Avocado is the fruit of the avocado tree, called Persea Americana. While most fruits consist primarily of carbohydrate, avocado is high in healthy fats. Avocados are very nutritious and contain a wide variety of nutrients, including 20 different vitamins and minerals. It also contains small amounts of Magnesium, Manganese, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Phosphorous, Vitamin A, B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin) and B3 (Niacin).
Avocado oil, derived from the avocado fruit, boasts some unusual and unique properties. Avocado oil is high in vitamin E and unsaturated fats and contains more protein than any other fruit and more potassium than a banana. Avocado oil offers a variety of purported nutritional and medicinal benefits.
- Avocado oil lowers blood pressure, according to a study published in April 2010 "Journal of Ethnopharmacology." In the study on laboratory animals, a diet rich in avocado oil altered levels of essential fatty acids in kidneys, resulting in changes in the way the kidneys respond to the hormones that regulate blood pressure. Avocado oil also influenced fatty acid composition in the heart, leading the researchers to conclude from this preliminary animal study that a diet that includes generous amounts of avocado oil may improve blood pressure.
- A good extra virgin avocado oil is especially useful for a flaking, dehydrated and sun damaged face. Avocado oil has also been recommended as helpful for acne problems and as a treatment for eczema and psoriasis. Avocado oil is one of the most penetrating of all natural plant oils. Unlike most moisturizers and many other natural oils, it is believed to penetrate through the epidermis and into the dermis layer of our skin.
- A combination of avocado and soybean oil extracts has received the prescription drug status in France and is marketed in Denmark as a food supplement for its anti-inflammatory effects and its ability to stimulate cartilage growth and repair.
- The majority of essential fatty acids found in avocado oil are monounsaturated oleic acid. Oleic acid is known to have several positive effects throughout the body, including lowering the risk of some cancers, preventing flare-ups of certain auto-immune diseases, speeding cell regeneration and wound healing, aiding the body in repelling and eliminating microbial infections, as well as reducing inflammation inside and out.
- The vitamins, minerals, and monounsaturated fatty acids in avocado oil all help the digestive tract to process food more efficiently. While this won’t fix the problem overnight, you might be surprised at how quickly you’ll begin to feel better, have more energy, and even start to lose weight as a result.
- The same nutrients in avocado oil, which make it ideal for moisturizing and feeding skin are also exceptionally nourishing for your hair. After cleansing your hair, apply avocado oil alone or mixed with your favorite hair- and scalp-friendly essential oils to improve both the appearance and structure of existing hair while at the same time promoting healthier and faster growth of new strands.
- Avocado oil contains a balanced proportion of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These essential fatty acids, along with vitamin E have powerful antioxidant properties which can protect your blood vessels by binding and removing free radicals and cholesterol deposits and reducing your risk of blood vessel damage. The binding of these antioxidants to your blood vessel lining also makes your vessel wall stronger and more flexible so that they respond better to sudden changes of blood pressure.
- Alpha linolenic acid (ALA), the omega-3 fatty acid in avocados, has been found to suppress tumor growth in breast and colon cancers. Vitamin E is another anti-cancer agent. It has been found effective in both prevention and treatment of skin cancer and prostate cancer. Evidences also show that the combination of vitamin E and beta-carotene can drastically lower the risks of lung and other cancers in smokers.
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