Health Benefits of Avocado

As well as being a nutrient and calorie rich fruit, the health benefits of avocado assist in health bones, eyes and antioxidants to help fight cancer and heart disease.

Sometimes referred to as an alligator pear, the health benefits of avocado as well as it’s high nutrition should make it a part of your weekly diet.  The avocado is a green fruit that grows in tropical and semi-tropical areas of the world including Central America, South America, California and Florida. Avocados are climacteric fruits, meaning they come to maturity while on the tree, but ripen only after falling to the ground. The avocado has been cultivated for approximately eleven centuries and more than 450 variations of the fruit exist today. A single avocado tree can produce up to 600 avocados each year. Although few fruits can boast the same nutritional value of an avocado, many people are completely unaware of just how many vitamins and minerals are packed into this tasty fruit. Avocados can be eaten raw or used to make condiments such as guacamole or salad dressings.

A Vitamin-Rich Fruit

A mid-sized avocado contains approximately 300 nutrient packed calories. The fruit contains generous amounts of vitamins K, D, C, E and B, as well a vast array of both primary and trace minerals. Vitamin B is essential to a healthy nervous system and to proper metabolic function. Vitamin D is necessary for adequate bone growth and healthy teeth. Vitamins C and E are powerful anti-oxidants and are vital to a strong immune system. Vitamin K is essential to proper blood clotting and bone health. Vitamins D and K also work together to promote healthy joint cartilage and enhance the human body’s production of osteoclasts, the cells that form new bones as a child grows.

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