Nutrition facts of Avocados(Persea americana)

Avocado's

Persea americana

 

Avocados are distinct fruits with high-fat content and calories. Subtly flavorful yet buttery, they are among the most popular fruits having nutrition profile similar to that of some edible nuts and seeds.

Some of the common names for this staple fruit are alligator pear, aguacate, butter pear, etc.

Botanically, the fruit belongs to the family of Lauraceae, the family that also includes some unusual members like bay laurel, cinnamon, etc. Scientific name is Persea americana.

Avocados are medium sized evergreen trees of about 20-30 feet in height with large green leaves. The tree prefers fertile soil with high moisture content to flourish. Small light green flowers appear during winter. After about 8-10 months later, hundreds of pear shaped green color fruits appear on the tree.

Avocados, like bananas, mature on the tree but ripen only after their harvest. Once Ripen, they turn dark green or deep purple and yield to gentle pressure. Inside, cream color flesh has butter-like consistency with bland taste yet pleasant aroma. The fruit features centrally placed single brown color seed. On an average, each fruit weighs about 300-700 g, although heavier avocados are quite common in the markets.

Health benefits of avocado

Avocados, like olives, are high in mono-unsaturated fats and calories. However, they are very rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals and packed with numerous health benefiting plant nutrients.

Their creamy pulp is a very good source of mono-unsaturated fatty acids like oleic and palmitoleic acids as well as omega-6 poly-unsaturated fatty acid linoleic acid. Research studies suggest that Mediterranean diet that is rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids help lower LDL or bad cholesterol and increase HDL or good-cholesterol, thereby, prevent coronary artery disease and strokes by favoring healthy blood lipid profile.

They are a very good source of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. 100 g fruit provides 6.7 g or about 18% of recommended daily intake. Dietary fibers help lower blood cholesterol levels and prevent constipation.

In addition, the fruit, like persimmons, contain high concentration of tannin. Tannin, a poly-phenolic compound, which was once labeled as an anti-nutritional agent is in-fact, has beneficial anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer and anti-oxidant properties.

Its flesh contains health promoting flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants such as cryptoxanthin, lutein, zea-xanthin, beta and alpha carotenes in small amounts. Together, these compounds act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes.

Total antioxidant strength (ORAC) of avocados (raw, Hass variety) is 1933 µmol TE/100 g.

They are also good in many health-benefiting vitamins. Vitamin A, E, and K are especially concentrated in its creamy pulp.

Avocados are also excellent sources of minerals like iron, copper, magnesium, and manganese. Magnesium is essential for bone strengthening and has a cardiac-protective role as well. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Iron and copper are required in the production of red blood cells.

Fresh avocado pear is a very rich source of potassium. 100 g of fruit provides 485 mg or about 10% of daily-required levels. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids where it helps regulate heart rate and blood pressure, countering bad effects of sodium.

 

See the table below for in depth analysis of nutrients: Avocado (Persea americana), Refuse seed and skin, Nutrition value per 100 g. (Source: USDA National Nutrient data base)
Principle	Nutrient Value	Percentage of RDA
Energy	160 Kcal	8%
Carbohydrates	8.53 g	6.5%
Protein	2.0 g	3.5%
Total Fat	14.66 g	48%
Cholesterol	0 mg	0%
Dietary Fiber	6.7 g	18%
Vitamins
Folates	81 µg	20%
Niacin	1.738 mg	11%
Pantothenic acid	1.389 mg	28%
Pyridoxine	0.257 mg	20%
Riboflavin	0.130 mg	10%
Thiamin	0.067 mg	5.5%
Vitamin A	146 IU	5%
Vitamin C	10 mg	17%
Vitamin E	2.07 mg	14%
Vitamin K	21 µg	17.5%
Electrolytes
Sodium	7 mg	0.5%
Potassium	485 mg	10%
Minerals
Calcium	12 mg	1%
Copper	0.190 mg	21%
Iron	0.55 mg	7%
Magnesium	29 mg	7%
Manganese	0.142 mg	6%
Phosphorus	52 mg	7%
Selenium	0.4 µg	<1%
Zinc	0.64 mg	6%
Phyto-nutrients
Carotene-α	24 µg	--
Carotene-ß	62 µg	--
Cryptoxanthin-ß	28 µg	--
Lutein-zeaxanthin	271 µg	--

Selection and storage

Avocados are readily available in the market year around. Buy medium size, fully ripe fruit with pleasant aroma. The fruit that is ready to eat should yield to pressure when gently squeezed.

Avoid very hard fruits as they may take quite some time to ripen properly. On the other hand, avoid buying excessively ripe ones as their pulp is rather mushy and featuring little, if any, flavoring. Furthermore, look carefully for any surface cuts, blemishes, and spots.

At home; store avocado in a cool, dark place. Unripe fruits usually placed in a paper wrap with a banana or apple in order to speed up ripening.

 

Preparation and Serving methods

Ripe avocado has delicate nutty flavor and butter like in taste. To eat; cut the fruit lengthwise at its center all the way around the seed. Then rotate or twist the two halves in opposite directions and gently pull apart. Remove the seed using a spoon. Gently peel the skin with your fingers starting from the stem end. Cut the pulp into desired cubes.

Sprinkle or rinse the cut sections in lemon juice to prevent enzymatic brown discoloration until ready to use. 

 

Here are some serving tips:

In many parts of Central America, the fruit is eaten as it is with some added pepper powder, lime juice, and salt.

The fruit sections or cubes are added to vegetable/fruit salads, salsa, etc. 

Mashed avocado fillings used to make Mexican polenta and pancakes. Guacamole is a favorite avocado based Mexican dip.

Similarly, guasacaca is Venezuelan the variant prepared using vinegar instead of lemon juice.

Mashed fruit may be mixed with ice-cream, shakes, and fruit juices.

 

Safety profile

Raw unripe avocados concentrated with tannins. High tannin content makes them bitter and unappetizing. Very high levels of tannins in the food prevent minerals like iron, calcium and phosphorus and vitamins from absorption in the gut.

Although very rare, eating avocados may result in allergic symptoms in some latex-sensitive persons. The symptoms may include itching in the throat, hives, runny nose, breathlessness, etc. Often the symptoms are mild and self-limiting. 

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