Get to know the benefits of regularly consuming avocados

24/03/2020

In addition to their proven cardiovascular benefits, avocados improve digestion. In spite of their creamy texture, avocados are actually rich in fiber. Regularly consuming high-fiber foods has been proven to prevent constipation, aid in the maintenance of a healthy digestive tract, and decrease the risk of developing colon cancer.

Avocados are rich in vitamin K, which benefits bone health. While this vitamin is often overlooked, it is essential for the health of your bones and musculoskeletal system. Indeed, in terms of bone health, vitamin K is often overshadowed by vitamin D and calcium. Nevertheless, consuming foods rich in vitamin K has proven to increase the intestinal absorption of calcium, decrease its urinary excretion, and, as a result, increase the amounts of calcium available for the body’s bones.

Importantly, avocados may play a role in both the prevention and treatment of cancer, though there is not yet an in-depth understanding of the mechanism of this major health benefit. Avocados are rich in folate, and the adequate intake of folate from foods has shown promise as a means to decrease the risk of a variety of cancers, particularly those that pertain to the gastrointestinal tract, such as colon and stomach cancers.

Avocados may even be able to exert a preventive role against cancer, as they contain various phytochemicals. In experimental studies, these phytochemicals have been shown to selectively inhibit the growth of precancerous and cancerous cells. Moreover, these phytochemicals extracted from avocados were demonstrated to increase the rate of cancer cell death.