You already know that carbohydrates during a keto diet should come from green, leafy vegetables and certain fruits. What about avocado? Is avocado keto?
Yes, avocado is keto. Avocado is perfect for the keto diet since all of its calories are fats, and only about 2-3 grams are carbs. Avocado is high in fiber and potassium, which is important during a keto diet when a lack of fiber makes digestion difficult. This fruit has many health benefits and will fit your diet.
How many carbs are in an avocado? What are the health benefits of avocado on a keto diet? How often should you eat avocado, and how can you cook it? In this article, I’m going to tell you everything about avocado on the keto diet. Keep reading for all the details!
What is Avocado?
Is avocado a fruit or a vegetable? Many people are interested in this question because the answer is not so obvious. We used to consider everything not sweet as vegetables, but avocados are an exception. By definition, an avocado is a fruit and technically even a berry.
Avocado is a pear-shaped fruit. Its peel is smooth or wrinkled, and it can be light green or dark green in color. The fruit’s pulp is most often pale green, similar to butter, delicate, easily melting, and with a tart nutty taste. In the middle of the avocado is a hard brown pit. All parts of the plant, except for the pulp of the fruit, are poisonous, including the leaves, pit, and peel.
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How do you choose the perfect avocado? Press it lightly with your finger. If it is firm, then the avocado is ripe. If it is soft, then it is overripe, and you should not choose such a fruit. It will be tasteless. If an avocado is too hard, then it is not ripe. However, like bananas, avocados can also ripen on your table.
Is Avocado Keto?
Yes, avocado is keto. This fruit has the perfect keto proportion and a healthy balance of fat and protein. There are about 50 varieties of avocados, but they all have approximately the same nutrients. 100 grams of Hass avocado contains:
- 160 calories
- 2 grams of protein
- 18 grams of fat
- 7 grams of carbohydrates
- 5 grams of fiber
- 2 grams of net carbs.
Due to the long-term popularity of low-fat diets, many people have avoided adding avocados to their diets, as this fruit is very high in fat. However, recently, scientists have proven the benefits of avocado. It has been recognized as one of the most valuable food for any healthy diet. Avocados are especially important for the keto diet, as they contain a lot of healthy vegetable fats.
Benefits of Avocado
Avocado is an excellent choice for any diet, but it is especially valuable during low-carb, high-fat nutrition because of its perfect keto composition. The fact is that avocado contains a large amount of easily digestible monounsaturated fats but does not contain cholesterol.
In addition, avocado has different vitamins (A, E, C, group B, K, folic acid) and minerals (sodium, potassium, calcium, copper, magnesium, iodine, phosphorus, and others). Let’s take a look at the reasons why you should add avocado to your keto diet.
Reduces Metabolic Syndrome Risk
Metabolic syndrome is a common name for diseases such as obesity, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. Scientists have found that avocados regulate the balance of hormones responsible for preventing metabolic syndrome. Research has shown that people who eat avocados are generally healthier.
Avocados help maintain lower body weight, prevent abdominal obesity, and lower cholesterol levels. In conclusion, the study found that people who eat avocados are 50 percent less likely to develop metabolic syndrome.
Improves Heart Health
Previously, people mistakenly thought that eating fatty avocados could harm your heart. But in fact, avocados contain monounsaturated fatty acids that will benefit your heart a lot. Various studies show that eating enough monounsaturated fatty acids and avoiding carbohydrates help protect the body from atherosclerosis.
Avocado contains a unique oleic acid that helps prevent the development of cancer cells. Avocado oil is a perfect cooking option because high temperatures do not degrade oleic acid. In addition to monounsaturated fats, avocados contain other beneficial plant compounds that help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. These are compounds of beta-sitosterol, potassium, magnesium, and a lot of fiber.
Supports Beauty and Longevity
Many beauty trends are focused on avocado and its oil. Consuming them is a great way to improve your appearance from the inside out. They are high in fat-soluble vitamins and healthy fats that moisturize the skin and give it an attractive glow.
Avocados are also high in antioxidants. They fight free radicals that accelerate the aging process and make you look older, for example, due to the appearance of wrinkles and blemishes. In particular, avocados contain lutein. While it has been linked to eye health, lutein also promotes youthful, healthy-looking skin and hair.
Helps Fight Cancer
Several studies have shown that avocados contain very powerful plant chemicals that help prevent cancer and slow the growth of malignant cells. They also have a positive effect on reducing the number of cancer cells that are already formed.
The monounsaturated fatty acids in avocados help fight cancer and its symptoms. The anti-inflammatory properties of monounsaturated fats have a positive effect on the pathogens that cause disease. Finally, avocados are high in antioxidants that fight off toxins before they can build up in your tissues and form tumors. It contains two major antioxidants known as beta-sitosterol and carotenoids, which have been shown to prevent prostate and skin cancers.
