Avocado

Originally called the 'Alligator Pear', avocados contain an amazing array of phytonutrients. These include phytosterols, carotenoids (such as beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin), flavonoids (epicatechin and epigallocatechin 3-0-gallate) and oleic acid. Avocados are also a good source of vitamin B₅, vitamin K, copper, folate, vitamin B₆, potassium, vitamin E and vitamin C.  One cup of avocado (around 150 grams) contains a whopping 10.5 grams of fiber (over 1/3 of the daily recommended intake for adults). Avocados are also low glycaemic index, meaning they don’t cause large spikes in blood glucose levels.

Fruit or vegetable?

Avocados are technically fruits but have a higher fat content (about 20 times) the average for other fruits. A typical avocado contains 20-30 grams of fat, but the majority of these are health-promoting monounsaturated fatty acids, and in particular oleic acid, which accounts for over 60% of the total fat content. This is thought to be responsible for many of avocados heart-protecting properties. For example, the addition of avocado to well-balanced diets has been shown to lower risk of heart disease, improve blood levels of LDL cholesterol, and lower levels of oxidative stress in the bloodstream after eating.¹

A helping hand

As well as providing plenty of nutrients themselves, avocados can also help you absorb more nutrients from other types of food, in particular, carotenoid rich foods such as orange and yellow foods (carrots, sweet potato, peppers), plus leafy green veg. Intake of fat along with carotenoids greatly helps to improve their absorption. Adding avocado to meals containing these foods has been shown to increase carotenoid absorption (up to six-fold).^2,3  In addition, avocado also improves conversion of carotenoids such as beta-carotene into active vitamin A.³

Did you also know that the way you peel an avocado may affect how good it is for you? The part of the flesh closest to the skin is higher in certain phytonutrients than the flesh closer to the stone.  The recommended method for peeling is, therefore, the "nick and peel" where you peel the avocado with your hands, rather than cutting the skin off with a knife.

_References

_{1. Wang L, Bordi PL, Fleming JA, Hill AM, Kris-Etherton PM. Effect of a moderate fat diet with and without avocados on lipoprotein particle number, size and subclasses in overweight and obese adults: a randomized, controlled trial. J Am Heart Assoc 2015; 4: e001355.}

_{2. Unlu NZ, Bohn T, Clinton SK, Schwartz SJ. Carotenoid Absorption from Salad and Salsa by Humans Is Enhanced by the Addition of Avocado or Avocado Oil. J Nutr 2005; 135: 431–6.}

_{3. Kopec RE, Cooperstone JL, Schweiggert RM, et al. Avocado consumption enhances human postprandial provitamin A absorption and conversion from a novel high-β-carotene tomato sauce and from carrots. J Nutr 2014; 144: 1158–66.}