Natural Remedies : About AVOCADOS (Persea gratissima Gaertn.)

Avocados (Persea gratissima Gaertn.)

Sinonim : = P. americana, Mill.

Familia : Lauraceae Description: Tree fruit from Central America, growing wild in the forests, manyare also grown in gardens and in the yard of lining tananhnyaloose and fertile, and not waterlogged. Although can be fruitful in the lowlands, but the results will be satisfactory when planted at an altitude of 200-1000 m above sea level (asl), in the tropics that a lot of subtropical rainfall. Small tree, 3-10 m high, riding rooted, woody stems, round, dirtybrown color, much branched, smooth-haired twig. Single leaf, stemmed from 1.5 to 5 cm long, dirty, crowded at theend of the branch is located, round egg shape elongatedellipsoid, thick skin, the tip of the base and tapering, flat edgermenggulung sometimes slightly upward, reinforced rnenyirip,length of 10-20 cm, 3-10 cm wide, leaf color is reddish-hairedyoung tight, old leaf color is green and bare. The interest is compound interest, androgynous, arranged inpanicles that come out near the ends of twigs, greenish yellowcolor. The fruit is fruit Buni, spherical or ovoid shape, 5-20 cm long,green or yellowish green, mottled purple or purple once equallyseeded one, when fully ripe fruit is soft, the colors green, yellow. Seed round like a ball, 2.5 to 5 cm in diameter, reddish-whiteseed pieces. The fruit is ripe avocado flesh is soft, fatty foods, usually eaten asice mixed or made juice. oil is used, among others for cosmeticpurposes. Propagation by seed, grafting and how enten way. Local Name: Apuket, alpuket, guava wolanda (Sunda), avocado, avokat,;plokat (Java). avocado, avocado, avokat, advocates (Sumatra);  Avocados or also called asalligator pear are the fruit of the tree, which belonging to the family Lauraceae including camphor, cinnamon and bay laurel. These fruits are believed to be originated in Mexico, where the name of “avocado” is derived from Aztech or Nahuatl word ‘ahuacatl‘, meaning ‘testicle‘ due to the fruit resemblance to a testicle. The avocados are very popular in vegetarian cuisine, as substitute for meats in sandwiches and salads because of its high fat content. It is used as the base for the Mexican dip known as guacamole, as well as a filling for several kinds of sushi, including California rolls. It is popular in chicken dishes and as a spread on toast, served with salt and pepper. In some countries such as Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Brazil, avocados are frequently used for milkshakes and occasionally added to ice cream and other desserts. The dessert drink is made with milk, sugar and crushed ice. Chocolate syrup is sometimes added. Apart from these, avocados are also considered as one of the healthiest foods in the planet because they contain in excess of 25 essential nutrients, including vitamins A, B, C, E, and K, copper, iron, phosporus, magnesium, and potassium. In fact, you would need to eat two or tree bananas to obtain the potassium content of one avocado. Avocados also contain fibre, protein and beneficial phytochemicals such as beta-sitosterol, glutathione and lutein, which help protect against various disease and illness. Moreover, the avocado is one of the high calorie fruit that you could be eating. This is due to its larger amounts of fat content, approximately 20 times the average of other fruits. Although Avocado is high in fat content, but it is mostly the monounsaturated fat which is a healthy fat variety. Here are some of the health benefits of avocados: 1.    Maintain a healthy heart   Avocado contains vitamin B6 and folic acid, which help regulate homocysteine levels. High level of homocysteine is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Besides that, avocado also contains vitamin E, Glutathione and monounsaturated fat which help in maintaining a healthy heart. 2.    Lower cholesterol levels     Avocados are rich in a compound called beta-sitosterol which has been shown to be effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels. According to a study, patients with mild hypercholesterolemia who included avocados in their diet for 7 days had 17 percent decrease in total blood cholesterol levels, a 22 percent decrease in both LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglyceride levels, and a 11 percent increase in HDL (good cholesterol) levels. 3.    Control blood pressure   Avocados are also a great source of potassium, which helps in controlling blood pressure levels. 4.    Anti-Inflammatory properties     Phytonutrient compound found in avocados, such as polyphenols and flavonoids have been found to have anti-inflammatory properties, thereby reducing the risk of inflammatory and degenerative disorders. 5.    Promote eye health     Avocado is an excellent source of carotenoid lutein, which known to help protect against age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. 6.    Regulate the blood sugar levels    The monounsaturated (good) fats in avocados can reverse insulin resistance, which helping to regulate the blood sugar levels. Avocados also contain more soluble fiber, which keep a steady blood sugar levels. 7.    Prevent birth defects     Avocados are rich in folate, a B vitamin commonly known as folic acid. One cup of avocado provides you about 23% of the Daily Value for folate. The high amount of folate in avocado is essential in the prevention of birth defects, such as neural tube defect and spina bifida. 8.    Reduce strokes risk    The high levels of folate in avocados also protect against stroke. A study has shown individuals who ate a diet rich in folate had a lower risk of stroke than those who do not 9.    Protect against cancer    Many studies have shown that avocado can inhibit the growth of prostate cancer. The oleic acid in avocado is also effective in preventing breast cancer. 10. Fight free radicals    Avocados contain glutathione, a powerful antioxidants to helps fight free radicals in the body. 11. Anti-aging properties    Being rich in antioxidants, avocado is beneficial in preventing aging symptoms. The glutathione in avocado may boosts immune systems, slows the aging process, and encourages a healthy nervous system. 12. Cure bad breath    Avocados are one of the best natural mouth wash and bad breath remedies. It is cleanses intestine which is the real cause of coated tongue and this unpleasant condition. 13. Increase nutrient absorption    Avocado intake is linked with increased nutrient absorption. A study suggests that, when participants ate salad included avocados, they absorbed five times the amount of carotenoids (a group of nutrients that includes beta carotene and lycopene) than those who do not include avocados. 14. Skin Care    The avocado oil is added in many cosmetics because of its ability to nourish the skin and make your skin glow. It also aids in treating psoriasis, a skin disease that causes skin redness and irritation. 15. Weight gain    The avocado has 200 calories for 100 grams. Typically, fruits has approximately 60-80 calories for 100 grams. Due to the high amounts of calories, avocado is a best diet for people who want to gain weight. Avocado is a healthy source of calories, unlike many other calorie-dense foods that may contain excess saturated fats and sugar.