Avocados are one of the only healthy foods that everyone enjoys eating. I mean, who’s going to turn down a heaping spoonful of guacamole, or a yummy avocado eggs Benedict?
Apart from tasting incredible, this little miracle fruit (yes, an avocado is a fruit) can have surprising benefits for your mental health, your skin, and your heart. Doctors suggest eating avocados multiple times a week. Here are some of the ways that avocados help your mental and physical health thrive, while giving you supermodel skin.
1. Improved cholesterol
People on diets might complain about avocado being high in fat, but it’s the type of fat that counts. With a whopping 10 grams of healthy fats per avocado half, you’re getting a healthy dose of monosaturated fats, which increases good HDL cholesterol and lowering the bad kind.
2. A better defense for your immune system
Eat an avocado a day to protect yourself from infections, diseases, and viruses. Thanks to being high in B vitamins, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C, disease prevention becomes a breeze. It also has natural plant substances and antioxidants which could fight cancer and cataracts.
3. Farewell, insomnia
If you find yourself tossing and turning at night, or it’s hard to fall asleep, the nearly 20 mg of magnesium in half an avocado can impress sleep and mood. That’s because it’s considered an anti-stress mineral. An avocado milkshake before bed? Sounds good to us…
4. A happy gut
10 grams of fiber lives within a single avocado. If you have issues with constipation or other digestive problems, incorporating avocado in your diet can make for a healthier gut. Plus, the fiber in it keeps you fuller for up to three hours longer.
5. Glowing hair and skin
Just applying avocado as a face mask can help keep your eyes bright, air shining, and radiant skin. Those good fats we were talking about, along with fat-soluble vitamins, are amazing for your skin when applied topically and when consumed.
6. Improved heart health
Eating avocados daily can lower the chances of heart disease, thanks to their high potassium and low sodium levels. This lowers blood pressure, which reduces the chances of getting a stroke or heart attack.
7. It promotes a healthy pregnancy
Thanks to the fiber, fats, and antioxidants in avocados, they’ve been linked to improved production of breastmilk, the health of the mother, and fertility in women trying to get pregnant.
8. Slows down the aging process
Antioxidants are key in reversing or slowing down the process of aging. The main one in avocados to get the job done is xanthophyll, which stops damage to DNA and could slow aging as well as preventing the onset of diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
9. Kick depression to the curb
Avocados can improve your mental health and even reduce depression. That’s because high quality dietary fat has been proven to improve brain function. The anti-inflammatory nature of fats in avocados, combined with high levels of folate make this fruit a potent contender in battling depression.
10. More excitement in the bedroom
Did you know that avocados are actually powerful aphrodisiacs? The can improve intimacy due to, once again, these magical saturated fats which are required to synthesize testosterone.
11. Lower your chances of getting cancer
Due to phytochemicals in avocados, precancerous and cancerous cells are killed more frequently than if you didn’t eat them. Carotenoids in blood are linked to a lowered chance of cancer, especially for women with denser breast tissue. There are lots of carotenoids in our green friends, so remember: an avocado a day keeps the doctor away!
12. Increased nutrient absorption
Eating all your food groups and vitamins is great, but it’s no good if your body can’t effectively absorb all that goodness. Avocados help you absorb those nutrients so that your body can optimize them.
13. Strong bones
Parents always tell you to drink your milk for strong bones, but they should have been telling you to eat your guac, because high levels of folate, vitamin K and copper all ensure well-built and healthy bones.
14. Lose weight
Avocados can help you avoid obesity because of all the healthy fats and essential nutrients inside of them. Eating half an avocado keeps you full, which helps you eat in moderation rather than leaving you with a hungry stomach.