Avocado – healthy despite many fats
The avocado can now be bought everywhere. It is popular, quick to prepare and has a reputation for being healthy. But is it true? Just the many fats make it not necessarily a lightweight. But do not worry – the fats in avocados are healthy fats, so-called “unsaturated fatty acids”. The body needs them for various functions and also to ward off diseases and strengthen the immune system.
What is in the popular fruit?
Avocados are a real powerhouse with important vitamins, minerals and unsaturated fatty acids. It beats with about 220 calories and ca. 24 g (depending on variety) fat to beech.
Important ingredients of the avocado:
- Vitamin E and iron – good for the immune system,
- Calcium – important for bones and teeth,
- Magnesium and potassium – important for the cardiovascular system, relaxes the muscles.
In addition, the fruit has a lot of fiber, which keeps you full for a long time.
The fats in the fruit consist almost exclusively of unsaturated fatty acids. Carbohydrates are very few in the avocado, making it popular with “low carb“ fans as well. The protein content is also rather low.
Detailed information on the ingredients of the fruit can be found in the avocado magazine.
Do avocados make you fat?
The fruit contains a lot of fat and therefore also a lot of calories. So now you might assume that avocados are fattening – far from it. Despite the high fat content, you can still lose weight with the fruit. Prerequisite is of course the amount you eat.
The enzyme lipase, which is contained in the fruit, is responsible for fat burning. It also prevents the storage of fat and thus helps the breakdown of fat in the body.
Conclusion: In the right quantities avocados do not make fat and can be integrated without problems with in the diet plan. Even on a diet you do not have to do without the popular fruit.
Origin of the avocado
The plant is used in Central America since ca. Cultivated and used for 10,000 years. The avocado was called by the Aztecs “ahuacatl“, which translated means “testicle“. Through linguistic traditions then arose the current term avocado.
How to recognize a ripe avocado?
There are 3 main ways to recognize a ripe avocado.
1. Color: A ripe avocado has rather a brownish color. If it is still green, then it is better to leave it, as it is not yet ripe.
2. Consistency: A ripe avocado is soft and gives slightly when pressed. If the avocado feels firm, then it is not yet ripe.
3. Stem: If the stem can be easily removed, then the avocado is ripe.
If you have bought an unripe fruit, this is not a problem. Wrap them in newspaper together with some apples or bananas and let them ripen in a warm place for a few days.
Storage of avocados
The storage of the fruit depends on when you want to use it.
If you buy a ripe fruit directly, it can be approx. 1 – be stored at room temperature for 3 days until you prepare it. If you do not want to use it directly, put it in the refrigerator. It slows down the maturation process and it lasts longer.
If you have eaten half of the fruit, you can sprinkle the other half with some lemon juice and store it in the refrigerator. So it lasts a few more days until it too is transformed into goodies.
