Avocados have recently been deemed “superfoods” for their high nutritious value. Other than being an essential fruit for several delicious dishes, such as tacos, burritos and burgers, these three ways they help protect you from heart disease are just another reason to love it.
Their Potassium Content
Did you know avocados have more potassium in them than bananas do? It contains 100 grams of it- around 14 percent of the recommended daily intake.
Bananas have long been known for their high potassium content, but avocados have secretly been the goldmine for the nutrient all along.
This nutrient helps decrease your blood pressure, which therefore reduces risks of heart attacks and strokes. It also helps prevent kidney failure.
A Good Source of Healthy Fats
Avocado’s calories are mainly from its fat content- around 77 percent. But it’s the kind of fat that’s good for you- monosaturated fats, which also happens to be the key component to olive oil. Such fats have been linked to good heart health.
In fact, even though fats have been among the most demonized nutrients in mainstream health and fitness culture, recent studies have shown that a diet that’s high in fat but low in carbs is actually linked to better heart health and longer lifespans in mice! Although it is yet to be tested on humans, this is a promising piece of information.
Nonetheless, fats are definitely an important part of one’s diet, and having it through your guac and chips is not a bad idea!
It Lowers Cholesterol
Some studies have also shown that avocados lowers the amount of “bad cholesterol” in your body. Bad cholesterol is what increases one’s risk of heart disease, as it blocks your arteries, increasing your blood pressure.
On top of that, researchers found that avocados also increase the amount of “good cholesterol” in your body by about 11 percent.