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Surprising Health Benefits You Never Imagined About Avocados
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11. Help Regulate Blood Pressure
In order to have lower blood pressure, you need to decrease your salt levels and increase your potassium levels. Avocados are high in potassium, so they can help you get your blood pressure under control, naturally! Read on about other natural remedies for lowering blood pressure.
12. Prevent Birth Defects
Folates are important for preventing birth defects such as spina bifida, and avocados are rich in folates! One cup of fresh avocado has about 23 percent of your RDA.
13. Fights Free Radicals
The king of all antioxidants, glutathione, is well known for fighting free radicals that cause premature aging as well as a host of other diseases. What a beauty benefit!
SEE ALSO: 15 Benefits of Using Avocados for Health and Beauty Infographic
14. Benefit in Cancer Protection
There have been numerous studies showing that avocados can retard the growth of prostate cancer and that breast cancer can also be prevented by the oleic acid in avocados. Ohio State University researchers are trying to figure out exactly how avocados do this. They published a preliminary study in 2011 that showed the phytonutrient combination within each individual avocado might be the answer to its anti-cancer effects in the body.
15. Lower Cholesterol
In one study, subjects that had mild levels of heightened blood cholesterol, added avocados to their diet every day for 7 days. After just one week, all subjects had a 17 percent decrease in their overall blood cholesterol levels and an 11 percent increase in their HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol were lowered by 22 percent. Avocados are rich in a substance called beta-sitosterol, which has been shown in studies to lower blood cholesterol levels quite effectively, without side effects.
The Mayan people have a saying that goes: “Wherever avocados grow, malnutrition and hunger have no friends.” This statement is just as true today as it has ever been. It’s avocado time, friends! Choose perfect avocado at your store and eat up!
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