Posts Tagged ‘HDL’
The Good Avocado Superfood
As a child I never had the opportunity to eat much avocado. I’m Chinese and avocado simply didn’t make its way into many, or any, of the meals my mom prepared so I wasn’t exposed to the delicious treat until much later. I think my first try was sometime in college when I tried guacamole, the delicious nacho topper made mostly of avocado. Since then, while I’m not an avocado fiend, I do enjoy its rich creamy flavor both on salads (it makes a great contrast with the crispness of bell peppers and lettuce) and guacamole.
Later on, I discovered that avocado was remarkably good for you. It’s surprisingly rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, the same good stuff that’s in olive oil. Monounsaturated fatty acids has been shown to lower the bad LDL cholesterol levels while increasing the good HDL cholesterol levels. In addition to those benefits, avocados also contain fiber, potassium, magnesium, folate, and antioxidants.
I don’t know if the creators of salsa and guacamole knew this but combining the lycopene in tomatoes and the vitamin E in avocados heightens the positive health benefits of both (especially enhancing antioxidant effects). You add in some onions and the oligosaccharides will boost the tomatoes’ lycopene benefits. Seems like eating lots of salsa and guacamole is pretty good for you.
So, if you’ve never tried avocado, give it a try. If you love the stuff, good for you because it’s good for you too!
(Photo: avlxyz)
Subscribe to the comments for this postWhy Extra Virgin Olive Oil Is Good For You
Olive oil is great. OK, why? 
If you have no idea, welcome to the club because until about fifteen minutes ago I had no idea either. I just knew that olive oil was supposed to be good for you and that you should be buying extra virgin or virgin olive oil if you want the best bang for your buck (the other types suck). So, why is it good for you?
Well, there are two aspects about olive oil that make it healthy for you to consume:
- High content of monounsaturated fatty acids, and,
- High content of antioxidants.
The oleic acid from the olives in olive oil offer good protection against heart disease because they help regulate the “bad” LDL cholesterol while raising the “good” HDL cholesterol. The first pressing, or extra virgin grade, is especially good because it has the highest concentration of antioxidants such as Vitamin E and phenols. Most of the fatty acids in olive oil are the omega-9 group, so it doesn’t affect omega-6 to omega-3 ratios.
It’s been shown that 25 milliliters of olive oil each day for a week reduces LDL cholesterol and increases antioxidant compounds in the blood.
So… that’s why it’s good for you, but 25 mL is enough (don’t chug it!).
