or cap at the top of the fruit. If it comes away easily and you find green or yellow underneath, then it is ripe and ready-to-use.<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”2em” header_2_text_color=”#0C71C3″ global_colors_info=”{}”]

    Nutritional facts<\/h2>\n

    Avocado is high in calories and rich in several nutrients<\/a><\/span> including vitamins, amino acids, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, healthy fat, carbohydrates, and proteins. In fact, all the amino acids which are essential for your body to make proteins are present in this fruit.
    <\/span>The table below summarizes vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and other nutrients found in avocado.<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
    Table 1:<\/strong> Vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, and phytochemicals present in avocado.<\/span><\/caption>\n
    Vitamins<\/th>\nMinerals<\/th>\nAmino Acids<\/th>\nAntioxidants and Phytochemicals<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
    \n
      \n
    • Vitamin A<\/li>\n
    • Thiamine (Vitamin B1)<\/li>\n
    • Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)<\/li>\n
    • Niacin (Vitamin B3)<\/li>\n
    • Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)<\/li>\n
    • Vitamin B6<\/li>\n
    • Folate (Vitamin B9)<\/li>\n
    • Vitamin C<\/li>\n
    • Vitamin E<\/li>\n
    • Vitamin K<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
    		\n
      \n
    • Calcium<\/li>\n
    • Iron<\/li>\n
    • Magnesium<\/li>\n
    • Phosphorus<\/li>\n
    • Potassium<\/li>\n
    • Sodium<\/li>\n
    • Zinc<\/li>\n
    • Copper<\/li>\n
    • Manganese<\/li>\n
    • Selenium<\/li>\n
    • Fluoride<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
    		\n
      \n
    • Tryptophan<\/li>\n
    • Threonine<\/li>\n
    • Isoleucine<\/li>\n
    • Leucine<\/li>\n
    • Lysine<\/li>\n
    • Methionine<\/li>\n
    • Cystine<\/li>\n
    • Phenylalanine<\/li>\n
    • Tyrosine<\/li>\n
    • Valine<\/li>\n
    • Arginine<\/li>\n
    • Histidine<\/li>\n
    • Alanine<\/li>\n
    • Aspartic Acid<\/li>\n
    • Glutamic Acid<\/li>\n
    • Glycine<\/li>\n
    • Proline<\/li>\n
    • Serine<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
    		\n