Avocado
In this blog post I offer you convenient ways to integrate avocado into your life. I also share with you some of the latest nutrition science of avocado and why you might want to add it to your diet!
Never tried an avocado?
You might be intimidated…
Don’t worry!
It’s an easy food to figure out.
I’ll help!
But first, the nutrition and science…
Native to Mexico, the avocado has been called a “super food”. If you aren’t familiar with this term, a super food is another way of saying the food offers health benefits due to it’s extreme nutritional density. So, let’s dive into the science and research around avocado to uncover how “super” this food might be!
To start, avocado is loaded with vitamins and minerals. One average sized avocado (201g) provides 163mcg Folate (40.75% DV non pregnant females age 19+,), 0.382mg Copper (43% DV), 975mg Potassium ( 37.5 % DV), 2.79mg Pantothenic Acid (55 % DV), Vitamin E 4.16mg (27% DV), 42.2mcg Vitamin K (46.8% DV), and 58.3mg Magnesium (18% DV). (1)
It contains 13.5mg fiber (the daily goal is 21-25g per day for women) and 19.7g Monounsaturated fat. Both of these substances could help promote satiety and lead you to feel full for longer periods of time. This could potentially reduce the urge to overeat. But, let me cautiously remind you that overeating is complex and one small food modification is most likely not going to fix the problem entirely. Also, the portion size of avocado is important to consider. As you increase the portion size it can quickly provide high amounts of calories and fat. This could be beneficial to those looking to gain weight. Note the paradoxical relationship of how one food could help both someone looking to gain weight as well as someone looking to lose weight.
Adequate fiber intake is also important for a healthy gastrointestinal tract and it’s high content of Monounsaturated fat is beneficial to the cardiovascular system. Avocado also contains phenolitics (2) which are associated with the inhibition of atherosclerosis and cancer (3), lutein which may prevent cognitive decline (4) and zeaxanthin which can help delay the progression of eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration and cataracts (5)(6).
Here is what some of the latest scientific research has to say about Avocados:
In one study, consumption of an avocado (~136g fruit pulp) a day for 5 weeks in conjunction with a cholesterol lowering diet decreased participants blood LDL levels significantly more than cholesterol lowering diets without the avocado (9). In a metanalysis of 10 separate studies which reviewed effects of consuming diets containing avocado compared with control diets containing no or low amounts of avocado, it was found that diets containing avocado significantly reduced total cholesterol. Participants with a diagnosis of hypercholesterolemia also saw significant reductions in LDL (10). Therefore, it appears that those with elevated LDL may benefit from adding avocado to their diet.
In a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2,886 participants age 60 or over it was found that those who consume avocado or guacamole had better cognition than those who didn’t. (9). In a randomized controlled trial, participants who consumed one avocado per day had increased lutein levels after 6 months when compared to baseline (p = 0.001). Increased lutein levels are related to improved vision and possibly better cognition (9.5). Those who consumed one avocado a day for 6 months also had improvement in memory and spatial working memory (p = 0.001; p = 0.032, respectively) as well as improved sustained attention (p = 0.033)(10).
Here are some tips to help you integrate avocado into your diet as well as suggested ways to use it and recipes…
TIPS:
1) Determine the ripeness of the avocado. Coordinate this with when you plan to eat it. To do this, when you go to purchase the avocado gently squeeze the tip The level of firmness will indicate it’s stage of readiness to eat. If it’s very firm it may take a couple of days to ripen. This is beneficial if you don’t want to use the avocado immediately when you go home. If it feels slightly squishy to touch it’s about right to use either today or tomorrow. If you squeeze it and your finger easily sinks into it then it’s past it’s prime and it’s best to avoid it.
2) Purchase a lemon with it. When you cut the avocado open it will start to brown. Lemon juice can drastically slow down the browning and preserve the avocado for future meals.
3)Wash it, dry it and then cut it open horizontally. When you open it you will notice a large pit left on one of the halves. Often times you can just squeeze the pit out as you are scraping out the avocado pulp to make a spread. However, if you want to keep the avocado half intact it might get a little tricky. Please be cautious when removing the pit.
Suggested ways to easily use avocado:
First up is my avocado dip/spread. You could dip raw veggies in it. You could also combine it with chips and salsa. Interestingly, research shows avocado can help increase absorption of the Vitamin A, lycopene and β-carotene found in salsa. (11)
You’ll notice the recipe calls for an optional use of onion, garlic and cayenne pepper. I’ve found that a simple mash of avocado, lemon salt and pepper can taste pretty great. So, for those of you who are sensitive to garlic, onion, and/or cayenne, feel free to omit them. I personally love a spice kick from the cayenne pepper. But, I’m aware not all people do. Those with a FODMAP sensitivity might be better off without garlic and/or onion. Also, if you are watching your salt, this recipe can be nice for you because you can control the amount of salt you add.
