Avocados are not only delicious, but they are also rich in nutrients and health benefits. Avocados are also high in fats, ranging from monounsaturated fats to polyunsaturated fats, which makes them an excellent choice when looking to lose weight and improve your heart health and cholesterol levels. Here are the avocado nutrition facts and health benefits of this tasty fruit so you can make smart choices next time you eat one!
Nutrition facts
There is a lot of interest in avocado nutrition, with good reason. It’s a superfood packed with monounsaturated fat and nutrients, including antioxidants like vitamins C, E, K and folate. Studies have found that avocados may help control cholesterol levels. Furthermore, some research suggests avocados are able to reduce insulin resistance and lower blood sugar. Additionally, avocados help promote satiety after eating as well as provide plenty of other health benefits.
Nutrition Health Benefits
Due to its high concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids, avocado has numerous health benefits including a high amount of dietary fiber which can help with digestive issues. Furthermore, it contains vitamins C, E, B6, folate and potassium along with many other nutrients. The whole avocado nutrition facts also include being low in cholesterol but high in protein and carbohydrates.
Nutritional Value
A whole avocado contains 105 calories, 21 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of fiber, 3.1 grams of protein, 2.7 milligrams of folate (9 percent DV), 547 milligrams of potassium (12 percent DV), 1.4 milligrams of vitamin C (8 percent DV) and 80 micrograms of beta-carotene (8 percent DV). For a complete nutritional breakdown look up a full-fat avocado nutrition facts online from one or more reliable sources.
Nutritional Analysis
A medium avocado has a total of 170 calories. These calories break down into 5% from fat, 15% from protein, and 80% from carbs. In addition to carbohydrates, a whole avocado also contains dietary fiber, which makes up 8% of total calories. Additionally, an avocado has no cholesterol or sodium content. The fruit is a great source of several vitamins and minerals. One serving provides 12% of your daily value (DV) for vitamin C and 10% DV for vitamin B-6. It also includes trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate and pantothenic acid.
Visual Representation of Nutrition Facts
Looking at a picture of avocado may help you understand what one serving looks like. Before you grab your next avocado, take a quick peek at its nutrition facts label. While avocados are often thought of as healthy, their fat content is considerable. One cup of avocado slices contains 35 grams of fat—two-thirds of which are monounsaturated (the good kind). The remaining third is mostly polyunsaturated fats and about 8 percent is saturated fat (the bad kind). This same cup has 13 grams of carbs and nine grams of fiber, so net carbs come out to four grams per cup.
Serving Size
1 cup (152g) sliced, 23.5 g of fat, 170 calories (0 from fat), total carbohydrate 4g, fiber 2g, sugars 2g, protein 2 g; Percent Daily Value: 10% vitamin A (15%DV), 8% vitamin C (8%DV), 3% calcium (4%DV), 12% iron (12%DV). Contains 60mg cholesterol. Serving Size: 1 avocado = 1/4 to 1/2 fruit.
Percentage (%) Daily Value
a whole avocado nutrition facts, a whole avocado nutritional information, avocado nutritional information. Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending upon your calorie needs: Calories: 2,000 2,500 Total Fat Less than 65g 80g Saturated Fat Less than 20g 25g Cholesterol Less than 300mg Sodium Less than 2400mg Total Carbohydrate 300g 375g Dietary Fiber 25g 30g Calories per gram: Fat 9 • Carbohydrate 4 • Protein 4 *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending upon your calorie needs. The Source of nutrient information for avocados is USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
Calories
Adding avocado to your diet can help increase your calorie intake in a healthy way. One whole avocado contains about 250 calories, which is slightly more than half of what you need in a day. A whole avocado has around 23 grams of fat, one gram of saturated fat, 6 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 2 grams of monounsaturated fat and 12 grams of protein. That’s a lot! The nutritional benefits outweigh any negative calorie intake here. It’s better to eat one whole avocado rather than munch on five slices (or more) of low-fat cheese or crackers throughout your day.
