Avocados nutrition facts
Avocados are distinct fruits with high fat content
and calories. Subtly flavorful yet buttery, they are amongst the most
popular fruits having nutrition profile similar to that of some edible
nuts and seeds.
Some of the common names for this staple fruit are
alligator
pear, aguacate, butter pear etc.
Botanically, the fruit belongs to the family of
lauraceae,
the family that also includes some unusual members like bay
laurel, cinnamon
etc. Scientific name is persea
americana.
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Avocado (Persea americana). Note for cream
color flesh and brown-coated single seed.
Photo courtesy: HormonyRae
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Mature and ripen Hass-variety avocados in
the
market. Note for dark brown color fruits with pebble surface. Photo
courtesy: ollesvensson |
Avocados are medium sized evergreen trees
of about 20-30 feet in height with large green leaves. The
tree prefers
fertile soil with high moisture content to flourish. Small light green
flowers appear during winter. After about 8-10 months later, hundreds
of
pear shaped green color fruits appear on the tree.
Avocados, like bananas,
mature on the tree but
ripen only after their harvest. Once Ripen, they turn dark green or
deep
purple and yield to gentle pressure. Inside, cream color flesh
has butter-like consistency with bland taste yet pleasant aroma. The
fruit features centrally placed single brown color seed. On an average,
each fruit weighs about 300-700 g, although heavier avocados are quite
common in the markets.
Health benefits of avocado
-
Avocados, like olives,
are high in
mono-unsaturated fats and calories. However, they are very rich
in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals and packed with numerous
health
benefiting plant nutrients.
-
Their creamy pulp is very rich source of
mono-unsaturated fatty acids like oleic
and palmitoleic acids
as well
as omega-6 poly-unsaturated fatty acid linoleic acid.
Research studies
suggest that Mediterranean diet that is rich in mono-unsaturated fatty
acids help lower LDL or bad cholesterol and increase HDL or good
cholesterol, thereby, prevent coronary artery disease and strokes by
favoring healthy blood lipid profile.
-
They are very good source of soluble and
insoluble dietary fiber. 100 g fruit provides 6.7 g or about 18% of
recommended daily intake. Dietary fibers help lower blood cholesterol
levels and prevent constipation.
-
In addition, the fruit, like persimmons,
contain
high concentration of tannin.
Tannin, a poly-phenolic compound, which
was once labeled as anti-nutritional agent is in-fact, has beneficial
anti-inflammatory,
anti-ulcer and anti-oxidant properties.
-
Its flesh contains many health
promoting flavonoid poly-phenolic
antioxidants such as cryptoxanthin, lutein,
zeaxanthin, beta and alpha carotenes in small amounts.
Together, these compounds act as protective scavengers against
oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that
play a role in aging and various disease processes.
-
They are also good in many health-benefiting
vitamins. Vitamin A, E, and K are especially concentrated in
its creamy pulp.
-
Avocados also excellent sources of minerals
like iron, copper, magnesium,
and manganese. Magnesium is essential for bone
strengthening and
has cardiac-protective role as well. Manganese is used by the
body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide
dismutase.
Iron and copper are required in the production of red blood cells.
-
Fresh avocado pear is a very
rich
source of potassium. 100 g of fruit provides 485 mg or about 10% of
daily-required levels. Potassium is
an important component of cell and
body fluids where it helps regulate heart rate and blood pressure,
countering bad effects of sodium.
See the table below for in depth analysis
of nutrients:
Avocado (Persea americana),
Refuse seed and skin, Nutrition value per 100 g.
(Source: USDA National
Nutrient data base)
| Principle |
Nutrient
Value |
Percentage
of
RDA |
| Energy |
160 Kcal |
8% |
| Carbohydrates |
8.53 g |
6.5% |
| Protein |
2.0 g |
3.5% |
| Total Fat |
14.66 g |
48% |
| Cholesterol |
0 mg |
0% |
| Dietary
Fiber |
6.7 g |
18% |
| Vitamins |
|
|
| Folates |
81 µg |
20% |
| Niacin |
1.738 mg |
11% |
| Pantothenic
acid |
1.389 mg |
28% |
| Pyridoxine |
0.257 mg |
20% |
| Riboflavin |
0.130 mg |
10% |
| Thiamin |
0.067 mg |
5.5% |
| Vitamin A |
146 IU |
5% |
| Vitamin C |
10 mg |
17% |
| Vitamin E |
2.07 mg |
14% |
| Vitamin K |
21 µg |
17.5% |
| Electrolytes |
|
|
| Sodium |
7 mg |
0.5% |
| Potassium |
485 mg |
10% |
| Minerals |
|
|
| Calcium |
12 mg |
1% |
| Copper |
0.190 mg |
21% |
| Iron |
0.55 mg |
7% |
| Magnesium |
29 mg |
7% |
| Manganese |
0.142 mg |
6% |
| Phosphorus |
52 mg |
7% |
| Selenium |
0.4 µg |
<1% |
| Zinc |
0.64 mg |
6% |
| Phyto-nutrients |
|
|
| Carotene-α |
24 µg |
-- |
| Carotene-ß |
62 µg |
-- |
| Cryptoxanthin-ß |
28 µg |
-- |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin |
271 µg |
-- |
Selection
and storage
Avocados are
readily available in the markets year around. Buy medium size, fully
ripe fruit with pleasant aroma. The fruit that is ready to eat should
yield to pressure when gently squeezed.
Avoid very
hard fruits as they take very long time to ripen properly. Also, look
carefully for any surface cuts, blemishes, and spots. Avoid excessively
ripen ones as their pulp is rather mushy and has little, if any,
flavor.
Once at home,
store avocado in cool place. Unripe fruits usually placed in a paper
wrap with a banana or apple
in order to speed up ripening.
Preparation
and Serving methods
Ripe avocado
has delicate nutty flavor and butter like in taste. To eat, cut the
fruit lengthwise at its center all the way around the seed. Then rotate
or twist the two halves in opposite directions and gently pull apart.
Remove the seed using spoon. Gently peel the skin with your fingers
starting from stem end. Cut the pulp in to desired cubes.
Photo courtesy:
The essential vegetarian cookbook from Thunder
bay press.
Sprinkle or
rinse the cut sections in lemon juice to prevent enzymatic brown
discoloration until ready to use.
Here are some serving tips:
-
In many parts of Central America, the fruit is
eaten as it is with some added pepper
powder, limejuice, and salt.
-
The fruit sections or cubes are added to
vegetable/fruit salads, salsa etc.
-
Mashed avocado fillings used to make Mexican
polenta pancakes.
Guacamole
is a favorite avocado based Mexican dip.
-
Similarly, guasacaca
is Venezuelan variant
prepared using vinegar instead of lemon
juice.
-
Mashed fruit may be mixed with icecreams,
shakes, and fruit juices.
Safety profile
Raw unripe avocados concentrated with tannins.
High tannin content makes them bitter and unappetizing. Very high
levels of tannins in the food prevent minerals like iron, calcium and
phosphorus and vitamins from absorption in the gut.
Although
very rare, avocados may result in allergic symptoms in some
latex-sensitive persons. The symptoms may include itching in the
throat, hives, runny nose, breathlessness etc. Often the symptoms are
mild and self-limiting. (Medical
disclaimer)
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Further reading: Persea americana- Purdue
horticulture university.
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