PERSEA AMERICANA [AVOCADO] Alligator pear /Butter fruit
The day’s post on Avocado [ Persea americana]
has been compiled to meet the requirements a request from my cousin Shri.
S.Raghunathan ; he expressed curiosity over the item. Hopefully his needs are
me,t at least to a basic level K. Raman
Avocado
is a tall tree of 25-30 feet bearing large number of ‘pear-lik’ green fruits
[berry] with a green leathery skin enclosing a thick pulp with a nut-like seed
buried in a pit. Avocado fruits are a major attraction because of their varied
utilities that support human health. Of late these fruits are gaining
popularity and are liberally available in fruit outlets in all major cities and
towns of India.
Nutrition
About
50 gms of the fruit can yield 50 calories of energy
Though
rich in fats, their fat content is largely of mono unsaturated variety that
helps to maintain good cholesterol Avocado fruits can deliver some 20 vitamins
.Thus in a 100 gm fruit pulp Potassium
=485 milligram , Folate =81 micrograms ,
Vit B6=0,257 milligrams , Vit E= 2.07milligram and Vit C= 10 milligram
Avocado
oil
It
is a popular cooking oil extracted from the fruits of Avocado .Its high smoke
point and mild aroma make it a popular cooking medium. [much like Olive oil ]
Several cosmetic items incorporate Avocado oil for its ‘moisturizer’ potential.
Nutrition
from oil [per tablespoon]
Proteins
/Carbohydrates/Fibre/Sugar= 0 gm, Fat =14 gm and Calories= 124 other components
in the oil include monounsaturated fat, Oleic acid, and Vitamin –E
BENEFITS
from Avocado
The
fibrous matter in fruit is insoluble and helps bowel movement
The
potassium content in fruits help to stabilize blood pressure by balancing with
levels of Sodium.
Heart
function
Avocado
has the plant cholesterol [ Beta-sitosterol] that helps to regulate fat and
support heart function
Anti-oxidants
–Lutein and Zeaxanthin defend vision by restriction of cataract formation
Pregnant
women need folate [400 micrograms a day for ideal foetus development and
avocados offer the best support
So
much of ‘good’ is packed in Avocado fruits and it would be logical to use the
fruits for our wellbeing.
