Avocados have quickly emerged as one of the world’s most popular foods. However, avocados are not exactly cheap. Part of the reason why avocados are somewhat expensive is avocado trees take upwards of 15 years to bear fruit. An intricate process is necessary to grow an avocado tree. Avocado tree propagation occurs through grafting, meaning the splicing of a particular avocado variety’s stem with that of an avocado of another variety. The result of such grafting is a comparably quick harvest, high-quality fruit and trees that prove resistant to disease. Everything from climate to pollination, water, soil and disease impacts avocado tree growth. Let’s take a closer look at how avocados are grown, why they are considered a nutritional powerhouse and ultimately worth every penny spent at the grocery store.

Avocado Health Benefits

If you had the ability to time travel 15-20 years into the past, you would find avocados had a bad wrap in the media and even among most nutritionists. There was a common misconception that these high-fat fruits were unhealthy. However, we have since learned the fat in avocados is “good fat”, meaning it is beneficial to the human body. Avocados are loaded with monounsaturated fat that decreases harmful LDL cholesterol when consumed in moderation. Add in the fact that avocadoes are laden with the chemical known as beta-sitosterol that facilitates proper healthy cholesterol levels and it is easy to understand why this fruit has become quite the popular food among nutritionists as well as everyday people.

Avocados are Great for the Eyes

If you are like most people, you have become somewhat of a screen zombie as a result of the rapid advancement of technology across the past couple decades. It is no secret that constant screen exposure is terrible for the eyes. However, there are ways to counteract our society’s mounting vision problems. Incorporate avocados into your diet and you will enjoy an influx of important carotenoids known as zeaxanthin and lutein. These carotenoids help keep the eyes perfectly healthy across the aging process, decreasing the chances of macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is the top cause of vision loss across the aging process.

Avocados Help the Body Absorb Vitamin A

Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is considered to be somewhat of a miracle in that it bolsters the immune system, slows aging and enhances skin condition. Vitamin A’s antioxidant properties even help safeguard the body’s cells against damage. Additional vitamin A benefits include improved vision, bolstered immunity against infections, stronger bone formation and enhanced protection against stroke as well as heart disease. According to the Journal of Nutrition, avocados’ abundance of lipids and beta-carotene enhances the bioavailability of carotenoids, helping vitamin A work its magic within the body. The abundance of lipids within avocados increases vitamin A absorption by upwards of a whopping 1,200%.

Avocados are the Perfect Food for Vegans

Aside from vitamin A, avocados also have a dozen additional vitamins the human body needs to function as designed. Avocado vitamins are as follows:

• Vitamin B
• Vitamin K
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin B6
• Folate
• Biotin
• Niacin
• Riboflavin
• Thiamine

All in all, there 20 total minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients in avocados, making them quite the nutritional powerhouse for vegans. Furthermore, avocado fat facilitates the body’s absorption of the nutrients within other foods you consume. A considerable number of antioxidants within vegetables and fruits are fat soluble. In other words, consuming fruits/vegetables with the “good fat” in avocados helps your body absorb that many more antioxidants. Such absorption would not occur if you strictly consumed those fruits and veggies on their own without the addition of a tasty avocado.

Avocados Satiate, Helping You cut Calories and Curb Cravings

As noted above, avocados are full of healthy fat. This healthy fat is unique in that the body takes longer to fully digest it. As a result, you feel that much more full and satiated after eating an avocado. This satiation reduces the chances of snacking on salty or fattening foods. Avocados are loaded with more than 20 minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients, ensuring the body receives the necessary amount of nutrients while also helping cut calories. In other words, individuals who eat an avocado for breakfast or lunch are not out of their mind. On the contrary, consuming an avocado along with another small snack for breakfast or lunch is actually quite the effective strategy for maintaining proper health and avoiding the temptation to chow down on unhealthy snacks. Incorporate avocados into your diet and you will agree this super food really does help combat cravings, resist the temptation to indulge in unhealthy late night snacks and fall into countless other food traps.