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Benefits and harms of avocado, calorie, how to choose?

Avocado is an evergreen tree which bears fruit, which belongs to the genus Persea of the Lauraceae family. If the plant itself is called Persea us, the fruit that gives this tree, referred to as the avocado, and the people – "butter pear".

Perseus American – a tree capable of reaching 20 meters. The trunk is often straight, it departs from many branches. The leaves are elliptical in shape, their length averages 35 cm. During flowering the tree has small flowers that have green color, they are located in the leaf axils.

The fruit itself is a fruit pear-shaped, ellipse, or sphere. With the maturation of avocado grows in size and can reach 20 cm in length. Mass of ripe fruit varies from 50 g to 1.8 kg. Inside it is one large seed. If the fruit is unripe, the skin that covers it, will have a dark green color. When fully ripe avocado, after some time, the skin becomes black. The flesh is thick, juicy, buttery, has a yellow-green or green. The taste is slightly sweet, sour.

The tree began to cultivate since ancient times, archeologists indicate that the people would raise him before our era – in the third Millennium. Now it grows in many tropical and subtropical regions of the world, including Latin America, South America, Africa, middle East and so With one tree you can collect up to 200 kg fruit. Varieties of avocado are more than 400. Despite the fact that Europe is not growing avocado, buy fruit here year-round.

The content of the article:


What is the taste of avocado?

The taste of avocado original, delicate and soft, not like a tart pear, not a pumpkin. If the fetus is immature, it will taste more like an unripe pear. Whenavocado ripens, the flesh becomes soft, fat like butter with the addition of puree of greens. Possible a nutty taste, similar to that which remains in the mouth after eating pine nuts.

Due to such unusual taste avocado is widely used in cooking. It is added to salads, cold snacks, sandwiches. To get the look of the fruit and its flavor has not deteriorated due to oxidation in air, an avocado sprinkled with lemon juice or lime.

The most famous dish with the addition of avocado is guacamole – appetizer, traditional for Mexico.


Benefits of avocado

Use avocado due to its composition of vitamins, vegetable fats, antioxidants:

  • Due to the high content of potassium, regular consumption of the avocado in food helps to normalize heart rhythm, improving the functioning of the brain. In General, this fruit is beneficial to the heart, prevents the development of atherosclerosis, heart attacks, strokes.
  • Useful avocado swelling, its consumption will facilitate the withdrawal of excess fluid from the body.

  • Derived from avocado folate protect women from breast cancerand men against prostate cancer, help to prevent anemia. Especially need vitamin B9 pregnant women because a deficiency causes development of the neural tube defect of the fetus. It is proved that it is preferable to obtain vitamin from food than you consume its synthetic analogue. Therefore, if there are no contraindications, avocados are a must on the table of the expectant mother.

  • Eating avocados helps reduce cholesterol in blood, improving liver function. This is possible thanks to its composition of unsaturated fatty acids and folic acid.

  • Vitamin K contained in avocados, helps normalize blood clotting, rapid healing of wounds, prevention of internal bleeding. It helps the body better absorb calcium, vitamin D, preventing the development of osteoporosis. Vitamin K is included in the composition of the pulp of the avocado acts as a powerful antioxidant, fighting trapped in the body of the strongest poisons: aflatoxin, coumarin, etc.

  • Another powerful antioxidant contained in avocados is vitamin C. It helps strengthen the immune system, tissue regeneration, protects the body from bacteria and viruses, normalizes permeability of capillaries, eliminates toxins, has a positive effect on all body organs, and especially ofpancreas and thyroid gland.

  • Eat avocados recommended in all the leading nutritionists in the world, despite the high caloric content of fruit. It is necessary in limited quantities, but on the table of a man losing weight this fruit will not be superfluous. It contains healthy fatty acids that help the body fight excess weight. Avocado is a delicious and healthy alternative to butter.
  • In a small number of avocado contains pyridoxine, which is primarily responsible for normalization of metabolic processes in the body, involved in building proteins. He protects humans from the negative effects of stress regulates the nervous system.
  • Fruit outperforms most of its counterparts on the content of vitamin E, which protects cells from aging, helps to saturate them with oxygen.
  • The invaluable help of avocado in the fight against cancer, dementia, cardiovascular pathologies. All this is possible thanks to its of glutathione – a powerful antioxidant that is present in large quantities in the pulp of the fruit.