Total Fat (g)
15.5 Total Fat (%): 14% Calories from Fat: 150 Protein (g): 1.9 Carbohydrates (g): 10.6 Sugar (g): 0 Fiber (g): 7.8 Cholesterol (mg): 0 Sodium (mg): 6 Potassium (mg): 356 Calcium (mg): 1 Iron: 0.7 Vitamin A: 34 Vitamin C: 3.2
Saturated Fat (g)
2.6—Saturated fat is a source of energy for your body, but studies show that too much can raise blood cholesterol levels and increase your risk of developing heart disease or type 2 diabetes. You need to be aware that avocado is quite high in saturated fat (more than a quarter of an avocado’s calories come from saturated fat). And while most experts say it’s okay to have some saturated fat, if you’re looking to manage weight or reduce your risk of heart disease, limit how much you eat.
Trans Fat (g)
Not all fat is created equal. The fatty acids that are a part of vegetable oils can be categorized into two different types: saturated fats, which are solid at room temperature, and unsaturated fats, which tend to be liquid at room temperature. There’s a third type of fat called trans fat that has characteristics of both saturated and unsaturated fats. Trans fat occurs naturally in meat from ruminant animals such as cows or sheep.
Cholesterol (mg)
10 milligrams is a small amount, so consuming avocados won’t put you at risk for higher cholesterol levels. This benefit is especially important if you suffer from high cholesterol or have a family history of heart disease. A whole avocado nutrition facts benefits include lowering blood pressure, according to a study in Experimental Physiology. If your blood pressure stays in an optimal range, it could reduce your risk of stroke and heart attack.
Sodium (mg)
11mg is 2% of your daily recommended intake. If you choose to eat a whole avocado per day, that’s a little more than half of your sodium for that day. Keep in mind, if you don’t choose to eat a whole avocado per day, then you should seek out other sources of nutrition because eating only one avocado isn’t going to be enough sodium for one day.
Total Carbohydrates (g)
13.72 -Fiber (g): 6.4 -Sugar (g): 0.9 -Protein (g): 2.71-Fat (g): 4.27 -Cholesterol (mg): 0 –Sodium (mg): 1 –Potassium(mg): 322 –Vitamin A (%DV); 2 –Calcium (%DV); 1 –Iron (%DV) 0.44; 1
Dietary Fiber (g)
9.3 Fiber can reduce blood cholesterol levels, aid in digestive health, help lower risk of diabetes, promote heart health and even help control appetite by making you feel fuller longer. And it doesn’t stop there—fruit and vegetable consumption has also been linked to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, Type 2 diabetes and some cancers (breast included). To boost your fiber intake without gaining weight, try packing up a whole avocado for lunch instead of a sandwich.
Sugars (g)
0 – This fat-rich fruit is lower in sugar than you might think. All of that healthy fat keeps avocado from spiking your blood sugar levels, keeping them on an even keel. They’re also naturally low in sodium, so they can help you stay hydrated if water doesn’t sound appealing after a few days straight of spicy food. Toss them into salads, sandwiches or tacos to get your fiber and healthy fats while cutting back on some extra calories.
Protein (g)
10.25, Carbs (g): 6.15, Fiber (g): 8.5, Sugar (g): 1.05, Vitamin A: 3% of RDA, Vitamin C: 14% of RDA, Vitamin E: 1% of RDA. Fat (g): 13%, Omega-3 fatty acids: 0 g., Magnesium: 15% of RDA for women who eat 1/2 avocado daily… more about nutrition on Wikipedia )!
Conclusion
The avocado is a wonderfully nutrient-dense fruit, packed with fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. In fact, avocados are very similar to olive oil in terms of nutritional value. Researchers have found that eating whole avocados can significantly reduce blood pressure as well as improve cholesterol levels. And because they’re so rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, adding a few slices of avocado to your diet each day can have amazing benefits for your heart!
