In his book Purseglove named the avocado ” …the most nutritious of all fruits.” (Purseglove, J. W. 1968. Tropical crops: Dicotyledons. Wiley, New York). The avocado fruit provides 20 vitamins, minerals (fourteen minerals), and phytonutrients.
Avocado is as a “nutrient enhancer” by allowing the human body to absorb lipophilic alpha and beta-carotene and lutein in foods that are prepared with the fruit. Adding avocado to salsa increases body’s ability to absorb health promoting lycopene and beta-carotene a few times higher than the amount of these nutrients absorbed from avocado-free salsa.
Avocado is rich in both monosaturated and polyunsaturated fat and contains potassium. Avocado is better than banana because contains more potassium and much less sugar. The fruit also is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate, copper, and dietary fiber. One avocado contains 30 grams of fat (300 calories), but 2/3 of them are health-promoting monounsaturated fats, including oleic acid. Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fat that may help to lower cholesterol. A diet high in avocados may help decrease the unhealthy levels in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, and increase the level of health promoting HDL cholesterol. Avocado meets the dietary guidelines of the American Heart Association, established to eat a diet that is low to moderate in fat.
By eating organic fresh avocados chopped in a salad, spreaded on sandwiches and toast or a few slices on a plate you lower your cholesterol level and increase your immune system!