9 Health Benefits of Avocados You Should Know

Health benefits of avocados include heart health and weight management support, and improving cognitive function and digestive health. Avocados also contain healthy fats, disease-fighting antioxidants, and nearly 20 vitamins and minerals. Just one avocado provides 40% of the Daily Value (DV) of folate, 30% of the DV for vitamin K, and over 20% of the daily value of vitamin C.

1. They Can Keep You Full Longer

Healthy fats and fiber slow stomach emptying, keeping you full longer and delaying hunger. This feeling is called satiety.

Avocados fit the bill. Their fat comes mostly from heart-healthy monounsaturated fats (MUFAs), and their carbs come mainly from fiber.

Adding half an avocado to your meal can boost satiety for up to five hours.

2. They Can Help with Weight Management

Eating avocados regularly can help you maintain a healthy weight. Contrary to popular belief, eating fat does not automatically lead to weight gain. Eating healthy fats is a savvy weight management strategy.

Plant-based fats like those in avocados offer antioxidants and fight inflammation, both linked to healthy weight management. Avocados also contain soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber slows down digestion and the absorption of ingested fats and carbohydrates. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stool and helps to eliminate digested food from your intestines.

Over time, eating avocados can reduce the ratio of visceral fat to subcutaneous fat, which is found just under the skin. This reduction means body fat is being redistributed away from the organs.

3. They Benefit Heart Health

Avocados have heart-protective effects. Eating avocado regularly reduces total cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol while increasing HDL ("good") cholesterol.

Avocados are an excellent source of potassium, a micronutrient that helps reduce blood pressure. A balance between increasing potassium and decreasing sodium can help treat high blood pressure.

4. They May Reduce Diabetes Complications

If you have type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance, higher blood sugar levels lead to more insulin production. Adding half an avocado to a meal may help limit insulin and glucose spikes.

Avocado consumption may also reduce belly fat (known as visceral fat). Visceral fat cushions the organs in your abdomen and is tied to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

5. They May Enhance Your Nutrient Intake

Avocados can help your body absorb more antioxidants from the other nutritious foods you eat. For example, pairing avocado with tomato sauce and carrots boosts the absorption of vitamin A, a crucial nutrient for healthy skin, vision, and immunity.

Avocados may also help support a healthier diet overall. Regular avocado eaters tend to consume more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. People who eat avocados get more of the following nutrients compared to those who don't:

• Fiber
• Magnesium
  
• Potassium
• Vitamin E
• Unsaturated fats
  

6. They Help Promote Healthy Digestion

Avocados benefit your gut microbiome inside your digestive tract, home to trillions of microorganisms and their genetic material. A healthy gut microbiome strengthens immune function, reduces inflammation, and guards against chronic diseases.

7. They May Sharpen Your Mind

Avocado is rich in a phytochemical called lutein, a pigment related to beta carotene and vitamin A. You may know lutein as one of the two major carotenoids found in the eye. The other place lutein is found is the brain.

Research has shown that eating one avocado a day for six months improved memory test performance in older adults. Lutein supplement did not produce the same results, suggesting something in avocados boosts brain function.

8. They Can Support Eye Health

Lutein and zeaxanthin are antioxidants found in your eyes, specifically in the macular pigment, which is what helps your eyes fine-tune your vision.

Eating avocados provides zeaxanthin, which can increase the amount of macular pigment in your eyes. Avocados also seem to increase the absorption of lutein better than taking just a lutein supplement, likely due to the healthy fats in the fruit.

9. They Have Cancer-Fighting Potential

Avocados are rich in antioxidants. Extracts of avocado pulp or the fruit have been found to have cancer-fighting properties. One extract with antioxidants like lutein and vitamin E stopped prostate cancer cell growth. Another extract eliminated oral cancer cells.

What Nutrients Are in Avocados?

One large (201-gram) avocado without the skin and seed provides the following nutrients:

• Calories: 322 calories
• Protein: 4 grams
• Carbohydrates: 17 grams
• Fiber: 13 grams
• Folate: 163 micrograms
• Vitamin K: 42 micrograms
• Vitamin C: 20 milligrams
• Vitamin E: 4 milligrams
• Potassium: 975 milligrams
• Magnesium: 58 milligrams

Over 300 calories for one avocado may seem like a lot, but the calories primarily come from almost 30 grams of healthy fat. Most of the carbohydrates in avocado come from 13 grams of fiber, which is half the recommended daily amount for an adult.

Eating just one avocado provides 40% of your daily needs for folate, one of the many B vitamins responsible for energy metabolism and new cell production. Avocado has over 30% of the daily value for vitamin K, which is necessary for blood clotting and bone health. It also contains over 20% of your needs for vitamin C and 26% of the daily value for vitamin E.

Avocados also contain minerals. One avocado offers nearly 30% of the daily value of potassium and almost 20% of the daily value of magnesium.

Tips for Adding More Avocado To Your Diet

Avocados can be enjoyed alone or alongside your favorite meals and snacks. Here are some ways to add more avocado into your day:

• Smash avocado on whole-grain toast with salt and pepper.
• Add sliced avocado to sandwiches or burgers.
• Top tacos with diced avocado.
• Make guacamole with mashed avocado for dipping.
• Add diced avocado to leafy green salads.
• Whip avocado into fruit smoothies.
• Add blended avocado into homemade chocolate pudding or brownies.
• Blend avocado with hummus.
  

Avocados can even be substituted for butter in baking. Trade each tablespoon of butter in recipes for brownies and cupcakes for half a tablespoon of mashed avocado. The swap reduces calories, upgrades the nutritional quality of your goodies, and still provides a creamy texture that will leave you satisfied.