Avocado
Also indexed as: Fuerte Avocado, Haas Avocados, Jumbo
Avocados
Unlike most fruits, avocados are creamy, rather than juicy and sweet.
Avocados are green, pear-shaped fruits that grow on subtropical trees. In the United
States, avocados are grown in Florida and California. Unlike most other fruits, which tend to
be juicy and sweet, avocados have a creamy texture, a high fat content, and a mild, buttery
flavor. They are usually used as a fresh vegetable.
Varieties
Although there are about a hundred varieties of avocado, only a few are grown and consumed
in the United States. The most commonly available variety is the Haas avocado, a dark-green,
pebbly skinned avocado grown in California that is available year-round. Fuerte avocados are
medium green and have a smoother skin. Grown in California, they are available in the fall and
winter. Florida avocados are larger than those from California, have a smoother skin, and are
lower in fat. Some jumbo avocados may be slightly lower in fat as well.
Buying and storing tips
Look for avocados that are heavy for their size and are free of bruises and dark sunken
spots. Unripe avocados are hard to the touch. Place them in a brown paper bag at room
temperature for two to three days to ripen. They are ready to eat when slightly soft. Once
ripe, they should be stored in the refrigerator and used within two to three days. To freeze
avocado, remove the skin and pit and purée the flesh with ½ tablespoon (7mL) of lemon or lime juice
per avocado. Pack in an airtight container and freeze for up to five months. Avocado slices
and halves do not freeze well.
Availability
Because of the variety of types, avocados are available year-round.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Avocados are always eaten raw because heating can cause them to become bitter. They can be
added to cooked dishes just before serving. Avocado is most commonly used to make the Mexican
dip called guacamole, a mixture of mashed avocado, lime juice, tomatoes, and hot
peppers. Avocado slices can also be added to salads, sandwiches, or sauces. Mashed avocado
is a good spread for toast, bagels, or sandwiches, and
can be used to top chili or a baked potato. It makes
a healthful replacement for sour cream, butter, or
margarine. Avocado halves can be stuffed with tuna,
chicken, or crab
salad.
To prepare an avocado, slice in half, remove the pit, and scoop out the flesh. Discard the
skin and pit. Avocado flesh darkens quickly when exposed to air. While this doesn’t
present any health hazard, it makes the avocado look less appealing. To prevent this from
occurring, rub avocado slices with lime or lemon juice, or mix about ½ tablespoon (7mL)
of juice into mashed or puréed avocado.
Nutritional Highlights
Avocado (raw, all varieties), 1 medium
Calories: 324
Protein: 3.98g
Carbohydrate: 14.8g
Total Fat: 30.8g
Fiber: 10g
*Excellent source of: Potassium (1,204mg), Vitamin C (15.8mg), Folate
(124mcg), and Vitamin A (1,230 IU)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular
nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good
source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily
Value.
Health benefits and concerns
Asthma
Vitamin C, present in fruits and
vegetables, is a powerful antioxidant and
anti-inflammatory. This anti-inflammatory activity may influence the development of asthma
symptoms. A large preliminary study has shown that young children with asthma experience
significantly less wheezing if they eat a diet high in fruits rich in vitamin C.
Bruising
Many Americans eat insufficient amounts of foods containing vitamin C; the disease caused
by vitamin C deficiency, scurvy, causes easy bruising. While very few people actually have
scurvy, even minor deficiencies of vitamin C can increase the incidence of bruising. People
who experience easy bruising may want to try eating more fruits and vegetables—common
dietary sources of vitamin C.
Capillary
fragility
Eating plenty of flavonoid- and vitamin C-rich fruits
and vegetables helps to support the structure of capillaries.
Cataracts
Some, but not all, studies have reported that eating more foods rich in beta-carotene or vitamin A
was associated with a lower risk of cataracts. Synthetic beta-carotene supplementation has not
been found to reduce the risk of cataract formation. It remains unclear whether natural
beta-carotene from food or supplements would protect the eye or whether beta-carotene in food
is merely a marker for other protective factors in fruits and vegetables high in
beta-carotene.
High
homocysteine
A controlled trial showed that eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables containing folic acid, beta-carotene, and vitamin C effectively lowered
homocysteine levels. Healthy people were assigned to either a diet containing a pound of
fruits and vegetables per day, or to a diet containing 3 1/2 ounces (99g) of fruits and
vegetables per day. After four weeks, those eating the higher amount of fruits and vegetables
had an 11 percent lower homocysteine level compared with those eating the lower amount of
fruits and vegetables.
Kidney stones
Potassium reduces urinary calcium excretion, and people
who eat high amounts of dietary potassium appear to be at low risk of forming kidney stones.
The best way to increase potassium is to eat fruits and vegetables. The level of potassium in
food is much higher than the small amounts found in supplements.
Multiple sclerosis
(MS)
In one survey, researchers gathered information from nearly 400 people (half with MS) over
three years. They found that consumption of vegetable protein, fruit juice, and foods rich in
vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, and
potassium correlated with a decreased MS risk.
Stroke
Researchers have found an association between diets low in potassium and increased risk of
stroke. However, the association of increasing dietary potassium intake and decreasing stroke
mortality only occurred in black men and hypertensive men in one study. Others have found an
association between increased risk of stroke and the combination of low dietary potassium plus
high salt intake. Increasing dietary potassium has lowered blood pressure in humans, which by
itself should reduce the risk of stroke; however, some of the protective effect of potassium
appears to extend beyond its ability to lower blood pressure. Maintaining a high potassium
intake is best achieved by eating fruits and vegetables.
Health benefits and
concerns for vegetables
Many health benefits and concerns associated with this food are applicable to other
vegetables. Read about health benefits and concerns
for vegetables for a full description.
The information presented in this website is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of U.S. registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications.
Back to top
