When it comes to powerful fruits associated with weight loss, avocado ranks first in the list. Avocado is popular for its rich omega 3 fatty content. With a scientific term of alpha-linolenic acid or ALA, omega 3s are good fats that have various benefits in the body including the reduction of bad cholesterol.
Avocado also contains tons of vitamins and minerals that make it the best choice when you’re on a weight loss journey. This one-seeded fruit is a great source of vitamins C, E, K, and B6. It’s also a powerhouse of riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, potassium, pantothenic acid, lutein, and beta-carotene.
Avocado contains 322 calories and 29.5 grams of fat, the right kind of fats that enables you to manage your weight healthily. Moreover, it’s full of fiber that helps increase feelings of satiety and supports heart, digestive, and skin health. Below are the reasons why avocado should be
It helps you control your appetite
One of the reasons people gain weight is that they’re unable to control their food cravings. Though not feeling hungry, they reach for food for the pleasure derived from eating. This is usually the case when you eat to comfort yourself.
Overeating has been strongly linked to excess weight gain, which may lead to serious health conditions like insulin resistance and cardiovascular problems. Luckily, there’s a way out. You may now suppress your food cravings when you eat avocado.
In a study, researchers reported that the participants who consumed whole avocados had greater hunger suppression compared to the controlled group whose meal consisted of high carbohydrates and low fat.
The astonished researchers concluded that healthy fats consumption has a positive impact on weight management and glucose control.
Another study published in Nutrition Journal found that participants who ate half of the fresh avocado during lunch had decreased their appetite by about 40 percent. Two tablespoons of guacamole have also been shown to increase satiety.
It improves your diet
Genes, lifestyle, and environment are some of the factors that influence your predisposition to obesity. While others focus on exercise to manage their weight, some do it by eating the right food. You get it right. These people tend to be slimmer and healthier than their peers by just doing one thing: eating avocados regularly.
One study revealed that consuming half of a medium-sized avocado every day is enough to improve your diet quality as well as reducing your risk of metabolic syndrome.
It decreases your waist circumference
Those bulging belly fats may make your life a bit uncomfortable. Aside from having difficulty fitting your most favorite pair of jeans, abdominal fats can be bad news for your health. Scientists linked abdominal fats to an increased risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes among others.
If you’ve tried exercise before and get only minimum results, pair your physical activity with avocado. Experts recommend swapping cooking oil with avocado oil to better manage your weight.
Avocado also contains oleic oil, which is a primary constituent of the healthy olive oil. Scientists at Penn State found that regular consumption of high oleic oil, which is around 3 tablespoons, for one month can reduce your belly fat by about 1.6 percent.
It helps control your cholesterol levels
Foods high in trans fats and saturated fats increase your cholesterol levels over time. When they’re significantly higher, you may be at risk of high cholesterol-related diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and stroke.
Doctors say bad fats can’t be flushed away through exercise. Instead, you have to make some dietary changes to remove the bad fats and replace them with the good ones. This way, you’re better able to maintain your weight and stay healthy.
The best food to better aid you with lowering your cholesterol levels is avocado. The Journal of the American Heart Association published a study that aimed to find out the best strategy for lowering cholesterol levels. Interestingly, the results showed that participants who consumed avocado showed lower levels of bad cholesterol compared to their controlled counterparts who had a lower-fat diet minus the avocado.
It decreases diabetes risks
Excess weight is one of the risk factors for diabetes. Scientists from the University of Guelph in Canada discovered that avocado has a fat molecule known as avocatin B or AvoB, which made a significant impact in the reduction of insulin resistance.
Obesity and diabetes prevent fatty acids to oxidize completely. It’s here where AvoB played its part well. It helps the pancreas and skeletal muscles complete the oxidation process, leading to improved insulin sensitivity.
It helps fight damaging free radicals
Free radicals destroy cells and cause harm to the body. You may get them either from the metabolic processes or from external factors such as x-rays, pollutants, chemicals, and others.
To keep yourself protected, you only have to do one thing: eat avocado. Other fruits and vegetables are also loaded with antioxidants that fight against the damaging effects of free radicals but avocado just simply works the best.
This is because avocado can reach the mitochondria, the cells’ powerhouses, which the other food sources don’t have. When your mitochondria aren’t working properly, your metabolism would not be in its peak performance.
Boosts metabolism and endurance
The right exercise is only half of the equation when we talk about fitness and weight loss. Diet is another key ingredient to get optimum results. This is why pre-workout and post-workout foods are gaining popularity these days.
Pre-workout foods include protein and carbs to help your muscles and to fuel your body. Post-workout foods should be the ones that help replenish your lost energy while helping repair your muscles.
Again, avocado is a food you need to consume after a workout. This superfood contains potassium known to prevent post-workout muscle cramping.
Another way to boost your metabolism and endurance during the workout is by taking testosterone boosting supplements. Testosterone is an important component in gaining the muscles that you want. Without it, your efforts would yield only small results.
