Avocado fruit of Persea americana belongs to family Lauraceae, genus Perseal and have a great nutritional values. It has so many uses. It is used to make food delicious, to nourish and smooth the skin as a cosmetic and to make salads healthy.
By: Kousar Fatima, Khadija Mukhtiar, Nida Altaf, Fouzia Perveen, Tehreem Fatima, Armisha Arshad, Maria Naqve, Athar Mahmood
In many parts of the world, it is used as a dessert. Avocados are rich in potassium, magnesium, fibers, vitamins C, E, K and B6 as well as folate. Natural plant sterols which are called beta sterols found in avocados. Consumption of recommended amount of plant sterols may help to maintain healthy cholesterol level which are beneficial for heart health. Avocado has a long history and heritage. It is a native pulpy fruit of tropical America, also called alligator pear. It was originated from Western Hemisphere of Mexico south to Andean regions between 1000 and 5000 B.C. Research have revealed that it was early cultivated in Mexico but not found in the West Indies at that time. It was introduced into Jamaica and Southern Spain in 1650 and 1601 respectively. Avocado was first recorded in Florida ( U.S state with the Atlantic on one side and the gulf of Mexico on the other). The most popular variety of Avocado is Hass. The mother tree of Hass was first born in
California, is the main producer of domestic avocados. Avocado is considered as nation’s crop in California.
Morphology
Avocado have a rough green outer skin and buttery pulp. The texture of skin is more likely pebbled and became dull green after ripening. The avocado that is dark green or almost black is best. It is about the size of large pear also called avocado pear. It is single seeded, it’s fruit size is usually 7-20 cm ( 3-8 inch) long, weight is between 100 to 1000 gram. The large central seed is about 5 to 6.4 cm long. It has small and greenish flower. The tree size of Avocado is usually 30 to 40 feet or 9 to 12 meters. But the irrigation, temperature, condition of soil and fertilization are very important to decide the size of avocado tree. The tree can be tall or spreading.
Avocado Taste
Ripe avocado taste is nutty, creamy and almost buttery. It’s taste can be like boiled egg. Sometimes unripe and over ripe fruit of avocado seems to be tasteless, but they are still not tasteless.
Harvest
Just like banana, the avocados fruit do not ripen on the tree but will fall or picked in hard form, in green state. Then it will ripen on the ground quickly.
Beneficial to Health
Avocados have a high range of health benefits including, vision improvement, digestion, decreasing depression risk and protection against stomach, colon, pancreatic and cervical cancers.
Benefits
Nutritional Values
Avocados are a clear source of vitamins C, E, K, D, folate, riboflavin, magnesium, calcium, lutein, beta carotene and omega 3- fatty acids. Avocados contain healthy and beneficial fats which can help a person to feel good. Fat is very essential for our body to support skin health and immune system.
100 grams of Avocado or half an avocado contains;
| Calories | 160 |
| Fat | 14.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 8.5 g |
| Fiber | 6.7 g |
| Folate | 81 micro grams |
| Vitamin C | 10 milligrams |
| Vitamin E | 2.07 milligrams |
| Sugar | Less than 1 gram |
Heart Health
Plant sterols are found in avocados which may be a beta sterol. Beta sterol helps to maintain body cholesterol level. Healthy fat oleic acid ( a mono saturated fatty acid) is the part of avocado. This fat is heart healthy and helps to lower the cardiovascular inflammation.
Vision Improvement
Two phytochemicals Lutien and zeaxanthin are present in eye tissues, are also found in avocados. These tissue help in protection against UV light damage and prevent macular degeneration.
Cancer Prevention
There is no direct link between avocado consumption and reduction of cancer risk. However avocado do contains some substances that may help to prevent some kind of cancers. Intake of folate can reduce the risk of developing colon, stomach, pancreatic and cervical cancers. Carotenoids have anti cancer properties which specifically protect against cancer progression.
Pregnancy
A mother needs 500 micro grams of folate in a day during pregnancy to prevent birth abnormalities in her baby’s brain and spine. Proper intake reduces the risk of miscarriage and neural tube infections.
Reducing Depression Risk
Low folate level in our body is the main cause of depression. A substance called homsystein slows down the flow of nutrients to the brain which cause depression. Avocado is a good source of folate. Folate helps to block the buildup of homsystein.
Digestion
Avocado is rich in fiber, which are high in insoluble fiber. It helps to move waste through our body, keep us regular and prevent constipation.
Recipes and Other Uses
Avocados are mainly used to make delicious guacamole, salad and sandwich. It is used as a cosmetic for skin and hair tonic. Avocado shake with dates is very famous in Pakistan.
Downsides to Eating Avocado
Although it is advised to a healthy portion of avocado. No doubt it is rich in magnesium, potassium, vitamins, folate and fibers, avocado also have downsides to them. They are high in fats and calories, with one avocado you are taking 30 to 60 grams of fat and 300 plus calories. Higher consumption of avocado can increase blood cholesterol level in our body which is not good for heart health. Avocado contains some substances called polyols or sorbitol which are carbohydrates that can cause irritation to stomach and cause a syndrome called bowel syndrome. It can also cause bloating, diarrhea and painful sensation in the gut. People don’t know that they can be allergic to avocado. If you are allergic to latex, you may be allergic to avocado too. An enzyme called chitinase causes allergic reaction in some people. So be careful before eating avocado.