So you know avocado is delicious, and you’ve heard it's nutritious - but just how good for you is an avocado? Can you eat one every day? In this guide we take a science-based look at the health benefits of avocados.

1. Avocados are packed with nutrients

*Avocado is a great source of vitamins C, B6, K and E.*

There’s no other way to put it: Avocados are a genuine superfood. They’re packed with an extraordinary wealth of vitamins, minerals and healthy fats - the fact that they go great on toast is just the icing on the cake.

So what benefits do you get from eating avocado? Let’s look at some of the nutrients* in an avocado, the role they play in your body, and how much of your recommended daily intake (or Daily Intake Value) you get from a single avocado.

* We’re using Nutrition Data for all our figures, which estimates one avocado as 201g. This information is a guide only, as each avocado will wind up being a little different.

Vitamins in an avocado

Vitamin C: 33% of Daily Intake Value (DV)

Vitamin C is a hugely important nutrient for the human body; we can’t synthesise it ourselves, so we have to consume it to get its benefits. According to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), it has numerous roles in the body, including:

● Healing wounds by helping biosynthesis of collagen

● Can help regenerate antioxidants in the body

● Plays an important role in the immune system

● Helps the body absorb non-haem iron

Vitamin K: 55% of DV

Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin, which means it dissolves in the fats and oils we consume to be absorbed into the body and stored in our fatty tissue. Harvard states that thanks to certain proteins in vitamin K, it helps with the building of bones and with blood clotting (which we need to help prevent excessive bleeding when injured).

Vitamin B6: 26% of DV

Vitamin B6, according to the NIH, is not one vitamin but rather a collection of six compounds that possess vitamin B6 activity. It's a water-soluble vitamin, meaning it dissolves in water but our bodies don’t store it.

So what does it do for us? Well … what doesn’t it do? The NIH says that vitamin B6 is involved with more than 100 enzyme reactions (chemical reaction in our body brought on by enzymes, a type of protein), most of which are to do with protein metabolism, but which are also involved in amino acid metabolism and carb metabolism.

Because vitamin B6 is also known to biosynthesize neurotransmitters, it may be involved with cognitive development.

Folate: 46% of DV

Folate might get its own fancy name, but it’s also a B vitamin. You might have also heard of folic acid, which is the synthetic version of folate, according to the NZ Ministry of Health.

The Ministry goes on to state that folate is used in cell growth and reproduction, which is why pregnant and breastfeeding women are often recommended to take more folate than other people. Basically, folate helps with cell division, and can aid in making DNA.

Vitamin E: 21% of DV

If you enjoy your skin and eyes, and who doesn’t, then vitamin E is a nutrient you’ll probably want. Vitamin E refers to a group of compounds found commonly in foods such as plant oils, nuts, wheatgerm and, of course, avocado.

This is from the UK’s NHS, which also states that the nutrient helps maintain healthy skin and eyes, and strengthens the immune system against illness and infection.

Minerals in an avocado

Potassium: 28% of DV

Bananas might be your go-to for potassium, but avocados actually have more potassium than their bendy yellow counterparts, when comparing similar grammage.

Potassium is absolutely vital for your body’s wellbeing, as it is present in all bodily tissue - helping with normal cell function. According to Harvard, it’s vital for producing protein, metabolising carbs, regulating the heartbeat, and ensuring proper function of muscles and nerves.

Magnesium: 15% of DV

Magnesium is another mineral with a few roles in the body - Harvard states that it assists more than 300 enzymes to carry out their regular functions. So what sort of benefits does it have?

● Helps turn the food we eat into energy (NHS)

● Ensures the normal functioning of our parathyroid glands, which produce hormones vital for good bone health (NHS).

● Helps regulate blood sugar, blood pressure, and muscle and nerve function (Harvard).

● Acts as an electrical conductor to help the heart beat steadily (Harvard).

Copper: 19% of DV

You might not readily associate copper with food, but it’s another essential mineral with many functions throughout the body.

