Vitamin Week: What’s So Great About…Avocado

What isn’t great about avocado? They’re creamy and rich…and they’re fruit!  Which means the creamy and rich part is okay, right?  As it turns out, it’s not just okay, it’s great.  Not only do a few slices of avocado perk up a salad or sandwich, they do nutritional wonders for all the other vegetables on your plate. Remember the carotenoids lycopene in tomatoes, and beta-carotene in sweet potato? Marry your vegetables with the right kind of fat (like the fat found in an avocado) and your body will absorb significantly more of these nutrients than if you avoid these good fats.  Oh, and avocados are also a good source of the carotenoid lutein, vitamin E and B6.

 The fats found in avocado (namely oleic acid and monounsaturated fats) may play a role in lowering one’s cholesterol. More good news for your ticker:  avocados are a great source of potassium which is known to help regulate blood pressure and folate which, when consumed regularly, lowers the risk for heart disease and stroke.

 As for avocado and cancer prevention, the nutrients found in avocado have been linked to preventing oral, prostate and breast cancer.

 What’s the one thing not great about avocado?  Getting the pit out.