In addition to providing heart-healthy unsaturated fats and cholesterol-lowering fiber, avocados are a source of 10 different vitamins. While you may avoid them because of their high calorie density, including moderate portions of avocado will enhance your diet. Add avocado to salads and sandwiches, or enjoy mashed avocado as a dip or as part of a smoothie. The vitamins in avocados will help provide you with energy, heart health and antioxidants.
Vitamin C
A whole avocado provides 20 percent of the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Vitamin C, an antioxidant, helps prevent disease in the body. It is also essential to the repair and creation of bodily tissues, specifically cartilage, skin, blood vessels and ligaments.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A supports vision health, and is also intrinsic to the formation and health of the teeth, skeleton, mucous membranes and skin. One avocado offers 4 percent of the RDA for this nutrient.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is another antioxidant that helps fight disease-causing free radicals from doing harm to your body. One avocado provides 13 percent of the RDA for this nutrient that also improves the appearance of your skin and hair.
Vitamin K
One avocado offers 36 percent of the RDA for vitamin K. Vitamin K helps with blood clotting and facilitates absorption of vitamin D.
B Vitamins
Avocados are a source of all of the B vitamins, except for B-12. One fruit provides 7 percent of the RDA for thiamin, 11 percent for riboflavin, 13 percent for niacin, 20 percent for B-6, 30 percent for folate and 20 percent for pantothenic acid. B vitamins help you extract the energy from the foods you eat. Vitamin B-6, in particular, enhances immune and nerve functioning and helps your formulate red blood cells. It also supports your metabolism of protein -- the more protein you eat, the more vitamin B-6 you should consume. Folate also helps with red blood cell formation and is a critical nutrient for pregnant women as it helps with the neural tube development in fetuses.
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