Copper is important for the functioning of certain enzymes which are involved with the metabolism of iron, energy production, the synthesis of connective tissues and neurotransmitters, and the activation of neuropeptides (a protein-like molecule, which can either act as a hormone or neurotransmitter).

Iron: 6% of DV

For many, more commonly women, a deficiency in iron has led in the past to symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath. This is because your body uses haemoglobin (of which iron is a major component) to carry oxygen to all the different parts of the body, according to Harvard.

Iron can also help store oxygen in muscle tissues and plays a role in brain development in children.

Can I eat an avocado every day?

Like any food, it’s important to always balance your diet out with a variety of different fruit, vegetables, and other items.

Avocado can be a fantastic, healthy fruit. With 322 calories per fruit a whole avocado can fit into a daily healthy diet, though as with all things, it all depends on your unique needs. For context, according the NHS, the average woman needs 2,000 calories per day and the average man needs 2,500.

Health.com has a good write-up about avocado intake, written with help from registered dietician and author Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN.

2. Avocado could be a good weight loss food

*Avocado ca help you feel fuller for longer, leading to less snacking.*

Avocado has been linked to weight loss by some researchers. This is not so much because it is a miracle, fat-burning food, but because it may help you feel fuller for longer, leading to eating a bit less.

An interesting study from Loma Linda University, USA, gathered 26 overweight adults and fed them the same breakfast each. Then, they were offered one of three lunch meals - one with no avocado, one with avocado incorporated into it, and one with avocado added on to it. They were then monitored for up to five hours.

Results indicate that adding half an avocado to their lunch helped participants feel 23% more satisfied and 28% less hungry after five hours. Or in other words, the other participants got hungrier more quickly.

While more tests are required to be certain (adding a half avocado does add extra calories to the meal, which again may not be suitable for everyone), these results suggest that it could be a good food to add to lunch to help you feel sated, and therefore less likely to snack before dinner.

3. Avocado may help lower cholesterol

*The fat in avocado has been linked to reduced cholesterol levels.*

Not all fat is bad. Indeed, most of the fat found in a single avocado - monounsaturated fat - is important for your health and could contribute to reducing cholesterol levels.

Let’s talk about a study that shows this in action. If you aren’t sure what different types of fat are, we’ve also left an explanation below.

Avocado lowering cholesterol

A 2015 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (AHA) linked an avocado-rich diet with cholesterol reduction, when compared to other diets.

Researched brought together 45 overweight or obese adults with cholesterol levels in the 25th to 90th percentiles. Participants were then fed a variety of diets with varying degrees of fat content (from 5% to 34% saturated fats), including one moderate-fat diet that included a single Hass avocado per day.

They concluded that the avocado diet (low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat, contributed by the avocado) achieved “greater reductions” in different types of cholesterol than the other similar diets.

A brief explanation of common fats

● Monounsaturated fat: Common in olive oil, nuts and avocado. This type of fat has been linked to improved cholesterol, reducing your risk of heart disease (Journal of the AHA).

● Polyunsaturated fat: Also common in plant-based food and oil, such as sunflower oil. This is another essential fat that can reduce bad cholesterol levels, when consumed instead of saturated fats (Harvard).

● Saturated fat: Found mainly in animal products such as red meat and poultry. Saturated fat is known to raise levels of both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol (Mayo Clinic).

● Trans fat: Found in processed foods such as cake, fried potato and shortening. It can raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol (Mayo Clinic).

4. Avocados are low-carb

*Not all carbs are bad, but for those on a low-carb diet avocado could be a good choice.*

While avocado may be high in healthy fat, essential vitamins and minerals, and calories, it’s low in carbohydrates (6% DV). Of the carbs found in a standard avocado, most of it is fibre, leaving just a small portion of net carbs.

If you’re worried about blood glucose levels or are, quite simply, on a low-carb diet, avocado may be a healthy fruit to include to help you feel full without the sugar spike. That said, we should point out that not all carbs are bad.

What are carbs exactly?

