About National Avocado Day
Because the starred item on everyone’s favorite breakfast item needs its own national holiday!
Not only are avocados a delicious delight, but they are also packed with nutrients and healthy fats, giving you all the benefits with each bite.
Avocados are originally from Mexico and Central America where the indigenous Nahua people discovered them and called them āhuacatl - the Nahuatl word which scholars say also meant "testicles."
When Spanish conquistadors arrived, they couldn't pronounce the word and changed it to aguacate, which eventually became the English word avocado, reports Reader's Digest.
Mexico is the leading producer of avocados, supplying about a third of the world total.
California's history with the popular fruit dates all the way back to 1871 when Judge R.B. Ord of Santa Barbara introduced avocados to the U.S. with trees brought in from Mexico, according to CaliforniaAvocado.com. Since then, California has become the leading producer of avocados and is home to around 90% of America's crop.
On July 31, National Avocado Day will be celebrated to bring together everyone's love for the highly desirable fruit.
Five health benefits of avocado
- Avocados are nutritionally rich. Avocados are an excellent source of monounsaturated fat and vitamin E, and are a good source of folate. They also supply more soluble fibre than other fruit and contain a number of useful minerals including iron, copper and potassium.
- Avocados are high in fat with 60 per cent of this being monounsaturated fats, which research suggests helps to protect against heart disease and lower blood pressure. They are also an excellent source of potassium, folate and fibre, all of which benefit the heart and cardiovascular system.
- The oils supplied by an avocado include oleic acid and linoleic acid, these unsaturated fats are recommended as part of a balanced diet to help manage cholesterol.
- Avocados contain more calories than other fruits and vegetables. However, an interesting study has shown that the fat and fibre content of avocados leads to feelings of satiety which helps regulate appetite.
- Alongside the benefits outlined above, avocados are a rich source of protective vitamin E as well as carotenes including lutein and zeaxanthin which are thought to help keep the eyes healthy.
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