Fats and Calories in Avocados
Monounsaturated Fats and Calories in Avocados
While avocados are relatively high calorie food with 100 grams of the
fresh fruit providing around 160 calories, more than two thirds of
those calories come from monounsaturated oleic acid. Studies
have demonstrated that monounsaturated fats like oleic acid are much
more likely to be utilized by your body as a slow burning energy source
than saturated fat.
Increasing
your intake of monounsaturated fats, versus both polyunsaturated fats
and carbohydrates, has also been shown to provide a marked improvement
in insulin sensitivity and glycemic control – a major factor in weight gain and developing diabetes.
As an additional health benefit, eating a diet high in the omega-9
fats, of which avocado is one of the best sources, has been shown to
have the potential to reduce blood levels of ‘bad’ low-density
lipoprotein cholesterol, at the same time as raising ‘good’ high-density
lipoprotein cholesterol.
Omega-9 fat also aids in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins and antioxidants from the food they are eaten with.
The health benefits of avocado
on their own are quite amazing. However, when you eat them with leafy
greens in a salad, or with high antioxidant vegetables like butternut
squash, it can significantly improve your assimilation of the
nutritional elements in the other foods as well.