Carbohydrates are a collection of sugars, starches and fibres found in grains, fruit and vegetables, and dairy products (Livescience). They are your body’s fuel, providing energy to the muscles and nervous system. A 2017 study titled “Impact of nutrition on social decision making” also links a high-carb/protein breakfast with decision-making ability.

Some carbs, such as refined sugars, are absorbed too quickly into the body while providing little nutritional value (think soft drinks and other treats), leading some to call them ‘empty calories’. It is generally advised that those looking to lose weight eliminate these from their diet (Diabetes.co.uk).

Other carbs - complex carbs - take longer to break down, helping provide sustained energy instead of a sugary spike. Good sources of complex carbs are wholegrain cereals, lentils and potatoes.

5. Avocados may help fight age-related eye troubles

Studies have linked avocados with eye health.

According to WebMD, avocados contain two antioxidants that have been linked with good eye health - lutein and zeaxanthin.

These ‘carotenoids’ help protect the eye’s cells from the harmful effects of UV light. They’ve also been linked to fighting cataracts - antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin neutralise free radicals that are associated with the retinal damage that leads to cataracts (American Optometric Association).

6. Avocados can help with hormone production

*The good fat in avocado may help with hormone production.*

We’ve touched on this already, but the reality is our bodies need fat. Without fat, fat-soluble vitamins could not travel around our body, which could have dire consequences for our health. But fat can also be used in other ways - for example, creating hormones.

Omega-3, a fatty acid found in avocado, is found throughout the body in our cell membranes, and influences how well our cell receptors (in these membranes) function. According to Harvard, they are a starting point for making hormones that regulate blood clotting, artery wall contraction and relaxation, and inflammation.

7. Avocados could help lower your risk of certain cancers

*Avocado is not a cure, but it might help reduce certain cancer risks.*

Some of the nutrients in avocado have been linked to the reduction in risk of certain cancers, for example:

Colon cancer

A 2015 study found that a high-fibre diet can significantly reduce the risk of a type of colorectal adenoma (benign polyps that could turn cancerous). While the paper did not find significant data that showed fibre reduces the risk of colon cancer overall, researchers did notice a reduced risk of distal colon cancer specifically, and specified that findings were most notable in fibre consumed from cereals and fruits.

So why are we telling you this? Because avocado is a good source of fibre. The NZ Nutrition Foundation recommends that men consume 30g of fibre a day, with women consuming 25g. An avocado contains around 13.5g - almost half.

Oral cancer

Avocado is a dark fruit that contains ‘phytochemicals’ - compounds thought to have protective qualities. In 2007, a paper from Ohio State University linked these chemicals with killing certain oral cancer cells and preventing others from turning cancerous.

The research was conducted on Hass avocados specifically.

Breast cancer

Remember lutein, the carotenoid that fights cataracts and UV light? It may also fight breast cancer. This study, from Texas Tech University, found evidence that lutein can inhibit breast cancer cell growth and suggests that lutein supplementation may be a “promising alternative and/or adjunct” therapeutic candidate to fight breast cancer.

An important final disclaimer

We’ve talked a lot about medical research and positive health effects, but we should end with an important disclaimer.

Everybody is different, and therefore your needs may differ to those who participated in the studies we have quoted. If you’re worried about your health, the best place to turn to is your local GP, who may also be able to refer you to a registered dietician for specific nutritional advice.

However, if you’re just looking for a healthy food to add to a balanced diet (or you want an excuse to eat more avocado!) then you’ve come to the right place.

Where to buy organic, fresh avocado

Here at Avocado Avenue in the sunny Bay of Plenty we grow all of our avocados without using chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilisers. We don’t need to! Our trees give us big, gorgeous avocados year-in and year-out, all hand-picked and ready to be delivered to your door.

You don’t have to go to the supermarket to get our fruit, either. Buy our avocados online and we’ll pick your order fresh from the tree and deliver it to your home. No cold storage, no third parties handling the fruit. Just fresh avocado from our tree to your door.

7 health benefits of avocado, according to science