superfood avocado

Avocado is worthy of the title of "super food", but it is far from as awesome as the "fat-reducing miracle fruit" and "universal nutrient" that are rumored on the Internet. Its value is never single. It must be considered in combination with the eating methods, suitable groups and even the purchase price. There is no need to hold it on a altar, nor does it need to be labeled as a "marketing IQ tax".

A while ago, I had a brunch date with two friends. Ah Shuang, who has been working out for half a year, poked the chopped avocado on the toast with her fork and complained about it. She said on the Internet that this thing can reduce fat. She ate it for two weeks in a row, but she gained two pounds in weight. The cousin who is doing clinical nutrition next to her didn't even raise her head. She said, "Every time you eat, you choose white toast with three layers of cheese, and you also pour half a cup of Thousand Island dressing. This pot of avocado is not memorized."

This is really true. Many people’s misunderstandings about avocado are actually caused by following marketing and not understanding its essence. Let’s talk about some solid nutritional data first. There is nothing to argue about: monounsaturated fatty acids account for more than 70% per 100 grams of avocado, mainly oleic acid, which is consistent with the core nutrition of olive oil. It does have a positive effect on regulating blood lipids and protecting cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The potassium content is higher than Bananas, which everyone often supplements with potassium, are nearly 50% higher in potassium. They also have enough dietary fiber, lutein to help protect eyes, and fat carriers that can help absorb other fat-soluble vitamins. These are advantages recognized by academic circles and are the core reasons why it is classified as a "super food."

I know a blogger who has been a vegetarian for five years and regards avocados as an essential ingredient all year round. She does not eat fats from animal sources and is easily deficient in fat-soluble vitamins. She usually either mashes avocados and spreads them on multigrain bread, or mixes them into salads instead of salad dressings. The blood lipid index in her recent physical examination was better than that of many meat-eaters. She always said that avocados are the "fat source of joy" for vegetarians, which is true.

But on the other hand, calling it a "fat-reducing miracle fruit" is really pure marketing. After all, 100 grams of avocado has about 160 calories, which is about the same as a small bowl of white rice. If you eat enough pork belly and fried food every meal, your daily fat intake has already exceeded the standard, and you eat an extra avocado every day. Not to mention losing fat, it will be good if you don't gain weight. I've been through this trap myself. Last year I followed the internet celebrity's trend and made avocado rice. Not only did I add half an avocado, but also squeezed in a lot of mayonnaise and poured teriyaki sauce. The meal consumed almost 800 calories. I wasn't hungry until midnight. The next day I weighed myself and gained half a kilogram. It made me cry every time I said it.

There is still a group of voices on the Internet saying that avocado is completely an IQ tax. This is also a bit extreme. Call it expensive. In the past few years, the imported ones did cost twenty or thirty yuan each. That was because of the high transportation costs. Now they are grown on a large scale in Yunnan and Guangxi. You can buy a ripe one at a roadside stall for five yuan, which is much cheaper than buying a cup of milk tea. The price-performance ratio is really not bad. If you still think it’s expensive, you can eat more nuts and stir-fry with olive oil to get a similar amount of monounsaturated fatty acids. There’s no need to buy it just for the name of “super food.”

As for those "avocado whitening", "avocado anti-aging" and "eating avocado to cure constipation" claims that are so amazing, just listen to them. It does contain ingredients such as vitamin E and dietary fiber, but to achieve the effect of the Internet, you have to eat three to five pills a day to get enough, and the calories will be endless. It is really not as useful as eating more fresh vegetables and staying up less late.

I went to Yunnan last month and saw freshly opened avocados being sold at a roadside stall in Pu'er. The boss took a knife and cut it open, sprinkled some chili powder and salt on it and handed it over. I took a bite. It was as dense as salty ice cream. It didn't have the air of "high-end ingredients" like in Western restaurants. To be honest, there is no natural "super food". It is essentially a fruit with a relatively high nutrient density. It is suitable for your eating habits and affordable. It is much more useful than the hyped titles on the Internet.