AVOCADO NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
There’s more to fresh California Avocados than great taste. Learning about avocado nutrition facts can help inspire you to find more ways to incorporate this healthy super fruit into your healthy diet.
NUTRITION FACTS:
1.Avocados Are a Heart-Healthy, Nutrient-Dense Superfood
Nutrient-dense foods are those that provide substantial amounts of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients with relatively few calories. One-third of a medium avocado (50 g) has 80 calories and contributes nearly 20 vitamins and minerals, making it a great nutrient-dense food choice.
2.Contains Good Fats
The avocado is virtually the only fruit that contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fat – good fat!
3.Naturally Sodium-, Sugar- and Cholesterol-Free
California Avocados are naturally sodium-, sugar- and cholesterol-free.
4.A Unique Fruit
Avocados can act as a “nutrient booster” by helping increase the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D, K and E.
5.Great for Babies and Kids
The avocado’s creamy consistency makes it one of the first fresh foods a baby can enjoy. Learn just how easy it is to introduce avocados to your kids.
AVOCADO NUTRIENTS
One-third of a medium avocado (50 g) has 80 calories and contributes nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, making it a heart-healthy choice to help meet nutrient needs. Although phytonutrients are not essential, research suggests they may promote human health.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the American Heart Association recommend eating less nutrient-poor foods and limiting the amount of saturated fat, trans fat, added sugars and sodium consumed. The majority of fats in one’s diet should be heart-healthy monounsaturated or polyunsaturated; more than 75 percent of the fat in avocados is unsaturated, good fat.
Why naturally good fats? Because the body needs some dietary fat in moderation to help with absorption of nutrients. Good fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, do not raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels.
Calories
(80 PER SERVING)
Calories provide a measure of how much energy you get from a serving of this food.
Carbohydrates
(4 G/1% DV PER SERVING)
Carbohydrates, or carbs, is the main source of your body’s energy. Carbs are a type of macronutrient found in many foods and beverages. Most carbohydrates occur naturally in plant-based foods and are made up of sugars, starches and fiber. Your body needs all three forms of carbs to function properly and breaks down carbs into glucose, orblood sugar, which is the main source of energy for your body’s cells, tissues, and organs.
Monounsaturated Fats
5 G PER SERVING
A “good fat.” Monounsaturated fat helps to lower LDL (bad) blood cholesterol if used in place of saturated and trans fats. Keeping your LDL level low reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke. Eaten in place of unhealthy fats, these fats may help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar.
Polyunsaturated Fats
(0.7 MG/15% DV PER SERVING)
Polyunsaturated fat is one of the healthy fats, along with monounsaturated fat. Polyunsaturated fat is different than saturated fat and trans fat. These unhealthy fats can increase your risk for heart disease and other health problems.
Pantothenic Acid
(0.7 MG/15% DV PER SERVING)
Avocados are a good source of Pantothenic acid, a B-vitamin that helps the body convert food to energy.
Dietary Fiber
(3 G/11% DV PER SERVING)
Avocados are a good source of Dietary Fiber and consuming foods rich in fiber may reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Dietary fiber adds bulk to your diet and makes you feel full faster, helping you control your weight. It helps digestion and helps prevent constipation. Most Americans don’t eat enough dietary fiber.
Folate
(45 MCG/10% DV PER SERVING)
Avocados are a good source of folate. Promotes healthy cell and tissue development. This is especially important during periods of rapid cell division and growth such as infancy and pregnancy. Folate is also essential for metabolism of hom*ocysteine and helps maintain normal levels of this amino acid.
Vitamin K
(11 MCG/10% DV PER SERVING)
Avocados are a good source of Vitamin K, an essential vitamin the body needs to stay healthy and that plays an important role in blood clotting. It is known as the clotting vitamin because without it blood would not clot. If you don’t have enough vitamin K, you may bleed too much. Some studies suggest that vitamin K helps maintain strong bones in the elderly.
Copper
(0.1 MG/10% DV PER SERVING)
Copper works with iron to help the body form red blood cells. It also helps keep the blood vessels, nerves, immune system, and bones healthy. Copper also aids in iron absorption.