Promotes Healthy Weight Loss
Can eating high-fat foods help you lose weight? In fact, yes, low-carb, high-fat diets are the best for weight loss. And avocados are a great part of these diets. Its fruit contains a lot of good fats and fiber to help you stay full longer and very few carbs that won’t be stored as fat.
A diet high in monounsaturated acids is a healthy way to shed excess fat, especially around the waist. These foods will make you feel full for a long time and help eliminate blood sugar surges. Have you ever noticed that you feel hungry after a meal that is high in carbohydrates and low in fat and protein?
Carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels. And when that level drops (and it happens pretty quickly), you feel hungry again, as your body wants to restore high sugar levels again. Foods that are high in fat and healthy fiber do not have this effect, resulting in long-lasting satiety.
Improves Digestion
Avocados contain fiber, which helps the body absorb nutrients from food and flush out toxins. They provide a feeling of saturation and help maintain more consistent energy levels. Fiber is the foundation for proper digestion, maintaining a healthy weight, preventing cancer and type 2 diabetes, and a source of other health benefits.
The uniqueness of fiber is its ability to swell in liquids and grow in size without being digested under the influence of digestive enzymes produced in the stomach and small intestine. This property has determined many of the beneficial properties of fiber for human health. Plant fiber is known for its ability to improve bowel motility and prevent constipation. Still, its healing properties are good in the case of other digestive system diseases.
Has High Mineral Content
Among the minerals that avocado is rich in, potassium is of particular importance. It is beneficial for the health of the heart, cardiovascular system, and water-salt metabolism. Avocado also contains iron, which is essential for the circulatory and respiratory systems. It also contains magnesium, which helps to improve the functioning of skeletal and cardiac muscles. There is also zinc, which affects the synthesis of testosterone and other hormones.
One half of a medium-sized Hass avocado contains (percent of the RDI):
- Potassium – 10%
- Magnesium – 8%
- Zinc – 7%
- Manganese – 7%
- Iron – 4%.
Supports the Overall Health of Men and Women
One of the main advantages of avocado is its nutritional value. The fruit is highly valued among vegans on a keto diet, as it can fill a significant part with its healthy calories. It helps to improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, soothing irritations of the mucous membrane and cleansing the intestines.
It also strengthens the heart, normalizes blood pressure, and helps the kidneys work due to its high potassium content. Another valuable property is its positive effect on the reproductive system. Here are the benefits:
- Folates prepare a woman’s body for bearing a baby and strengthen the immune system. In a man’s body, they increase the quality of reproductive cells.
- Vitamins E and C cleanse the body of toxins.
- Anti-inflammatory substances strengthen the immune system and protect against disease.
- Minerals stabilize blood composition and hemoglobin levels.
- At the same time, avocado is considered one of the aphrodisiacs, which is often supplemented in recipes with red pepper, seafood, and bananas. These are components that maintain a strong sex drive and endurance.
- Anti-inflammatory agents support local genital health.
Eating avocados has a positive effect on nervous activity, nourishes the brain, and relieves symptoms of nervous diseases such as depression and exhaustion. Therefore, the fruit is useful for everyone who is engaged in mental work.
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In addition, it is believed that avocado is good for teeth, strengthens enamel, normalizes the acid-base balance in the oral cavity, and kills bacteria.
Supports Pregnancy Health
The complex of vitamins contained in avocado helps strengthen the woman’s body and ensure the correct development of the fetus. The fruit is hypoallergenic and easy to digest. It will give you all the necessary fats without stress on the liver, help to avoid constipation, and eliminate puffiness during pregnancy.
Avocado also maintains a normal blood composition, ensuring proper nutrition for the fetus. It regulates sugar, cholesterol, and the functioning of the nervous and hormonal systems. The rich vitamin composition allows the baby’s body to fully form, including getting normal nutrition, building a healthy nervous system, and developing immunity.
In addition to all other properties, avocados can help to avoid dehydration, which occurs in pregnant women after frequent urination.
Conclusion
Avocados are keto and a great choice for a low-carb diet. Besides, there are many delicious recipes, from simple bacon and avocado scrambled eggs to delicious and healthy green smoothies for weight loss. You can make a delicious light keto snack with spinach, tomatoes, avocado slices, and minced garlic. Season the salad with lemon juice and olive oil and enjoy the perfect taste of a healthy dish.
Eating avocados regularly will bring many benefits to your health. If you have not yet introduced this amazing fruit into your keto food list, be sure to fix it. It will give your body strength and bring great new experiences.
