Avocado appeared on our tables not so long ago, but quickly became an integral component of many dietary dishes, because it has a lot of useful properties and a minimum of contraindications for use. Due to its rich vitamin composition, the product quickly saturates, allows you to lose weight, heals the skin and has a pleasant creamy taste.
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The chemical composition and general beneficial properties of avocados
Fruit is a natural source of easily absorbed fatty acids and essential vitamins. All parts of the plant, in addition to the seed, are good for health: fruits, seeds and leaves. From the leaves and seeds, a decoction is prepared, useful in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and the pulp has a positive integrated effect on the body. The composition includes:
- Vitamin E, the amount of which is 20% of the daily norm in the diet, is beneficial for the skin: it prevents premature aging, saturates the cells with oxygen, and actively fights stretch marks.
Beneficial features - Vitamins K, F, and B help strengthen the immune system, protect against nervous exhaustion and increase hemoglobin levels.
- Potassium accelerates organic reactions in the body, thereby increasing stamina. The component also normalizes the functioning of the kidneys, prevents the formation of edema.
- Copper inhibits the development of anemia, and iron helps form blood cells.
- Oleic acid maintains a normal level of cholesterol in the blood, prevents its increase, breaks down already accumulated.
- The amino acid L-carnitine burns fats, speeds up metabolism and promotes weight loss.
| Vitamins, macro- and microelements | Amount in mg |
|---|---|
| B1 | 0,06 |
| B2 | 0,04 |
| B3 | 0,6 |
| B5 | 1,0 |
| B6 | 0,2 |
| C | 7,7 |
| Potassium | 280 |
| Phosphorus | 33 |
| Calcium | 15 |
| Sulfur | 15 |
| Magnesium | 10 |
| Iron | 1 |
| Aluminum | 0,8 |
| Zinc | 0,29 |
| Copper | 0,25 |
| Iodine | 0,002 |
General beneficial properties are manifested due to the high content in the fruit of the antioxidant glutathione, lutein and folic acid:
- the digestive system is cleansed of toxins and toxins;
- the number of cholesterol cells is reduced by a maximum of 3 times;
- the body becomes resistant to acute respiratory viral infections;
- blood pressure remains stable;
- irritability and fatigue pass;
- prevents vision impairment, strengthens the optic nerve with impaired vision;
- increases stamina and increases resistance to stress;
- protects the skin from drying out, peeling and inflammation;
- smoothes shallow wrinkles and prevents the appearance of new ones.
The fruit is also useful for those who are trying to gain muscle mass. It is a valuable source of protein and is an analogue of animal meat. The product should also be included in the recovery period after bone injuries.
You may be interested in:The benefits of avocados for women in weight loss and cosmetology
Due to the fact that the product is rich in vitamins, it is especially useful for women: it improves the condition of the skin and hair, it produces cosmetics and is included in many weight loss programs.
Useful properties of avocado oil for skin and hair
Avocado oil is useful both for improving the appearance of healthy hair and for treating thin, brittle and prone to hair loss.
Regular rubbing of the oil in its pure form or adding it to the shampoo gives excellent results after a week of use:
- the amount of dandruff is reduced;
- hair is protected from ultraviolet radiation;
- the structure is restored after staining and styling;
- the strands become more dense, due to which volume appears.
Useful recipes for hair masks on a natural basis:
- Kefir, honey and oil are mixed in equal proportions depending on the amount of hair. Comb the hair and rub the mixture into the roots with massage movements, distributing the residues over the roots with a comb. Tie a warm towel on your head, and after 30 minutes wash off the mask with warm water. The tool is best suited for oily hair.
Mask with kefir, honey and avocado oil - For growth, you can combine avocado and burdock oil in a 1: 1 ratio, add 5 drops of jojoba oil and rub into the roots. Residues can be applied to the tips or greased the skin of the hands. You can wash off the mask after 40 minutes with shampoo.
- If the ends of the hair are split, combine 2 tablespoons of avocado oil with the same amount of olive oil, add a spoonful of bay oil and 10 drops of liquid vitamin A. The mixture is applied to the ends for 1 hour.
You may be interested in:The fruit is also useful to include in the diet and used externally to treat problem skin and smooth wrinkles. The product is able to improve complexion, prevent dermis drying out and cure psoriasis and eczema. Oil should be rubbed into problem areas on the skin or make masks with honey and kefir.
