Avocado is a great aid in weight loss on the ketogenic diet! Nutritionist Wei Yifen reveals: 5 unexpected health benefits of avocados

In recent years, the ketogenic diet has become a new favorite for people who want to lose weight. It adopts the dietary principle of "extremely low carbohydrates, moderate protein, and sufficient fat" and has caused a sensation both at home and abroad. It has not only boosted the sales of coconut oil, but even avocados, known as the "cream of the forest", are also regarded as the best companion for the ketogenic diet. Regardless of whether the ketogenic diet is suitable for everyone, nutritionist Wei Yifen reminds us that although avocados are "high-nutrient-density" foods, there are still three little tips that ordinary people should pay attention to when eating them!

Avocados are high in nutrients and have 5 health benefits

Wei Yifen, a nutritionist at Yunlin Christian Hospital, said that avocado (scientific name: Persea Americana) contains various nutrients essential to the human body and important phytochemicals. It is considered a "high-nutrient-density" food and moderate intake has many benefits to the human body.

Benefit 1/ Protect cardiovascular health: Avocados are rich in oil, and the oil composition ratio is: monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) accounts for 71%, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) accounts for 13%, and saturated fatty acids (SFA) accounts for 16%, which helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Benefit 2/Lower bad cholesterol: Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats, which help lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, commonly known as "bad cholesterol." In addition, the rich vitamin C and vitamin E in avocados may also help delay the process of hypercholesterolemia turning into atherosclerosis.

Benefit 3/Control blood sugar and help lose weight: 1 avocado weighs about 400 to 600 grams, and the flesh after peeling and removing the seeds is about 400 grams, with 292 calories, which is lower than a cup of commercially available sugary milk tea drinks, which has about 500 to 1000 calories. Moreover, every 100 grams of avocado contains 3.8 grams of dietary fiber and 4.8 grams of fat. Both dietary fiber and fat have the effect of making you feel full and delaying the rise of blood sugar. Moderate intake of avocado has been proven to help reduce weight, BMI and waist circumference.

Benefit 4/ Helps control blood pressure: According to the "Taiwan Food Composition Database 2016 N5 Edition", the edible part of avocado contains an average of 271 mg of potassium ions per 100 grams, which is a very rich content. Clinical evidence suggests that adults should consume adequate potassium every day to help protect blood pressure. In addition, avocado is low in sodium, which helps prevent high blood pressure.

Benefit 5/ Reduced risk of cancer: Avocados contain phytochemicals such as carotenoids, terpenoids, phenols and glutathione. Studies have shown that these phytochemicals have anti-cancer and anti-cancer properties.

From a nutritional point of view, avocado is classified as "fats" among the six major food categories. Even though its fatty acid composition ratio is beneficial to health, it is still not advisable to consume excessively.

Learn 3 tips to eat avocados for a healthy and safe experience

But, did you notice? More than half of the five benefits of eating avocados listed above can be attributed to "fat"! In real life, many people regard avocados as "fruits", but from a nutritional point of view, avocados are classified as "fats" among the six major food categories. Even though its fatty acid composition ratio is beneficial to health, it is still not advisable to consume excessively. Moreover, there are some tips on how to take it!

Nutritionist Wei Yifen suggests that the average person should keep in mind the following three tips when eating avocados to eat them healthily and safely:

Tip 1: Limit 1 capsule per day:

Avocado is a fatty food. The average person needs about 7 to 10 teaspoons of cooking oil (35 to 50 grams of fat) a day. If all the cooking oil is replaced by avocados, it is equivalent to about 1.8 to 2.6 avocados (calculation basis: a 400-gram avocado contains 19.2 grams of fat). But in real life, it is difficult to do without cooking oil for three meals a day, so it is recommended to eat no more than one avocado a day, and the amount of cooking oil must be deducted when eating.

Tip 2: Choose a ripe avocado:

The maturity of avocados is related to their color and feel. Raw avocados are bright green, and their color gradually darkens as they mature. Mature, edible avocados are purple-black. Place the avocado in your palm and squeeze it slightly. If it feels a little soft, it is a ripe avocado. It is best to enjoy it when it has a strong aroma. If you buy unripe green avocados, they can usually be eaten after being stored at room temperature for about 4 to 5 days. To speed up the ripening process, you can put them in a paper bag with an apple or a banana and store them at room temperature.

Some people may ask: Recent studies have found that eating unripe bananas can help control blood sugar. Does unripe avocado have a similar effect? Nutritionist Wei Yifen explained that bananas are fruits, and unripe green bananas contain resistant starch, which cannot be absorbed quickly by the human digestive tract, so it can slow down the rate of blood sugar rise. However, avocado is an oil, not a fruit. The fat can slow down the rise in blood sugar and make you feel fuller after eating it, so there is no need to deliberately choose unripe avocados to eat.

Tip 3: Eat directly for the best nutrition:

Although avocado is not a fruit, it can be eaten like fruit and does not require cooking, thus fully retaining its original vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients. Avocados will lose their original flavor and nutrition after steaming, such as reducing nutrients such as vitamins A, C, E, and niacin, so it is recommended to eat them fresh.