Avocado: chemical composition, nutritional value, calorie content, useful and harmful properties

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Avocado is an amazing product. It is very similar to a vegetable, but still it is classified as a fruit. The fruit boasts a wonderful composition. Avocado contains numerous vitamin and mineral complexes, which makes the fruit useful for the human body.

The nutritional value of an avocado is incomparable. It was for this that the fruit was listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

Fruit is involved in many diets, and in any diet of a person who adheres to the rules of a he althy diet.

The article will discuss the calorie content, nutritional value and chemical composition of avocados.

General information about the fruit

Avocado is a tall tree whose leaves remain green all year round. The tree bears the fruit of the same name.

The fruits of this tree in their shape resemble the well-known pear. The length of an avocado can be from 5 to 20 centimeters. The maximum weight of the fetus is about 20 kilograms. The length and weight of the fetus depends on itsvarieties, and there are more than 400 of them.

The fruit is covered with thick dark green or black skin. The flesh of the fruit has a yellowish tinge.

The taste of avocado is very unusual, it vaguely resembles butter and nuts.

Avocado has been known to people as a food product since the third millennium BC. The fruit is native to South America and Mexico.

How to choose an avocado

When buying an avocado, you should pay attention to the degree of ripeness of the fruit. When purchasing fruit, please note:

• on the firmness of the avocado. The unripe fruit is hard, and its peel is not pressed through. Also, do not take a fruit that is too soft, which can be easily pushed through - this fruit is overripe;
• on the appearance of the fetus. Examine the fruit in detail - it should not have cracks and dark spots. These factors indicate that the avocado has already begun to spoil.

If you didn't find the perfect avocado on the shelves in the store, then the best option would be to purchase an unripe fruit. For the fruit to ripen, it just needs to be allowed to lie down for three days at room temperature.

How to eat avocados

Before eating an avocado, it must be peeled. How to do it:

1. Make an incision along the entire fruit.
2. Turn the resulting halves in different directions. The fruit should easily split in half.
3. Remove the pit from the fruit.
4. Scrape the avocado flesh out of the skin with a spoon.

Fruit must be eaten as soon as youit was cleaned so that the avocado pulp did not lose its nutritional properties and did not start to darken. If you use an avocado for salad or serving it on a festive table, then moisten the pulp of the fruit with a little lemon juice - this will slow down the browning process of the fruit.

Avocado: composition and calorie content

The calorie content of an avocado is the energy that is concentrated in such food components: fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It is the combination of these three components that is called the nutritional value of the product. For avocados it is:

• fats - 15 grams;
• carbohydrates - 2 grams;
• proteins - 2.5 grams.

100 grams of this fruit contains 160 calories.

As you can see, the exotic fruit contains a large amount of fat and a small amount of carbohydrates and proteins. Be sure to consider this point when compiling your menu.

How to plan your diet, knowing the nutritional value of avocados

When eating an exotic fruit, consider the following points:

1. Avocado is a very high-calorie fruit. By comparison, an apple has only 60 calories. Therefore, eat the fruit in moderation, especially if you plan to lose weight.
2. Avocados are high in fat, making them suitable for hearty vegetarian meals. Avocados can be used to make a variety of sauces that can completely replace mayonnaise.
3. It is contraindicated for some people to eat food that contains animal fats (milk, meat, fish). They can easilyreplace all fatty foods with a nutritious and he althy fruit like avocado.
4. Avocado keeps you full for a long time. A regular salad from this fruit can replace a full meal, and a toast with this fruit will serve as a nutritious snack.
5. When cooking with avocados, keep in mind that when heated, the product loses all its nutritional properties. The unique taste and nutritional value of the fruit is present only in raw fruit.

Composition

Chem. the composition of the avocado, which is given below, is indicated based on 100 grams of fruit pulp.

Vitamin content:

• folic acid or vitamin B9 - 79mcg;
• Vitamin C - 9mg;
• beta-carotene - 0.07 mg;
• Vitamin A - 7mcg;
• thiamine or vitamin B1 - 0.065 mg;
• riboflavin or vitamin B2 - 0.13 mg;
• pantothenic acid or vitamin B5 - 1.38 mg;
• pyridoxine or vitamin B6 - 0.256 mg;
• choline - 14.3 mg.
• PP - 1.76 mg;
• Vitamin K - 19mcg

Micronutrient content:

• potassium - 471 mg;
• phosphorus - 52 mg.
• sodium - 5.59 mg;
• magnesium - 29.9mg;
• calcium - 13 mg.

Content of other items:

• ash - 1.49 g;
• Saturated Fatty Acids - 2.12g;
• dietary fiber - 6.7g;
• water - 72.89g;
• mono- and disaccharides - 0.67 g;
• starch - 0.09

You can see that the chemical composition of avocados is very rich. Allthe above elements give the product a unique taste. Such nutritional value of the product makes the fruit incredibly useful and nutritious.

What are the he alth benefits of avocados?

Due to its chemical composition, avocados have an exceptionally positive effect on humans:

1. Magnesium and potassium contribute to the proper functioning of the human cardiovascular system.
2. Phosphorus and calcium are good for the brain.
3. Vitamins C and A help strengthen the nervous system and immunity.
4. Proper functioning of the digestive system is provided by dietary fiber.
5. Folic acid is good for pregnant women - it reduces the risk of pathologies in the baby.
6. B vitamins help a woman maintain beauty - these elements are good for skin and hair.

Calorie content and chemical composition of avocado oil

From the ripe pulp of an exotic fruit, cold-pressed oil is obtained, which has a green tint. The color of avocado oil may turn black if exposed to direct sunlight. The product has a slightly herbal aroma.

The calorie content of the product is quite high - 884 calories per 100 grams of avocado oil. The product contains no proteins and carbohydrates. Butter is 100% fat.

Such a large amount of calories is offset by a high content of vitamins and trace elements:

• potassium;
• phosphorus;
• iron;
• chlorine;
• copper;
• magnesium;
• silver;
• zinc;
• chrome;
• manganese;
• cob alt;
• molybdenum;
• iodine;
• squalene;
• fluorine;
• sodium;
• lecithin;
• sulfur;
• selenium;
• calcium;
• vitamins: C, B1, B2, B6, B5, B9, A, E, PP, K.

Useful properties of avocado oil

The product has many medicinal properties:

1. Restoring property. Avocado oil promotes rapid healing of dermatitis (especially in infants), minor wounds and sunburn. The oil not only helps the body quickly heal wounds, but also preserves the integrity of the skin. The product prevents the formation of scars and scars.
2. Anti-inflammatory property. Chilled avocado oil is used orally for high cholesterol, liver diseases, constipation, infectious and genitourinary diseases.
3. Anti-sclerotic properties. Avocado oil can prevent various cardiovascular diseases.

Where is avocado oil used?

The product is widely used in traditional medicine, cooking and cosmetology.

1. Use in cooking. If you are looking for natural organic oil, then get avocado oil. It has a high burning temperature and can be successfully used for cooking various deep-fried dishes. The use of this oil will help to avoid the appearance of carcinogens in the finished product. Avocado oil can be dressed in saladsvegetables.
2. Use in folk medicine. Many use avocado oil as a remedy for heartburn, insomnia and nervous system disorders.
3. Use in cosmetology. Avocado oil perfectly eliminates peeling of the skin. The product successfully fights against premature aging of the skin, restores its elasticity and firmness.

In closing

Avocado is the perfect product. Do not neglect this fruit - it can provide the body with useful vitamins and minerals. It is difficult to assess the benefits of this exotic fruit, because the chemical composition of avocados is rich and cannot be compared with any other fruit.