How to lose weight with avocados
Due to its caloric content, this fruit cannot be considered completely dietary, especially if you eat it with bread, croutons and fatty meat dishes. The effectiveness of its use in the diet is that it normalizes the gastrointestinal tract, contributing to the elimination of toxins and better absorption of food. Therefore, when losing weight, you should adhere to several rules:
- Do not eat more than 100 g of product per day. Such a dose will help you to eat more quickly, saturate the body with useful substances and will not be converted to body fat.
- It is best to add 20 g each to small portions of boiled chicken or turkey breast.
- Replace the menu with sweet tea, coffee and milk with avocado juice.
If you need to lose a small amount of weight in a short time, you need to adhere to a diet for three days, on which you can lose 1.5 kg. You can use this method no more than a couple of times a year:
- for breakfast, eat half an avocado with low-fat cottage cheese, drink green tea;
- for lunch - 200 ml of vegetable broth, 200 g of salad, boiled egg, a quarter of fruit, cucumbers with herbs;
- for dinner - a small piece of baked beef, a quarter of avocado, washed down with a glass of kefir.
Avocado contraindications and possible harm
It is worthwhile to refrain from including avocados in the menu with its individual intolerance, diseases of the intestines and stomach, especially at the stage of exacerbation.With dysfunction of the gallbladder and liver, use is possible only in extremely small quantities, and only if the diseases of these organs are not serious.
With lactation, the use of the product is excluded, it can be introduced into the diet only after breastfeeding, otherwise the amount of milk will greatly decrease. The product also cannot be included in the diet of children. Only after reaching the age of three can you give 10-20 g per week in the form of mashed potatoes in the absence of allergies.
The product is not harmful to health when used in small quantities. If you eat 500 g of fruit or more daily, side effects will appear:
- digestive problems;
- pain in the stomach;
- flatulence;
- bloating;
- constipation or diarrhea;
- cramps
- the development of coronary heart disease (with a predisposition to the disease).
Avocado is also harmful to the body if you use not its flesh, but a bone. It contains many toxins that can be released and penetrate the pulp of the fruit in contact with air. Therefore, it must be removed immediately when cutting the fetus and not try to break it and add to food.
How to eat fruit for medicinal purposes
Only fresh and carefully peeled avocados can be used to improve the condition of diseases. The body receives a maximum of nutrients for any use of the product: internal or external.
How to peel a fruit?
Cleaning is not such a complicated matter as it seems at first glance. Rinse the avocado thoroughly and follow the instructions:
- put a napkin on a cutting board to avoid slipping;
- place the fruit vertically on it, and holding the knife in your hand, make an incision, starting from the narrower end of the fruit;
- since the bone cannot be cut, make 2 maximally deep cuts on both sides of the avocado;
- you need to separate it in two with your hands, slowly turning the halves from side to side in opposite directions.
In one of the divided parts there will be a bone that needs to be removed with a tablespoon - this is the most convenient way. The same cutlery will be needed for cleaning. Gently stick it between the skin and the pulp, and scrape the latter so that, in the end, it represents either one whole piece or several small ones - the fruit is ready to eat.
Daily intake
Avocado is a high-calorie fruit (245 kcal per 100 g), comparable in composition to lean meat and vegetable oil. The average weight of one fruit without a stone is 200 grams, and this is the maximum daily rate. Those who follow a diet are not recommended to eat more than 100 grams per day. Children should not be given more than 30 grams per day.
Avocado leaf infusion
The infusion is effective in dysentery and enterocolitis, which is accompanied by diarrhea. For a two-week course of treatment, one of the preparations prepared according to the following recipes is suitable:
- Pour a tablespoon of leaves with 300 ml of water and cook for 8 minutes. Allow the liquid to infuse for 2 hours, then strain.
Drink the resulting liquid half an hour before meals, 3 times a day for half a glass. - Using the same proportions, you can make an infusion of fruit seeds. Drink half a glass 30 minutes before meals.
- Lower 6-7 large leaves in 1.5 liters of boiling distilled water, prepare the product over high heat for 10 minutes. Cool the broth and consume during the day. The product cleanses the kidneys well.
You may be interested in:For gum treatment
A few drops of avocado oil can be added to your mouthwash to prevent gum disease. For the treatment of caries, pyorrhea and bleeding, it is advisable not only to eat fruit, but also apply its pulp to the gums for several minutes. A lotion can also be made from oil. A small amount of it should be applied to cotton wool, applied to a sore spot for 2-3 hours.
Common questions
Avocado is a useful product used in cooking, cosmetology and medicine. It has a minimum of contraindications for use, and with its moderate addition to food, it will become the best source of vitamin and help to improve the general condition.
