The avocado, or alligator pear, is an attractive green fruit with a number of benefits. Don’t miss out.

You like avocados? Us too.

Do you feel guilty when you eat them? Us too … well, a bit.

They have a high fat content, being the source of avocado oil with its widely-recognised anti-aging properties, so they’re something to leave out of your diet if you’re watching your weight, and of course if you’re on a weight-loss diet. Well, maybe! However, here’s a glimpse of the benefits of this fruit, which may make it worth overlooking this little downside.

Good for the heart, and anti-aging

The avocado certainly has a high fat content, but in the form of monounsaturated fats, in other words “good” fatty acids that are beneficial for the heart and the arteries, and that makes all the difference.

Further, the avocado is rich in vitamins and minerals. Vitamin K, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, provitamin A, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc, etc.

Maybe this list doesn’t mean very much to you? Then here are some details, in a more accessible form, of what the avocado can do for you:

• It contains more protein than other fruits.
• It has antioxidant qualities. Its vitamin E content protects your tissues against free radicals, those molecules that accelerate the aging process.
• It contains fibre for good bowel function.
• It protects your eyesight by providing lutein, a carotenoid pigment that’s essential for good vision
• Thanks to its vitamin B6 content, it reinforces the immune system.
• It’s rich in vitamin B5, which is energising and counters stress.

You can eat the stone too!
Definitely don’t throw out the avocado pit or stone, which can add more benefits to those listed above. To eat it, take off the chestnut-brown skin and grate the pit to add to salads, for example. You can also grill it in the oven and then grind it. The taste is slightly bitter, so sprinkle it on food but don’t overdo it.

You can have avocado on toast, avocado served in a glass, avocado smoothie, or just enjoy it on its own with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon. The avocado has endless uses, and there’s really no reason to miss out on it.

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