Looking for an Anti-Aging Food? The Avocado is Just the Answer
The delicious and creamy rich avocado is today considered to be one of the world's healthiest fruits because of its nutrient contents such as vitamin K, dietary fiber, potassium, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin C, copper and sensible calories.
When it comes to anti-ageing and longevity, the avocado is a winner ensuring your body can make the necessary repairs for a longer and healthier life.
Avocados are rich in antioxidants but there is much more
1. Better nutrient absorption as research has found that certain nutrients are increasingly absorbed when eaten with avocado. So make sure you include avocado when eating a healthy salad.
2. Breast cancer protection because avocado, like olive oil, is high in oleic acid, which has been shown to prevent breast cancer in numerous studies.
3. Eye health because avocados have more of the carotenoid lutein than any other commonly consumed fruit. Lutein protects against macular degeneration and cataracts, two disabling age-related eye diseases.
4. An excellent source of glutathione, an important antioxidant that researchers say is vital in preventing ageing, cancer and heart disease.
5. Heart health because one cup of avocado has 23% of the recommended daily value of folate and people who eat diets rich in folate have a much lower incidence of heart disease than those who don't. The vitamin E, monounsaturated fats, and glutathione in avocado are also beneficial for your heart. In addition, a cup of avocado contains about 25% of your daily supply of potassium, protecting your heart and arteries and helping to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.
6. Lower cholesterol because avocados are high in beta-sitosterol, a compound that has been shown to lower cholesterol levels. The oleic acid will also lower bad cholesterol while increasing good cholesterol.
7. Oral cancer protection because certain compounds in avocados are able to seek out pre-cancerous and cancerous oral cancer cells and destroy them without harming healthy cells.
8. Prostate cancer prevention because avocados have been shown to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer.
9. Stroke prevention because the high levels of folate in avocado are also protective against strokes. People who eat diets rich in folate have a much lower risk of stroke than those who don't.
10. Vitamin E powerhouse because avocados are the best fruit source of vitamin E which is an essential vitamin that protects against many diseases while helping to maintain optimum health.
Try these different ways to eat avocado
- I always cut my avocado in half lengthwise, take out the seed, add some Lee & Perrin's Worcester Sauce and eat with a spoon.
- Chop up avocado with tofu, tomato and a dressing.
- Make an avocado and salmon salad with mayonnaise.
- Or an avocado and tuna fish salad with lemon.
- Serve avocado with chicken and tomato.
- Slice avocado as a filling in a sandwich.
- Or drink avocado juice mixed with honey and milk as a beverage.
Too many avocados?
Just mash some up and freeze in a suitable container. They will keep for several months.
Originating in Mexico and Central America, the avocado is now planted, harvested and eaten all over the world. It will grow wherever there are mild winters (that is no colder than 5 degrees C). If you live in such a climate, you can plant one or more in your own backyard.
They are so popular today that avocados are usually available to buy year round, meaning you too can have your daily helping of longevity.
Sources
Avocados, raw, all commercial varieties. (2019).
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171705/nutrients. (Accessed, 29 September 2021).
Bender, A., et al. (2017). The association of folate and depression: A meta-analysis [Abstract].
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022395617305927. (Accessed, 29 September 2021).
Cardoso, P., et al. (2016). Antibacterial activity of avocado extract (Persea americana Mill.) against Streptococcus agalactiae.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328211615_Antibacterial_activity_of_avocado_extracts_Persea_americana_Mill_against_Streptococcus_agalactiae. (Accessed, 29 September 2021).
Danielewicz, H., et al. (2017). Diet in pregnancy — more than food.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5682869. (Accessed, 29 September 2021).
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.