  • Due to dietary fiber, avocados normalizes the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, and the oil structure of the fruit flesh allows you to get rid of constipation.

Useful not only the fruit itself, but the oil that it produces. It has the same qualities that he himself avocados, but they reinforced several times, as the concentration of nutrients in the oil are higher than in the pulp. In addition to the food industry, the oil is used in cosmetics. It helps to treat hair, skin and body.


Harm avocado

Harm avocado can bring only those people who have individual intolerance to latex and citrus, as after the use of fruit as food allergic reaction.

It is not necessary to include in the diet of tree leaves and the bone, which is inside the fruit. They contain toxic substances and can not only cause allergies, but also to provoke serious poisoning. Threat peel and stone the avocados both for people and for animals.

Also, do not to consume too many fruit pulp, it has a high calorific value and can contribute to weight gain. Children fruit should be offered with caution, as it is not usual for the organism of a child living in Russia or Europe, and so can provoke an allergic reaction.


The caloric and energy value of avocado

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The calorie content of an avocado is 160 calories per 100 g .

The energy value of avocado:

  • Proteins 2 g;
  • Fats from of 14.66 and to 30 g;
  • Carbohydrates Of 1.83 g;
  • Dietary fiber from 3.65 to 6.7 g;
  • Saturated fatty acids 2.1 g.

Calculation of the energy value produced in 100 g the pulp of the fruit.


Avocado is a fruit or a vegetable?

Many people often ask the avocado is a fruit or a vegetable? Answer: avocado is a fruit, though not sweet.

Avocado oil: cosmetic properties

Cosmetic properties of avocado oil are varied. It is used to moisten the skin, saturate it with nutrients, increase blood circulation. As a result, the epidermis receives large amounts of oxygen, production of collagen and elastin increases, the skin becomes taut and elastic.

Avocado oil prevents the appearance of unwanted age changes of appearance, reduces pigmentation, fights aging. It can be used for any type of skin, it is perfect for daily use. The oil is useful in combating acne and inflammation.

Delicate skin around the eyes smoothed, if it is daily applied avocado oil. It allows you to protect your skin from the harmful effects of cold and wind in winter, and in summer – minimizes harmful effects of ultraviolet rays.

The uses of avocado oil:

  • The fight against striae (stretch marks).
  • Strengthening your gums.
  • Nail care, including massage nails.
  • To perform massage body.
  • Enrichment of cosmetics.
  • Getting rid of wrinkles.
  • Massage.
  • Tanning oil.
  • As a component that is part of the masks for facial care.

So, avocado oil is used in the following way:

