Good Lifestyle

A balanced diet, which includes all food groups, is important to enjoy good health. The avocado, also known as avocado in several countries, is a fruit that is very fashionable and that in addition to having a pleasant taste and texture, has a high nutritional value. But what happens if it is consumed daily? Recently a study was conducted and here we told you what the results were.

1. What is the avocado

The avocado is the fruit of a tree called American Persea . It is very popular in almost everyone, especially in Latin America. For example, in Mexico it is estimated that each person ingests about 11 kilos a year. There are small varieties and other large grafts. Its flesh is firm and creamy texture. It is the main ingredient of Guacamole and reigns in many salads.

2. What was the investigation

Given its high consumption and nutritional properties, a university in the United States decided to investigate whether to eat avocado daily was beneficial. It was the Penn State University, specifically its Department of Nutrition Sciences. The institution, located in Pennsylvania, had a sample of 1,008 people to study. Participants were divided into two groups. The first did not modify his diet and refrained from ingesting avocado for 26 weeks. The second added to his daily menu a avocado for that same time.

3. Study assessment

To evaluate the results, scientists used the healthy eating index. With these parameters they determined whether the guidelines established in the food guides for the Americans were met. “Palta is a nutrient rich food that contains a lot of fiber and other important nutrients. We wanted to see if your regular intake would lead to an increase in diet quality, ”said the department in statement on the study that was published in the magazine Current Developments in Nutrition .

4. The results

A monitoring of each participant was performed that consisted of interviews by phone before the start of the study and during the process. At the end, it was discovered that eating a avocado a notoriously raised to meet the guidelines that establish nutrition specialists and public health departments. These guidelines are already based on scientific evidence for an improvement in dietary quality.

5. The reasons

As already mentioned, avocado is a fruit with high nutritional indices. Its composition locates it in the line of the so -called "superfood." Its caloric value is high, since it contains a large percentage of fat. But that fat is healthy, being of the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated types. Likewise, it is rich vitamins among them E, A and C. also has iron, potassium, sodium, magnesium and calcium, among other minerals and folates (complex nutrient of vitamin B). That the avocado contains all these elements favored compliance with dietary guidelines valued in the investigation.

6. Repontked diet

The intake of a avocado a day managed to enhance the dietary quality of the participants. No other changes in the menu were demanded and each person adapted their avocado consumption in their own way. Many of the participants decided to increase the amount of vegetables in their meals, others used avocado as a substitute for caloric dressings, refined grains, sodium and saturated fats. The truth is that all those who ate avocado daily experienced an improvement in their food quality.

7. More health benefits

Eating avocado regularly is related to the prevention and treatment of several pathologies, such as:

• Improvements in eye health, because it has lutein, a carotenoid that acts as a protector of the eyes against diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

• Strengthens bones, thanks to your vitamin K.

• It controls cholesterol levels with its monounsaturated fat content that helps lower bad cholesterol and protects the good.

• It is linked to a reduction in the appearance of cancer, especially oral and prostate, for its phytochemical composition.

• The avocado is called by some nutritionists the "brain food", since its levels of folic acid collaborate in an improvement of mental and memory abilities.

• It keeps diabetes at bay, as its healthy fats regulate insulin levels.

• Premature old age prevents, since the vitamin E it has is an antioxidant par excellence.

8. Buy Palta daily?

The recent study did not throw anything about it. However, experts point out that avocado consumption helps lower the body mass index (BMI), controls anxiety (a feeling of fullness) and reduces abdomen fat. But everything in excess is bad. Nutritionists recommend eating only half a unit a day or one that is small because a single piece contains an average of 250 calories, so if it is not consumed in moderation and mixes with processed and very caloric foods it can cause weight gain.