You might not realize that the avocado in your guacamole or salad is actually a fruit and not a vegetable. It also provides numerous vital nutrients. Historically served only to royalty, anyone can now buy avocados year-round. Avocados contain no cholesterol or sodium, and although considered fattening, they contain monounsaturated fats, which help lower cholesterol.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is found in avocados. One serving of this fruit is 1/5 of a medium-sized avocado and provides 6.3 micrograms, or 8 percent of your daily value for vitamin K. This vitamin helps the blood clot and promotes bone health. A vitamin K deficiency is rare, because along with dietary sources, bacteria in the intestines produce this vitamin.
Potassium
One serving size of an avocado gives you 4 percent of your daily value for potassium, a nutrient necessary for bodily functioning. Potassium helps maintain a water balance between cells and body fluids. It also aids in nerve transmission and muscle contraction, and is necessary for heart function.
Vitamins E and C
Vitamins E and C are known as antioxidants, which help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. A serving of avocado contains 4 percent of the daily value for vitamin E, or 1.2 IU, and 4 percent, or 2.4 mg, for vitamin C. Vitamin E also helps with immune system functioning and blood circulation. Additionally, vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is important in the production of collagen, which is essential to make skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels.
Vitamin B6 and Folate
Avocados provide 0.08 mg, or 4 percent of the daily value for vitamin B-6, in one serving. Vitamin B-6, also called pyroxidine, is needed to produce chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters, especially serotonin and norepinephrine. It also helps form myelin, which covers and protects nerves. Folate is another B vitamin, also known as B-9, and is necessary for normal growth and development, especially during pregnancy.
Magnesium
A serving of avocado contains 8.7 mg, or 2 percent of the daily value for magnesium. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, many people in the United States do not get as much magnesium as they should. All the organs in the body need magnesium to function, and this mineral also helps form bones and teeth. It also helps provide energy to the body and aids in regulating calcium levels.
Lutein
Lutein is a natural pigment in fruits and vegetables and promotes healthy skin and eyes; it may even reduce the risk of developing macular degeneration, according to a study published in the August 2006 issue of "Archives of Ophthalmology." It is an antioxidant that protects cells from free radicals. A serving of avocado has 81.3 micrograms of lutein.
Member Comments