Riboflavin
(0.10 MG/8% DV PER SERVING)
Known as vitamin B2, Riboflavin is naturally present in some foods and is an essential component of two major coenzymes, flavin mononucleotide (FMN; also known as riboflavin-5′-phosphate) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). These coenzymes play major roles in energy production; cellular function, growth, and development; and metabolism of fats, drugs, and steroids.
Potassium
(250 MG/6% DV PER SERVING)
Potassium has various roles in metabolism and body functions and is essential for the proper function of all cells, tissues and organs. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, dietary potassium can help lower blood pressure by blunting the adverse effects of sodium on blood pressure.
Vitamin E
(1 MG/6% DV PER SERVING)
An antioxidant that protects the body tissue from damage caused by unstable substances called free radicals. At lower levels, vitamin E may help protect the heart. Vitamin E also plays a role in healthy skin and hair.
Niacin
(1.0 MG/6% DV PER SERVING)
Niacin is a form of vitamin B3, produced in the body from tryptophan and found in protein-containing food. Niacin is taken by mouth for high cholesterol. It is also used along with other treatments for circulation problems, migraine headache, Meniere’s syndrome and other causes of dizziness, and to reduce the diarrhea associated with cholera.
Vitamin B6
A water−soluble vitamin that helps the immune system produce antibodies. Antibodies are needed to fight many diseases. Vitamin B6 helps maintain normal nerve function and form red blood cells. The body uses it to help break down proteins. The more protein you eat, the more Vitamin B6 you need.
Vitamin C
(4 MG/4% DV PER SERVING)
A water-soluble vitamin and antioxidant that is necessary for normal growth and development. Vitamin C is required for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. It is necessary to form collagen, an important protein used to make skin, scar tissue, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.
Manganese
(0.1 MG/4% DV PER SERVING)
Manganese is a mineral that is considered an essential nutrient, because the body requires it to function properly. Manganese is used to help weak bones (osteoporosis), a type of “tired blood” (anemia), and symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Magnesium
(14 MG/4% DV PER SERVING)
An essential mineral for human nutrition. Helps produce energy and is important for muscle contraction and relaxation.
Thiamin
(0.04 MG/4% DV PER SERVING)
Known as Vitamin B1, Thiamin plays a critical role in energy metabolism and, therefore, in the growth, development, and function of cells.
Iron
(0.3 MG/2% DV PER SERVING)
Iron is an essential component of hemoglobin, an erythrocyte protein that transfers oxygen from the lungs to the tissues. As a component of myoglobin, a protein that provides oxygen to muscles, iron supports metabolism. Iron is also necessary for growth, development, normal cellular functioning, and synthesis of some hormones and connective tissue.
Carotenoids Lutein + Zeaxanthin
(136 MCG PER SERVING)
Lutein and zeaxanthin are plant pigments found in the macula of the eye. Some research suggests lutein may help maintain healthy eyesight as we age. Lutein is a carotenoid that may be associated with a lower risk of eye diseases, such as cataracts and macular degeneration, and may help maintain the health of skin. Avocados contain some of the highest levels of lutein and zeaxanthin per serving of any fruit or vegetable.
THE GOODNESS OF FRESH CALIFORNIA AVOCADOS
California Avocados are a fresh, natural, wholesome part of a healthy diet. They’re irresistibly rich in flavor, and they provide vital nutrients and phytochemicals. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer and other chronic diseases. There are 13 vitamins the body absolutely needs: vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and folate). Avocados naturally contain many of these vitamins, and you can start incorporating them into your diet with our avocado recipes.
DO AVOCADOS CONTAIN ANTIOXIDANTS?
Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of antioxidants, substances that may protect your cells against the effects of free radicals. Free radicals can damage cells and may play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Research has shown that people who eat more fruits and vegetables have lower risks of several diseases; however, it is not clear whether these results are related to the amount of antioxidants in the fruits and vegetables, to other components of these foods, to other factors in people’s diets or to other lifestyle choices. What we do know is there is good evidence that eating a diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables is healthy. Antioxidants are abundant in fruits and vegetables. Some common antioxidants include beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, selenium and vitamins A, C and E. California Avocados contain many of these antioxidants, including 6 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin E, 4 percent for vitamin C and 136 mcg of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin.
