What are the health benefits of eating avocados?

Long criticized for its richness in fats, the Avocado has known for some years his hours of glory. Propelled to the rank of superfoods by addicts to the healthy diet, it has become the star of Foodists, like the famous avocado-toast that never ceases to make people talk about him. So what is the real situation? Ally health or not?

Avocado is an oleaginous fruit, just like almonds, nuts, hazelnuts, or cashew nuts. The term oilseed comes from the Latin 'oleum', which means oil, because the specificity of these fruits lies in their high-fat content, unlike other fruits that contain mainly sugars. Originally from Mexico, it is also nicknamed green gold, as its production is so important and its market flourishing. The full season of the avocado is from October to April, but it is present all year round on the stalls. It is the 11th most consumed fruit of the French with 2.8 kg per household per year.

What are the health benefits?

Avocado is full of nutritional qualities and health benefits. 'Certainly, it is fatty, but the lipids it contains are overwhelmingly unsaturated fatty acids (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) cardio-protective, explains the nutritionist, It is in particular very well provided with oleic acid known to increase good cholesterol (HDL) and decrease bad (LDL).'

 The Avocado is also an excellent source of vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin with recognized antioxidant properties. "This vitamin is particularly effective in protecting cells from the harms of free radicals, responsible for premature aging, but also for certain cancers and heart disease," explains the specialist.

Finally, it's rich in fiber and vitamin K makes the avocado a very good regulator of blood sugar and a valuable ally against diabetes.

What are the calories of the avocado?

High-fat is also high-calorie. It is therefore not an urban legend, Avocado is a very caloric fruit since it contains on average 155 calories per 100 g, which is almost three times more than the average fruit whose average caloric value is 55 calories/100 g. However, this energy value is quite variable depending on the maturity of the fruit. 'A very mature and very creamy avocado can reach 200 calories per 100g when a firm and immature avocado will bring just over 100', says Lise Lafaurie, a nutritionist in Paris.

Nutritional values

NUTRIMENTS	AVOCADO: CONTENT PER 100 G	VEGETABLES: AVERAGE OF FOOD
Protein	1,61 g	1,7 ,g
Carbohydrates	3,67 g	4,4 g
- of which sugars	1 g	2,3 g
- of which starch	2,1 g	0,9 g
Dietary fibre	4 g	2 g
Lipids	13,8 g	0,6 g
- of which cholesterol	0 mg	0,2 mg
- of which monounsaturated fatty acids	2,17 g	0,1 g
- of which monounsaturated fatty acids	7,67 g	0,2 g
- of which polyunsaturated fatty acids	1,57 g	0,1 g
water	75,7 g	90 g

Avocado and diet: what advice?

The avocado is therefore three times more calories than the average fresh fruit, should we ban it when we are trying to lose weight? 'Not at all,' says nutritionist Lise Lafaurie, 'avocado is very satiating and its regular consumption would even tend to lower the caloric intake of the day, which can, on the contrary, promote weight loss.' An American study showed that the daily consumption of half an avocado promoted satiety and reduced the caloric level of the day. 

Be careful, however, not to add other sources of fat that could quickly double the caloric addition of the avocado. 'People who monitor their line will avoid, for example, seasoning their avocado with mayonnaise, dressing, or even a simple drizzle of oil that will weigh down the caloric note of their dish. They will prefer a lemon juice and a few drops of soy sauces, or simply a pinch of salt, pepper, and Espelette pepper', says the nutritionist.