I also like to use this spread atop avocado toast as well as a base for guacamole. If you are making guacamole, consider subsituting a lime for the lemon. Guacamole recipes can vary but some people like to add freshly cut tomatoes, peas, basil, onion and/or cilantro.
Avocado can also be a nice addition to a smoothie, chopped up salad or a sandwich. I like to add my avocado spread to this Smoked Tempeh & Avocado Sandwich I’ve created. Below is the recipe I use if you are interested in trying it! Of note, the recipe makes extra smoked tempeh strips. I like to store the strips in the refrigerator to use for sandwiches that I can easily make on demand or to use in meal prep for the next couple of days. I’m still trying to figure out other ways to use the leftover strips. If you have ideas, I’d love to hear them! :-)
With all of that being said, we could call avocado a “super food” as research shows potential health benefits. It is also packed full of a variety of nutritional substances. But, in the same regard, many other foods are “super” as well. It’s important to remember that a balanced diet includes a variety of different foods in moderation. This looks different depending on your personal needs. In my opinion you ideally want to create a way of eating that promotes a nourished mind and body and you need a variety of foods to do this. If you need help with this, consider booking a visit with me!
Also, before I end this, I’m going to humbly note that I am not a professional chef. I’m an amatuer cook who is continuously working to improve my skills. The above recipes are what I’ve created for my own personal use that I enjoy. But, your palate might be different than mine. I hope you enjoy them. I apologize if you don’t!
As always, the choice to include avocado (or any other food) in your diet is up to you. The content in this post is for general information purpose only and is not intended to be used as personal health care advice. Research shared in this post should be interpreted cautiously and discussed with your primary health care provider. If you have questions or concerns about information in this post please speak with your primary health care provider. You can also book an appointment with me or another Registered Dietitian located near you!
Peaceful Regards,
Jennifer
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RESOURCES
1) https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171705/nutrients
2)Tabeshpour J, Razavi BM, Hosseinzadeh H. Effects of Avocado (Persea americana) on Metabolic Syndrome: A Comprehensive Systematic Review. Phytother Res. 2017 Jun;31(6):819-837. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5805. Epub 2017 Apr 10. PMID: 28393409.
3)Martínez-Valverde I, Periago MJ, Ros G. Significado nutricional de los compuestos fenólicos de la dieta [Nutritional importance of phenolic compounds in the diet]. Arch Latinoam Nutr. 2000 Mar;50(1):5-18. Spanish. PMID: 11048566.
4)Li J, Abdel-Aal EM. Dietary Lutein and Cognitive Function in Adults: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Molecules. 2021 Sep 24;26(19):5794. doi: 10.3390/molecules26195794. PMID: 34641336; PMCID: PMC8510423.
5) Mrowicka M, Mrowicki J, Kucharska E, Majsterek I. Lutein and Zeaxanthin and Their Roles in Age-Related Macular Degeneration-Neurodegenerative Disease. Nutrients. 2022 Feb 16;14(4):827. doi: 10.3390/nu14040827. PMID: 35215476; PMCID: PMC8874683.
6)Dreher ML, Cheng FW, Ford NA. A Comprehensive Review of Hass Avocado Clinical Trials, Observational Studies, and Biological Mechanisms. Nutrients. 2021 Dec 7;13(12):4376. doi: 10.3390/nu13124376. PMID: 34959933; PMCID: PMC8705026.
7) Wang L, Tao L, Hao L, Stanley TH, Huang KH, Lambert JD, Kris-Etherton PM. A Moderate-Fat Diet with One Avocado per Day Increases Plasma Antioxidants and Decreases the Oxidation of Small, Dense LDL in Adults with Overweight and Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Nutr. 2020 Feb 1;150(2):276-284. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxz231. PMID: 31616932; PMCID: PMC7373821.
8) James-Martin G, Brooker PG, Hendrie GA, Stonehouse W. Avocado Consumption and Cardiometabolic Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2022 Dec 21:S2212-2672(22)01257-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2022.12.008. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36565850.
9)Cheng FW, Ford NA, Taylor MK. US Older Adults That Consume Avocado or Guacamole Have Better Cognition Than Non-consumers: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014. Front Nutr. 2021 Oct 14;8:746453. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.746453. PMID:
9.5) Johnson EJ. Role of lutein and zeaxanthin in visual and cognitive function throughout the lifespan. Nutr Rev. 2014 Sep;72(9):605-12. doi: 10.1111/nure.12133. Epub 2014 Aug 8. PMID: 25109868.
10)Scott TM, Rasmussen HM, Chen O, Johnson EJ. Avocado Consumption Increases Macular Pigment Density in Older Adults: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2017 Aug 23;9(9):919. doi: 10.3390/nu9090919. PMID: 28832514; PMCID: PMC5622679.
11)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 Mar;135(3):431-6. doi: 10.1093/jn/135.3.431. PMID: 15735074.