  • The fight against stretch marks. Forcooking tools you will need lavender essential oil and Mandarin (tangerine oil can be replaced with oil of neroli (bitter orange)). Base is the avocado oil (tablespoon) and almond oil (4 tablespoons). Essential oils are added in an amount of 7 drops, if you apply oil of Mandarin, then it will need 5 drops. The resulting tool should be rubbed in those places where there are stretch marks. This can be done before pregnancy, to strengthen the skin, and even after stretch marks have already appeared.
  • Treatment of gingivitis. You can mix avocado oil (1 tbsp), adding a drop of orange, lavender and tea tree oil. Apply the mixture you need on a cotton pad and apply to the gums. Time of application – a quarter of an hour. You can repeat the procedure morning and evening.
  • Care for the nail plates. Mix a tablespoon of avocado oil with 3 drops of oil of lemon, lavender and eucalyptus. Lemon oil can be replaced with thyme oil. The oil mixture should be applied to the nail plate and pynogenol on the cushion, rubbing the product on for 20 minutes. To have such a massage every day, and before you can cover the nail varnish.
  • The body massage. Mix a tablespoon of avocado oil with 2 drops of essential oils of rosemary and lavender. The resulting composition can be used to conduct anti-cellulite massage to soften rough skin areas on the body.
  • Massage nails. On the spoon of the avocado oil you need to take 2 drops of ylang-ylang and lemon. Massage the nails for a quarter of an hour for two weeks. This will allow to get rid of brittle nail plates and prevent their separation.
  • Enrichment of cosmetic products. 10 ml of tonic you will need 10 drops of avocado oil, the same amount of oil take 20 g cream. With regard to enrichment of shampoo, per 100 ml of ready funds to take 10 ml of oil. In the scalp, you can RUB the oil without any additives 2 hours before washing hair. This will save them from increased brittleness and give a natural Shine.
  • The smoothing of wrinkles. Mixed a tablespoon of avocado oil and a drop of essential oils of lemon, rose, neroli, sandalwood. The resulting composition is necessary to moisten a napkin and apply it to the skin where there are wrinkles. The application to leave a quarter of an hour. The procedure can be repeated up to 2 times a day.
  • Aroma massage with avocado oil. Used blend of oils: avocado, peach and almond. They need to take a tablespoon. To give a more pronounced flavoryou can add two drops of essential oil of lemon, or geranium. Especially effective is massage with oil in the presence of cellulite and rough skin.
  • Tanning oil. Avocado oil without any additives can be used as a tool for sunburn. To do this, put it on your body half an hour before sun exposure. This will help to protect the skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation.
  • Oil, as a component in masks for skin. A tablespoon of avocado oil mix with a drop of orange essential oil. You should then take a napkin and wet it received the oil mixture. Wet wipes are placed on the skin that needs care. Time exposures – up to half an hour. The procedure can be performed up to 2 times a day. Particularly useful are such masks if the skin has inflammation, or damage. Helps avocado oil to moisturize and soothe the skin. Another indication for applying the mask with avocado oil – is a mesh of fine wrinkles around the lower eyelid.

Although the oil extracted from avocado, it is considered hypoallergenic, before using it you still should consult a beautician.


The mask-conditioner for hair

The mask-conditioner for hair is prepared from the pulp of the fruit with the addition of the yolk of a chicken egg and olive oil (half teaspoon). Mix ingredients mask you want as long as the composition is not a smooth consistency. The hair before applying the product need to moisturize.

When the mask is evenly distributed on the head, you should wear a shower cap or package, and on top of the towel. The exposure time means half an hour. After 30 minutes a mask to wash off. After the first procedure noticeable is how much softer and silkier the hair.


How to grow avocados from seeds at home?

Fruit of the bone which is expected to grow a tree, you need to take ripe, but not overripe. The bone should be carefully removed from the pulp of the fruit without destroying the integrity of the seed. Then put it in a glass of water so that the liquid reached the middle of the bone. Water needs to be the blunt end of the seed.

To the second half was not sampled, you can insert a toothpick into it, doing the bone hole to a depth of about 5 mm. If you spend time on these manipulations do not want, you can just put it in a small glass and fill it with water to the middle. But in this case, the fluid must be regularlyto pour. After the first 3 months the bone should grow.

As soon as the cotyledons diverge, the bone should be transplanted into the ground. Bury it half in the ground needs to be the blunt end of the bone. The soil should regularly moisturize, to drain and to give the plant plenty of light.

A week later after planting you will see a red stalk which will start to grow rapidly, adding one centimeter per week. Growing tree loves moisture, so it is important to regularly spray. Can be put next to a pot a container of water to create more moisture.

The rays of the sun directly should not influence the plant's leaves, but where it is, should be bright. The tree loves heat and tolerates low temperatures. That the tree stopped growing up, he pinched the tip, but this should be done when it reaches the desired height. After this procedure, the avocado will begin to branch.

Once a year you need to replant avocado in new soil and larger pot. If the tree dropped leaves, this does not mean that it died. Just need to wait a bit, continuing to care for plants. Soon it will get new leaves.

Fruits wait usually fails, even if the tree is grafted. At home it rarely bears fruit and not earlier than 5-7 year life. Therefore, planting the seeds, you should tune that the plant will serve solely as a decorative element and not as trees bearing exotic fruits.


Contraindications to the use of avocado

Contraindications to the use of avocados can be an individual intolerance, severe liver disease and gall bladder. Avocado pits contain a toxic substance so if accidentally ingested can manifest disorders of the digestive tract.