Health Benefits of Avocado

Avocado fruits are getting very popular anywhere in the world.
Throughout the year, you can find avocado in your nearby malls.
Avocado is sometimes called "avocado pear" or "alligator pear"; and
Aguacate Palta in Spanish.

The world, especially in developing countries, is trying to adapt
avocado as one of substitute to cope for the shortage of nutritious
food production.

We believe that avocado originated in Mexico and Central America.
However, today, in countries such as Indonesia, Philippines,
Thailand, Vietnam, USA, Sri Lanka, Brazil, India, China, Japan, Peru,
Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia, Chili, Ethiopia, Spain, Palestine, South
Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Hawaii are planting and
harvesting avocados. Oh, yes, you can plant it even in your backyard
garden and it is adaptable as long as the climate does not go below 5°
C during winter season.

In fact, I myself planted four avocado trees 25 years ago, and just a
year ago, I added another two in my back yard. One tree bears about
200 pieces of fruit.

Avocado is one of the most recommended fruits as well as a food for
bodybuilding and medicine for cholesterol-related heart disease.

Also do you know that avocado or an avocado extract is good for
prevention or treatment of breast cancer as well as prostate cancer?
Some information states that a toxin found in avocado is the answer
to kill cancer cell. However, the toxin mentioned here is not
identified completely. Scientists believe that the toxin has a great
effect on the myocardium (heart muscle tissue) as well as on tissues
of the lactating mammary gland.

Although many farmers believe that fresh and dried leaves, bark,
skin, and seeds are toxic to cattle, goats, horses, rabbits and
birds, there is no definite scientific explanation to that.

Do not worry about the fruit meat of avocado. There are no dangerous
toxic elements for human consumption as well as for animals.

Creamy rich avocado is considered the world's healthiest fruit,
because of its nutrient contents such as vitamin K, dietary fiber,
potassium, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin C, copper, and reasonable
calories in it.

Avocados contain oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that may help
lower cholesterol.

In our studies, patients with high cholesterol levels who ate
avocados diet showed clear health improvements. After a week of
avocado diet, patients had significant decrease in cholesterol
contents.

Avocado is a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps regulate
blood pressure. Adequate intake of potassium can help guard against
circulatory diseases, like high blood pressure, heart disease or
stroke.

Diets containing foods that are good sources of potassium and low in
sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. One cup
of avocado has about 23% of the Daily Value for folate, a nutrient
important for heart health.

Another study showed that individuals who consume folate-rich diets
have a much lower risk of cardiovascular disease or stroke than those
who do not consume much of this vital nutrient.

Not only avocado has a rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids
including oleic acid, which has recently been shown to offer
significant protection against breast cancer, but it is also a very
concentrated dietary source of the carotenoid lutein; it also
contains measurable amounts of related carotenoids plus significant
quantities of vitamin E.

A few slices of avocado in salad, or mixing some chopped avocado into
salsa will not only add a rich, creamy flavor, but will greatly
increase your body's ability to absorb the health-promoting
carotenoids that vegetables provide.

Compare to any other vegetables such as carrots, spinach, or fruits,
just a slice of avocado improves your body's ability to absorb
carotenoids.

At first, you can try to start planting a seed in your room. You will
love it as seen on below photos.

< images located at
http://www.pyroenergen.com/articles07/avocado-health-benefits.htm >

After eating avocado, don't throw the seed. Place it on the garden
soil in your container garden. The soil should be always with water.
In about 3 weeks, you will enjoy seeing leaf bud growing. If you
cannot keep it in your room, plant it in your back yard. You will
enjoy seeing it growing, again.

Well, how to eat avocado. There are hundreds of ways or recipes for
avocado. Here's a few you can try to enjoy eating avocado.

1. Chopped avocado with tofu, tomato or mayonnaise dressing.

2. Avocado juice mixed with honey or sugar and milk. Cool it. It is
so tasty. Good for all ages.

3. Avocado and tuna fish salad with lemon.

4. Avocado and salmon salad with mayonnaise.

5. Avocado with chicken and tomato.

6. Avocado, chicken and garlic fry.

The simplest way is just slice the avocado and place ham and
mayonnaise to make a bread sandwich. Probably you can add a
proverb. "One avocado a day, doctors away". To preserve, mash and
place the avocado in the freezer. In this way, you can keep it for
several months. Do not keep the avocado fruit as is in the freezer.

Again and again, some critics might write us complaining about the
article saying that avocado is toxic. Avocado toxicity is not
scientifically well established up to now.

Avocado poisoning has been a source of controversy and confusion
among animal breeders. Some breeders have voiced an opinion that
avocado fruit may be toxic, while other breeders have fed avocados to
their animals with no abnormal incidences at all.

Most avocados grown in the United States and other countries go for
human consumption in the form of fresh fruit or processed paste
products. Also, many parts of it are used for various products
including animal feeds and baby consumption.

Probably, avocado poisonings in humans and animals are fairly
limited, however, the avocado tree can be toxic.

They say that toxic chemical is found in leaves, bark, pits and skin
of the avocado tree. Although some people claim that avocado fruit
has skin allergy effect. It is just the same as banana, walnut, and
kiwi allergy.

Anyway, if you are a delicate person, just don't eat avocado. Once
again, one avocado a day may save your life from cardiomyopathy and
heart failure.