Also known as butter fruit, avocados are a type of berry. They thrive in warm climates.
Avocados are a great source of monounsaturated fats and contain many vitamins and minerals. Including them in a varied, healthy diet can provide a number of benefits.
The following article explains the nutritional value of avocados, how they might benefit our health, and some of the risks they might pose.
What Is Butter Fruit (Avocado)?
Butter Fruit or avocado is a pear-shaped fruit native to Mexico. It has a rich, creamy flavour. Avocados have plenty of vitamins and minerals and provide several health benefits.
Butter Fruit Calories
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 100g of raw avocado has 160 calories. It also comprises 73.2g of water, 2g of protein, 14.7g of fat, 6.7g of dietary fiber, and 8.53g of carbohydrates. Avocado is also a rich source of minerals like calcium, iron, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, and potassium. It also contains essential vitamins like vitamin A, C, E, K, and B6.
Facts About Avocado (Butter Fruit)
Here are some interesting facts about Avocado-
- It is said that this sacred fruit can preserve the quality of sperm. The reason is that it contains healthy fats, vitamin B6, and vitamin E. Additionally, its vitamin B6 and selenium content are said to prevent sperm damage.
- Due to its low cholesterol content, this superfruit can help you to prevent heart diseases.
- Avocados have the highest protein content of any fruit, with four grams per serving.
- Avocado trees only bear fruit when there is another avocado tree nearby. Therefore, avocado trees cannot self-pollinate and need another tree of the same species to thrive.
Butter Fruit Benefits
The following are some of the butter fruit benefits.
1) Promotes weight loss:-
As avocados have plenty of fiber, they keep the stomach full and prevent overeating. A study also suggests that having avocado daily helps redistribute belly fat in women.
2) Promotes heart health:-
As per a Harvard study, eating one avocado regularly is healthy for the heart as it reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol. Therefore, butter fruit reduces the risk of heart attacks and other heart diseases.
3) Helps fight cancer:-
Research suggests that avocado is also beneficial in fighting cancer as its molecules target and kill the cancerous white blood cells in the body.
4) Reduces muscle pain:-
Avocados are rich in antioxidants like vitamin C, carotenoids, and anthocyanins that help reduce muscle pain. Vitamin E present in avocado also helps in reducing joint inflammation.
5) Butter Fruit Benefits for Skin
Another research suggests that avocados also help slow down skin aging. Butter fruit contains lutein and zeaxanthin enzymes that prevent skin aging caused due to UV rays and radiation. Eating avocado regularly also helps in reducing fine lines and wrinkles and enhances skin elasticity.
6) Improves gut health:-
Since avocados are a great source of fiber, it aids in treating constipation and improves gut health.
7) Eliminates toxins from the body:-
Avocado is considered a superfood that helps in body detoxification. The glutathione component present in the fruits helps fight over thirty carcinogens in the body and boosts liver functioning to remove toxins.
8) Helps in treating depression:-
Avocados are also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and tryptophan that help reduce inflammation in the brain and also aids in treating depression and anxiety.
9) Helps in treating osteoporosis:-
Magnesium is an essential nutrient for healthy bones because it enhances the absorption of calcium in the body. Since avocados contain an ample amount of magnesium, they aid in keeping bones strong.
10) Butter Fruit Is Good for Pregnancy
As per research, pregnant women should have foods that have plenty of nutrients and are high fiber content. Since butter fruit is rich in fiber and nutrients like potassium and folate, it is beneficial during pregnancy. Moreover, the lipid-soluble antioxidants and monounsaturated fats in avocado enhance the quality of breast milk.
11) Helps in improving vision
The lutein component present in avocados filters the harmful blue light from reaching the cells. Therefore, it protects the retina and improves vision.
12) Butter Fruit for Diabetes
Avocados are also beneficial for diabetic patients. They help regulate blood sugar levels. A study conducted on 12 women with type-2 diabetes suggested that the monounsaturated fatty acids component in avocado aids in lowering the plasma triglycerides level in the blood and improves the lipid profile. Also, the sugar content in avocado is low as compared to other fruits.
13) Butter Fruit Benefits for Hair
Along with skin, avocado is good for the hair too. Studies suggest that potassium, magnesium, and folate are essential nutrients for hair growth. As butter fruit is a rich source of these nutrients, it improves scalp health. Also, avocado oil can be used to treat dry and damaged hair.
Also Read: 15 Magical Health Benefits of Star Fruit and How to Eat It!
How to Eat Butter Fruit?
Butter fruit should be added to the daily diet. Here are a few ways to eat butter fruit:
- Butter fruit can be eaten raw like any other fruit. You can cut the avocado from the middle to remove the seed and add it to your salad.
- You can also mash the avocado to make a veggie dip.
- Another popular way to eat avocado is to mash it and apply it to a whole-wheat toast.
Butter Fruit Disadvantages
Avocado offers several health benefits, but only when it is consumed in moderation. Eating excess butter fruit has the following disadvantages:
- Avocados comprise an amino acid called tyrosine which, when consumed in excess, can cause migraine.
- Excess consumption of avocados can also increase blood pressure.
- A study also suggests that people who are allergic to natural rubber latex may also have oral allergic reactions such as itching inside the mouth from plant-derived foods like avocado.
- Moreover, having too much avocado can increase the level of Vitamin K in the body that can result in blood clots.
Butter Fruit Recipes
1. Avocado Salad
- Take half a lemon and squeeze it into a small bowl.
- Add 1 tbsp of oil, ideally olive or coconut oil.
- According to taste, mix salt (1/2 tsp) and pepper powder (1/2 tsp).
- Add a spoonful of salt and pepper powder to your salad dressing.
- You can also add a pinch of chat masala if you wish.
2. Avocado Milkshake
- Wash and cut the avocado in half vertically.
- The seed should be removed and discarded.
- Using a spoon, scoop out the pulp.
- Blend with sugar or honey and cold milk in a mixer or juicer.
- Depending on the consistency you want, add more or less milk.
3. Avocado Toast
- Toast your slice of bread until it is golden and firm.
- Cut your avocado in half and remove the pit.
- Take the flesh out of the avocado by using a large spoon.
- You can mash it up with a fork until it's as smooth as you like.
- Mix in a pinch of salt (about ⅛ teaspoon) and add more to taste, if desired.
- Spread avocado on top of your toast.
Summing Up on Butter Fruit Benefits
Avocadoes are a good source of fibre, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin E, folate, and copper, along with vitamins B6 and E.
In addition to protecting against heart disease, avocados can improve overall diet quality, increase satiety, and promote gut health.
And they're delicious, too. Try including it in your diet and reap the benefits!
FAQs
1) Is Avocado and Butter Fruit Are Same
Avocados are also known as Butter fruit, so yes, they are the same.
2) Is Butter Fruit Is Heat or Cold
Avocado or butter fruit cools down your body, making it easier to digest and giving a refreshing perception.
3) Is Butter Fruit Good for Weight Loss?
Avocados are high in fibre, which promotes weight loss and metabolic health. Fibre-rich foods help lower your blood pressure, decrease your appetite, and lower your cholesterol. It keeps you more full and according to a study, Avocados reduce your appetite for at least five hours after eating one.
4) Is It Ok to Eat Avocado Everyday?
Yes, you can eat one avocado a day as it can help improve bad cholesterol levels in overweight and obese people, a study published in 2015 concluded.
Make avocados part of your daily healthy eating plan, but consider downsizing your servings to either half of the whole fruit (20 calories) or a few thin slices (about 65 calories) so that you can limit your calorie intake.
