Avocado: glycemic index, calorie content, chemical composition. The benefits of avocado for the body

Today, exotic fruits have become more accessible to modern people than, for example, twenty or thirty years ago. On the shelves in supermarkets you can find various overseas goodies. Avocados are no exception. This fruit, like everyone else, has many properties that bring great benefits to the human body.

Modern research proves that avocado use in type 1 and type 2 diabetes is extremely beneficial. As well as avocados contributes to weight loss, so it is often used by people who want to get rid of extra pounds. The benefits of tropical fruit do not end there, but first things first. Further in the article it will be possible to learn about the glycemic index of avocados, its chemical composition, calorie content, nutritional value and, in general, its health benefits. And also below will be described some recipes for dishes with this fruit, which can be prepared in your own kitchen.

Chemical composition

The use of avocados for the body is due to its chemical composition. A person often eats certain foods, without thinking about what needs he satisfies during their use. So, to understand how this tropical fruit acts on a person, you should find out what vitamins are contained in avocados and what vital elements the product is filled with. The table below will help you figure this out.

This composition of vitamins and trace elements of avocado allows you to fill the body with benefits. Focusing on the above data, now you can understand how much it will turn out to use this or that substance together with this tasty and original fruit.

Avocado: glycemic index, nutritional value and calorie content

The glycemic index is an indicator that describes the effect of carbohydrates on changes in blood sugar. The glycemic index of avocado is 10 units. For comparison, the sugar index (pure glucose) is 100 units. Based on this, we can conclude that this tropical fruit is an indispensable product for therapeutic and fat-burning diets.

Avocado is considered a very high-calorie fruit. But this should not confuse those who want to lose weight. The high content of unsaturated fatty acids in the fruit makes it easily digestible. In general, the calorie content of avocados is 160 kcal per 100 grams of fruit. Thus, 1 gram of product contains 1.6 kcal.

In order to find out how many calories in 1 avocado, you need to remove a stone from it, weigh it, and multiply the result by 1.6. For example, if the weight of a ready-to-eat product (without stone and peel) is 190 grams, then its calorie content will be 304 kcal. It’s very difficult for an eye to determine how much an avocado weighs, so it’s best to use scales when measuring. However, it is noted that the average weight of one fetus can range from 210 to 300 grams.

Speaking about the nutritional value of the fruit, it is worth noting that 100 grams of avocado contains:

• protein - 2 g;
• fats - 14.7 g;
• carbohydrates - 1.8 g;
• dietary fiber - 6.7 g;
• water - 72.23 g.

After the issues of calorie content, nutritional value and glycemic index of avocados have been considered, we can begin to study the benefits of this tropical fruit for human health.

The benefits of fruit for the body

The rich chemical composition and low glycemic index make avocados an excellent dietary product. As noted earlier, despite the high calorie content, this product is easily absorbed by the body, so do not be afraid to include it in the diet with diets.

Avocados are necessary for the body to boost the immune system, strengthen the cardiovascular system. Potassium, which is part of the fruit, is able to lower blood pressure, therefore it is very useful for hypertensive patients.

The huge benefit of avocados for the body is that oleic acid, which is part of the chemical composition of fruits, breaks down bad cholesterol and prevents its accumulation. Avocados allowed for gastritis, ulcers and constipation. It contributes to the normalization of the gastrointestinal tract and normalizes the digestive system as a whole.

Avocados have the ability to remove excess fluid from the body. Therefore, it should be regularly used by people who often experience puffiness.

Avocados help women to avoid breast cancer, and men - to restore strength after hard physical and mental labor. And also, the fruit helps restore potency in men, so it is recommended to use it for erectile dysfunction.

For children, this fruit is as useful as for an adult. Avocados contribute to better absorption of calcium in the child's body, which is an extremely important point in the period of growth of the body. Avocados help stimulate brain processes in children, which is important for increased mental stress. However, it is recommended to introduce avocados into the children's diet no earlier than one year. For starters, it can be gruel or mashed fruit (in small quantities).

Avocado also helps to establish the work of the liver. This fact is due to the fact that the composition of this tropical fruit contains vitamin B6, which is extremely important for the body.

Helps avocados to maintain visual acuity and is a prophylactic for cataracts. Due to the fact that avocados contain a lot of protein, this fruit is an indispensable product for vegetarians and people who are fond of sports.

Vitamin E, which is part of the fruit, keeps the skin supple and youthful. Often, avocado or its oil is a component of body creams, lotions, shampoos, masks and other cosmetics. Often this oil is used during the massage procedure. In addition, avocado oil is an excellent tool for aromatherapy.

It is worth remembering that the above benefits can be obtained only if the product is consumed fresh. During heat treatment, some properties may disappear.

Harm and contraindications

Avocados are not able to harm a healthy body. However, there are some contraindications that should be considered, namely:

1. Do not abuse this fruit.
2. If a person is allergic to citrus fruits, then it is highly likely that allergic reactions can occur with the use of avocados.
3. Children should give avocados in small portions, as this fruit is unusual and can cause allergies.
4. Do not eat fruit stone and its peel, as they contain toxic substances.

In addition to the above contraindications, individual intolerance to the product can be distinguished. In this case, the fruit must be absolutely excluded from the diet.

Simple Avocado Salad: Recipe

This salad is suitable for a festive table as well as for everyday lunch or dinner, and products for its preparation can be purchased at any supermarket without any difficulty. So, for cooking you will need:

• 1 avocado;
• 500 g of Beijing cabbage;
• 150 g of cucumber (fresh);
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil;
• 2-3 pcs. medium tomatoes or 4-5 pcs. cherry tomatoes;
• 35-50 ml of lemon juice;
• dry Provence herbs, salt - add to taste.

First you need to prepare cucumbers and tomatoes. They must be washed well and cut into convenient pieces. Next, the Beijing cabbage is cut and added to the vegetables.

Avocados must be peeled, pitted and cut into strips. All ingredients are mixed in a salad bowl, spices, salt, olive oil and lemon juice are added to them. All are thoroughly mixed and served.

Tuna and Avocado Salad

To prepare, you will need:

• 1 avocado;
• 200 g canned tuna;
• 3-5 branches of oregano;
• 1 small onion;
• 1 lemon
• salt and spices to taste.

Tuna should be removed from the jar and knead well with a fork on the dish. Next, the avocado must be peeled, removed, and cut into small cubes. Onion should be laid onion, chopped into thin half rings, and chopped oregano. All mix well, watered with lemon juice. The last step is to salt the salad and add some spices to it.

Grilled avocado

Avocado prepared in this way is a great side dish. It can be served with meat. In this combination, it will well reveal its taste.

For cooking, you need to split the avocado in half, remove the stone, pour olive oil and salt. Next, the fruit must be laid out on the grill (cut side down) and cook for 3 minutes. When ready, such a side dish should be put on plates and sprinkled with spices if desired.

Avocado smoothie

Smoothies are an ideal dish, which can be either an independent main meal or an appetizer. This recipe for avocados is a great snack for people who follow a diet for weight loss. To make a smoothie from avocado, you need to grind the peeled fruit, put it in a blender bowl. Pineapple, favorite berries and banana should be added to the avocado.

As an extra protein, you can add some milk or natural yogurt. All ingredients are well whipped and served to the table in a glass or in any convenient container for drinking.

Conclusion

Avocado is an original, tasty and very healthy tropical fruit. Its use will help the body make up for the lack of necessary substances and satisfy hunger, which is especially important when dieting.

There are many dishes where this fruit is the main ingredient. It is important that avocados go well with many other products.