by Susan Conley

Eating Avocados: Weight Loss or Fattening?

Can avocados cause you to lose or gain weight? Discover the truth in this article.

Avocados are arguably one of the most nutritious and delicious foods around. Ripe avocados are creamy, satiating and very versatile. You can spread avocados on a toss, blend it into a smoothie or serve it with eggs. It is also packed with nutrients such as monounsaturated fats and vitamin C.
But for all its exceptional qualities, one thing has hounded avocados is its high fat and calorie content. Thus many people, especially those who want to slim down, avoid it like a plague.
But is eating avocados really bad for your weight? Is it really fattening?

Avocado nutrition facts
As I have mentioned, avocados are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and fats. About half an avocado contains 17% of the recommended daily intake for vitamin C, 20% for folate, and 26% for vitamin K. It also contains a good amount of other nutrients like niacin, magnesium, copper, manganese, and riboflavin.
But what makes avocados a very intriguing fruit is that it is relatively high in fat. In fact, a medium-sized avocado contains around 27 grams of fats and 225 calories. That’s more than 10 percent of the recommended daily calorie intake for most of us (assuming that you follow a 2,000 calorie diet).
The type of avocado can also spell a big difference in your caloric intake. California avocados, for one, have 30 percent more calories than Florida avocados. California avocados are characterized by dark skin while the Florida avocados have smooth, green skins.

Will you gain weight by eating avocados daily?
Since we’ve established that avocados are rich in fats and calories, you may still be wary of eating avocados daily because you fear that they would increase your weight in the long run.
Well, unless you frequently pair avocado with another fat or calorie-rich food like egg or even no egg meatloaf, then you don’t need to worry about gaining weight when you incorporate one avocado into your daily diet.
Keep in mind that it takes about 3,500 calories to gain one pound of fat. Thus, the key is to maintain a calorie-balanced diet that is rich in nutrient-dense foods. As long as you do that, then you won’t have to worry about avocados ruining your weight loss plans.
Moreover, avocado brings more to the table than just calories and fats. If you look closely, you can get a lot more from avocados that other fruits. Avocado can lower cholesterol, suppress appetite, and even reduce belly fat which makes it such an ideal weight loss food.

Why avocado is good for weight loss?
Avocado’s weight loss powers overshadow the fact that it is high in fats and calories. One potent effect of avocado is its ability to suppress hunger or appetite. And there are scientific studies to back up this claim.
There’s one study that was published in the Nutrition Journal, participants who were asked to eat avocado with lunch were found to have posted a 40 percent reduction in their desire to eat. It appears that avocado can make a person feel full for a longer period, which can certainly help one wanting to lose weight.
The fact that avocado is rich in oleic acid, which can delay the feeling of hunger, is one reason why this fruit is considered effective in suppressing appetite.
Avocado can also do wonders for that belly fat you’ve been looking to lose for the past few years. Again, oleic acid is credited for this along with the high levels of monounsaturated fats in avocados.
One study conducted by researchers at Penn State showed that people who consume about three tablespoons of foods rich in high oleic oils on a daily basis for 4 weeks were able to enjoy as much as 1.6 percent reduction in belly fat.
There’s another study that supports this claim. Published in the Diabetes Care journal, the study showed basically the same result—that a diet rich in monounsaturated fat can prevent fats to accumulate around the belly through the regulation of certain fat genes.
Finally, eating avocados especially before a workout can give you the extra energy boost you need to exercise longer than usual. The high levels of monounsaturated fat in avocados take longer to digest. Moreover, avocados are rich in B vitamins that help the body in converting food into glucose, and which the body uses for its energy requirements.

Conclusion
Avocados are different from your typical fruit as they are high in fats and calories. This is the reason why many people think that avocados are fattening.
But as long as you eat avocados in moderation, then there’s no way that it can make you gain unwanted pounds. Moreover, avocados actually work as a weight loss food because of its ability to suppress hunger, lower cholesterol, reduce fat around the belly and give you the energy you need for your workouts.

In short, avocados should be considered an essential part of any weight-loss program. It’s far from fattening, contrary to what you hear in the streets.

What’s your favorite way of enjoying avocados? Share it with us by writing in the comments section below.

Author:
Hi there, I’m Susan. My most favorite space at home for me is the kitchen. I can stay there for a whole day just cooking and baking for my family. I’m just a home cook want to share my cooking experience with you. Hope my information is useful and my story inspires you. I will very appreciate if you can encourage me by leaving comments and advice below. From Cook The Stone with love!