THE AVOCADO PEAR the ideal accompaniment to any salad dish and it is easily available in this country throughout the whole year. However most people are reluctant to eat avocado pear because they believe it is very fattening. Let’s establish some facts about the humble Avocado Pear before we omit it from our diet forever.

Nutrition The fat content of an avocado is about 30 percent and is mostly monounsaturated fat; but what is your understanding of this term? Generally speaking harmful fats are the Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) and the good fats are the High Density Lipoproteins (HDL). It is the accumulation of the low density lipoprotein on the arterial walls which contributes to atherosclerotic heart disease. Many experiments have shown that diets high in monounsaturated fats like that of avocado oil reduce the harmful LDL and maintain the level of the good HDL and indeed sometimes increase it. In addition the percentage of water (60 percent) is relatively low compared to the average of other fruits, making the avocado nutrient dense.

It contains eight essential vitamins and is high in vitamins A, C and E, folic acid and niacin. The avocado is an excellent source of pyridoxine, thiamine and riboflavin as well as the minerals potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. It’s low in sodium and has twice as much potassium as a banana. One avocado half has about 180 calories.

All in all avocado pear is an extremely nutritious fruit and it is loaded with fats that protect the heart as well as being extremely good for the skin if the oil is applied topically or eaten raw. A few slices in your salad will do you loads of good please Ladies and Gentlemen give the avocado a break don’t listen to those scandalous rumours about it not being good for you, eat your avocado pear with pride.

Read more about ‘the avocado and human nutrition’ and how it can benefit your heart:
www.avocadosource.com/wac2/wac2_p037.htm

Avocado recipes:Baked Avocado Pear in Filo Pastry on a Potato and Garlic Sauce:
www.irishheart.ie/recipes/gourmetstart5c.html

Prawn and Pineapple Kebabs with Avocado Salsa:
www.eatanddrink.co.uk/recipes/PrawnPineappleKebabs.asp