Do Avocados Improve Your Skin Health? Here Are 8 Surprising Benefits of Eating Avocados

They go well with toast, eggs, salad, and even pudding — what's not to love about avocados? Whether you use them for smoothies or guacamole, this versatile fruit (yes, avocados are a fruit!) has plenty of health benefits.

Avocados sometimes get a bad rap because they're high in calories and fat, but they can make a healthy and tasty addition to any meal. Avocados contain healthy fats that are good for your heart and have been linked to lower levels of bad cholesterol (LDL). This fruit is also a good source of fiber, potassium, and other essential nutrients.

If you needed an excuse to order some avocado toast or a side of guacamole, July 31 is National Avocado Day. It's not surprising that avocados have their own national day, considering avocado consumption in the U.S. has doubled since 2005, according to the Hass Avocado Board.

This national day was originally started by Model Meals, a meal delivery service, in 2017. Although Model Meals is no longer, National Avocado Day lives on. If you're looking for a reason to add an avocado to your next breakfast, lunch, or dinner, there are many surprising health benefits to avocados you should know about.

In this slideshow, we'll look at some of the most notable benefits of eating avocados and provide you with some simple ways to enjoy this super food any day of the week.

There's a lot of confusion about certain produce and whether it's a fruit or a vegetable. This is typically because we associate fruits with sweetness and automatically assume that something like a tomato or an avocado is a vegetable.

However, there's a difference between the classification of a plan and its culinary usage. While tomatoes and avocados are technically fruits, they're often treated as vegetables, since they're mainly added to savory dishes.

Regardless of their classification, there are numerous health benefits to eating avocados. From the amount of nutrients they contain to their anti-inflammatory properties, adding avocados to your meals can benefit you in many ways. Here's a look at some of the most surprising health benefits of eating avocados.

Most of the fat you eat should be unsaturated, according to the American Heart Association. Unsaturated fat, which is present in avocados, can lower rates of cardiovascular issues, lower bad cholesterol, and provide you with essential fats that your body doesn't produce on its own.

Avocados are not only good for your heart, but they're also good for your eyes. The presence of nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin K can help lower the risk of conditions such as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

Whether you're looking for a healthy breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it's important to have something that will keep you full throughout the day.

Ingredients that keep you full can also help you meet any weight loss goals, since they prevent overeating and unnecessary snacking. The amount of fats and fiber in avocados helps you to stay full after eating one.

There's no doubt that avocados are full of essential nutrients. Even though they're considered a higher-calorie fruit, they're also high in:

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K
• Folate
• Pantothenic Acid (B5)
• Pyridoxine
• Potassium
• Copper

One avocado has nearly twice as much potassium as a banana and has over 40% of your daily value of copper and folate.

Another benefit of avocados is that they contain nutrients that have been shown to decrease inflammation and support immune health. Some of these anti-inflammatory compounds include monounsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, and fiber.

One of the keys to a healthy gut is a diet high in fiber. One avocado has about 14 grams of fiber, which is nearly half the daily value for most adults. Fruit, like avocados, that contain high amounts of fiber can increase the amount of healthy bacteria in your gut.

The food we eat doesn't just impact how we feel or how much we weigh — it can also impact how we look. A study from UCLA in 2022 showed that avocado consumption may be linked to improved skin elasticity and firmness.

If you're a mom who is pregnant or breastfeeding, avocados are excellent for your health and the health of your baby. When a woman is pregnant or breastfeeding, she requires a lot more nutrients, especially potassium, folate, and vitamin C. Avocados can provide some of these extra nutrients for pregnant and breastfeeding moms.

Additionally, folate deficiency is associated with a higher risk of early miscarriage, and one avocado contains over 160 mcg of folate.

If you're already a huge avocado fan, you might love eating avocado on its own with a hint of salt and pepper. However, not everyone enjoys eating it this way. Here are some simple ways to use avocado if you want to add it to your diet for the health benefits:

• Make guacamole
• Add it to toast with salt, pepper, and lemon juice
• Top your salad, burger bowl, or other meal with avocado slices
• Throw it in a smoothie
• Use it to make a healthy dessert, like pudding or mousse

There is truly no shortage of ways to enjoy avocados, and if you don't like the flavor, throwing it in a smoothie or dessert gives you the health benefits without really having to deal with the taste.

If you need some new recipes to try, check out these avocado recipes for a healthy lunch or dinner:

• Steak Tacos with Cucumber Avocado Salsa
• Fresh Asparagus and Avocado Salad
• Homemade Guacamole