How Avocados Drained A Country
Dive into Shawn's world where every fruit and plant has a story, from historical perspective to gardening tips.
Shawn G. - FruitPedia.Org
5/8/20245 min read
If you had 80 gallons of water, you would still die of thirst if you grew an avocado.
I do not recommend that.
A single avocado takes more than 80 gallons of water to grow.
And many of them are grown in places that barely have any water.
And the only reason agriculture companies plant them there is because global demand made them too valuable to pass up.
And the cheapest land tends to be the driest.
So they end up drilling super deep into the ground until they hit water.
In Ptoca, Chile, they drilled so deep that the rivers stop flowing.
That's why 70% of the town now trucks in drinking water just to survive.
Each family gets about 40 liters a day, while the avocado trees next to their homes get thousands of fruit that emptied a river so that you could put it on your toast - which is, pretty insane.
You know you love avocados when you plan your meals based on your their ripening schedules.
And we can't blame you—they are nutritious and delicious!
Avocados contain the highest amount of fat, calories and protein of any fruit.
They also boast a fair share of potassium, magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin E and carotenoids, among others.
Plus avocados are loaded with fiber—with about 14 grams in just one avocado!
However, avocado's high caloric and fat content may lead you to question whether they're a healthy choice to consume regularly.
Better yet, do they offer any health benefits?
And are they truly worth the extra bucks?
To answer these questions and more, keep reading to learn what research has to say about consuming avocados every day.
They Might Improve Gut Health
Cultivating a healthy gut is critical for your overall health and well-being.
Avocados can certainly be a foundational part of gut health, considering they're filled with an impressive amount of dietary fiber—a nutrient linked to improved gut health.
One avocado contains around 14 grams of fiber, which is a good chunk of the recommended daily amount of about 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men.
Meeting the recommended daily intake of dietary fiber plays a pivotal role in feeding and fueling the good bacteria in your gut.
In turn, the beneficial microbes degrade and ferment the ingested fiber to produce short-chain fatty acids.
"Short-chain fatty acids provide health to the gut cells and gut lining," says JeJe Noval, Ph.D., M.S., RDN.
"Many fiber-rich foods include prebiotic elements in them, like avocados.
Therefore, consuming a variety of fiber-rich foods like avocados, berries and nuts, to name a few, work together with probiotic-rich foods like sauerkraut, kimchi and yogurt to produce health benefits."
Research backs this up, too. In fact, the prebiotic composition of avocados has been linked to positive effects on gut microbiota diversity.
Therefore, consuming avocados may promote healthy digestive function.
They Might Help With Weight Management
Adding avocado to your meals may also benefit weight management.
Although the fat content of avocados makes them high in calories, one study observed that people who ate one avocado per day for six months maintained a stable body weight.
In other words, avocado consumption did not contribute to weight gain.
In addition, another study found that enjoying an avocado a day may help to reduce visceral fat among females.
The reason avocados are excellent for weight management is because of their fiber and monounsaturated fat content.
Fiber has been shown to increase feelings of satiety, while monounsaturated fats (specifically oleic acid) can decrease fat storage when consumed in adequate amounts.
They May Decrease Heart Disease Risk
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States among men, women and people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds.
In order to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, it is vital to adopt a diet rich in potassium, magnesium, fiber, folate, monounsaturated fats, polyphenols and antioxidants.
Each one of these heart-healthy nutrients is perfectly packaged inside a ripe avocado.
Due to their high nutrient density, evidence suggests that consuming avocados is associated with a 16% to 22% decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease.
In fact, researchers noted that swapping half a serving of butter, margarine, egg, cheese, yogurt or processed meat with the same amount of avocado significantly lowered the risk of these conditions.
Another study suggests that people who ate one avocado per day for 26 weeks showed improvement in their blood lipids.
Blood lipids include LDL (harmful) cholesterol, HDL (helpful) cholesterol and triglycerides; when the ratio of harmful lipids to helpful lipids is off, it's a risk factor for heart disease.
They May Improve Brain Function
If you are interested in preventing cognitive decline and improving your brain health, daily avocado consumption may help.
In fact, avocados provide a unique combination of monounsaturated fatty acids, fiber and antioxidants such as polyphenols and carotenoids.
Each of these components has been linked to improvements in cognitive aging.
Other research found that older individuals who eat avocado or guacamole had significantly greater cognitive scores across all cognitive tests.
Cheng F, Ford N, Taylor M. US older adults that consume avocado or guacamole have better cognition than non-consumers: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014.
Front Nutr. 2021;8:746453. doi:10.3389/fnut.2021.746453
Of the cognitive tests assessed, avocado consumption significantly improved memory performance.
This finding is important because memory is usually the first area to decline in individuals with age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
Health Benefits of Avocados
Eating avocados as part of a balanced diet has been associated with multiple health benefits.
Nutrition Information
Avocados are loaded with healthy fats, fiber and plant protein. One avocado contains the following nutrients:
Calories: 322
Carbohydrates: 17 g
Dietary fiber: 14 g
Total sugar: 1 g*
Added sugar: 0 g
Protein: 4 g
Total fat: 30 g
Saturated fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 0 g
Sodium: 14 g
Potassium: 975 mg (21% DV)
Magnesium: 58 mg (14% DV)
Vitamin E: 4 mg (27% DV)
Folate: 163 mcg (41% DV)
Vitamin K: 42 mcg (35% DV)
*Sugar in avocado is naturally occurring
Are Avocados Safe for Everyone to Eat?
While avocado is generally safe for most people, if you have an allergy to them, you'll want to avoid them.
Additionally, individuals following a low-potassium diet may want to limit how much avocado they eat.
Avocados are also rich in fiber, which may be difficult for some with sensitive guts or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to digest properly.
In that case, eating smaller amounts of avocado at a time may be more doable.
Finally, avocados are rich in vitamin K, which may be an issue for people on blood thinners.
If you plan on eating avocados regularly, talk to your healthcare practitioner about potential adjustments to your medication dose to allow them in your diet.
4 Ways to Enjoy Avocados
Sliced. Adding sliced avocado to your sandwich will add satisfying fats, protein and fiber to keep you full until your next meal.
Mashed. If you love upgrading your toast, try adding mashed avocado.
We also love using mashed avocado to make pesto.
Blended. Blending avocado into smoothies gives them a smooth, silky texture.
Once you try it, you will never make another smoothie without it.
Stuffed. Avocados have the perfect "innie" that can be filled with veggies or your favorite protein.
We love them filled with salmon or chicken salad.
