Avocados are a wonderful fruit but they have been given a bad name amongst slimmers because of the fat content.

But this fat comes in the form of beneficial essential unsaturated fats, which are exceptionally easy to digest.

Avocados are high in potassium, the mineral that helps prevent water retention and are also a rich source of vitamin E as well as vitamin C, B6, folic acid, calcium, magnesium and manganese. Avocados also contain lutein which is an anti-oxidant especially beneficial to the eyes. They have also been found to help produce collagen, which gives the elasticity to skin and is essential for maintaining bone health.

Avocados have been shown to help lower cholesterol as they contain a substance called beta-sitosterol which helps to stop the absorption of cholesterol in the small intestines. Beta-sitosterol can also help with blood sugar swings and may help to prevent a number of cancers including breast cancer. Epicatechin, the same antioxidant as found in green tea, is also present in avocados.

Avocados also contain another substance called mannoheptulose which has a cancer protecting effect. Mannoheptulose inhibits an enzyme which prevents the uptake of glucose into cancer cells. Cancer cells use glucose as their primary fuel so, by blocking the uptake of glucose into cancer cells, it is essentially starving those cells.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 1st, 2007 at 10:30 am and is filed under Breast Cancer, Cancer, Heart Disease, Ingredient Spotlights, Skin and Hair. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.