Harm and benefits of avocado. What part of avocado is toxic?

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Avocado has long won our hearts – everyone knows about the incredible benefits of this fruit, but often they do not realize that avocado can harm the body. Let's figure out what's the trick here?

Benefits of avocado

Avocado or Persea americana belongs to the genus Persea of ​​the Laurel family, that is, this fruit is a cousin of cinnamon and bay leaf. The homeland of avocado is considered to be Mexico, where you can still see the oldest avocado trees on the planet – they are over 400 years old. It is not surprising that this fruit was so appreciated by the Aztecs, and then by the Spanish conquistadors, thanks to whom avocados got to Central America and Europe – it really has a lot of benefits. Avocado consists of 73% water, 15% fat, 8.5% carbohydrates (mainly fiber) and 2% protein.

The substances contained in avocado have an anti-inflammatory effect, which is important, for example, for joint diseases – arthritis and arthrosis, diseases of the gastric mucosa and liver.

Avocado is almost a third made up of the most important fatty acids, in particular, oleic, linoleic and palmitic. They protect blood vessels from atherosclerosis. It also contains many fat-soluble vitamins – A, E, K and D, and water-soluble B vitamins (including thiamine, niacin, nicotinic acid, riboflavin, folic acid, etc.) and vitamin C. All of them are very important for our health and immunity.

The carotenoids contained in avocados will help preserve vision and reduce the risk of cataracts. The potassium in avocados is necessary for the health of the cardiovascular, nervous and muscular systems. And due to the lack of this trace element, arrhythmia and other heart problems may develop.

Although avocado is a fairly fatty product, it certainly does not contain cholesterol. Moreover, eating avocado can help reduce the level of “bad” cholesterol in the blood and maintain normal blood sugar levels.

The word “avocado” comes from the Aztec word ahuacatl, which supposedly translates as male testicles.

Harm of avocado

In 1998, avocado entered the Guinness Book of Records as the most calorie-dense fruit due to its high fat content: 100 grams of avocado contains 20 grams of fat and about 160 kcal! For comparison, fried chicken and a good piece of meat have the same calorie content. At the same time, avocado is called “forest oil” and it is advised to replace butter in the diet, the calorie content of which is over 700 kcal per 100 grams. But, you must admit, you are unlikely to be able to eat a whole pack of butter at once, but a whole avocado, or even two, is easy. Remember that avocado is a high-calorie product, not at all dietary. It is especially not recommended to eat fatty avocados with carbohydrates – this way the risk of getting fat deposits on the waist is much higher.

Another important warning: neither the skin nor the seed of the avocado can be eaten – they contain persin – a fungicidal toxin that is deadly to humans and animals.

Unripe avocado, what to do

There are about 400 varieties of avocado. The quality and taste of the fruit do not depend on its size or color. The degree of ripeness can be indicated by its softness – a good avocado will be moderately soft, but elastic, retaining its shape when pressed. A hard avocado – unripe, and too soft, overripe – will definitely be black inside. Ideally, the consistency of the avocado pulp should resemble butter.

It is best to eat avocado raw: add it to salads, make guacamole from it, or simply mash it with a fork into a puree. Avocados are often used instead of butter in sandwiches, but it is still not recommended to use avocados with a lot of carbohydrates – then the product turns from useful to anti-dietary and contributes to the deposition of fat.

If you still bought a hard avocado – put it in a box with an apple or banana and leave it in a dark place for some time. These fruits emit ethylene – a gas that helps avocados ripen faster. If you don't want to wait – grill a hard avocado and eat it with any side dish or salad.