Avocado Essay Example

Origin and Development

Avocado is believed to originate from a Southern part of Mexico whereby its consumption goes back more than ten decades ago. Humans used to gather fruits from the wild for consumption and supplement their meals through hunting for meat from wild animals. Avocado became one of the fruits that people gathered till its cultivation took place later when agriculture developed. It became part of the diet among the Mexicans before it spread to other parts of the world where it's cultivated and consumed. Spanish explorers became the first people to eat avocados from where the fruit spread to central and South America. The cultivation of avocado commercialized greatly in California where it is started being sold in shops and being eaten as a salad in homes. Currently, California produces the largest percentage of avocadoes where the fruit is grown throughout the year. Eventually, Spanish explorers took avocadoes to other parts including Europe. The name avocado is derived from its shape and having a pear shape containing a stone like seed whereby it was originally known as avogato.

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Historic Background

Archeology has it that avocadoes date back more than seven thousand years where it occurred as a wild fruit gathered for consumption. The evidence of the seeds was found buried in Mexico part of Peru. The Spanish named it into a manageable name avogate and which is currently known as Avocado (Resource, 2018). The name avocado came from the word ahuacatl meaning testicle due to its shape which resembles the latter.

Facts and findings of avocado

Avocado is considered a nutritious fruit that contains fiber, proteins, potassium, and vitamins.

Avocadoes are rich in fat than any other naturally occurring fruit.

Most of the avocado trees being grown for commercial purpose originated from a tree in California.

Avocado contains fiber which is helpful to organs in the body

The skin that covers Avocado is inedible and tough which is meant to protect the inner fruit making them safe for carriage.

Level of cholesterol is healthy hence the fruit is used to lower bad cholesterol in the body

The level of calories per spread is low compared to the same spread of butter.

Since they are gluten-free, they can be eaten daily especially by vegetarians in their salads

They are known to be an anti-aging tool for the skin which remains youthful

For avocados to ripen fully, they have to be mature enough whereby they fall off the tree. For those that consider transporting them, they are picked hard but mature to be transported in coolers.

Nutritional and Medicinal Value

Avocado has great health benefits from its composition which include having levels of carbohydrates, fatty acids, healthy cholesterol and minor levels of vitamins. The nutritional level of the fruit includes both soluble and insoluble fiber in freshly cut fruits. It's a rich source of potassium and vitamins which occur in very low values. Presence of fatty acids in avocados is known to lower the level of bad lipoprotein in the blood (Litz, 2013). Per serving of avocado, on may acquire 100grams of energy although it depends on the soil types from it is grown. An avocado contains more proteins than any other fruit consumed on a fresh-weight basis. Protein content is regarding fruits, not in animal products or meat itself. Amount of oil in avocado varies with fiber and protein contents in the fruit which also indicates the energy value.

Consumption of avocados in great quantities is not likely to increase ones mass. However, it is known to help in weight loss. Unsaturated fats in avocados are indicators of nutritional value used by nutritionists. Avocado is rich in potassium which helps in protecting and reducing levels of stroke. The fat content is healthy for the heart and vital organs in the body. Its fruit parts are mainly used as food which is consumed when ripe. Dried leaves are used in tea which is used to treat diarrhea and bloat. Some people use it to treat gout through the removal of uric acid and treating coughs. In Mexico tradition, herbal tea from avocado was used as a contraceptive through accelerating menstruation. Avocado seed is known to have antibacterial properties hence used to treat diarrhea and dysentery. The skin of avocado is known to treat intestinal worms while the fruit is said to be aphrodisiac.

Current Uses

The fruit parts of avocado are mainly used as food which is consumed when ripe. In addition, when ripe oil is extracted from the fruit, which is low in cholesterol content. In some of the world, the leaves from the fruit are dried to be used in tea and infusions. The avocado is used as a salad as a meat substitute (De and Westerkamp, 2015). In some parts, avocado is used to make ice cream toppings and making drinks such as smoothies. Avocado oil is used to smoothen and heal skin infections. Since its great content is healthy fat, avocado is used to fight arthritis. Iron present in the fruit is used to treat anemia and iron deficiency, especially in pregnant and menstruating women.

References

12 Proven Health Benefits of Avocado. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-proven-benefits-of-avocado

De, M. M., &Westerkamp, J. (2015). Green foods for men [powerful foods for a clean, healthy diet. Beverly, Mass: Fair Winds Press.

Litz, R. E. (2013). Avocad - botany, production, and uses.

Resource, H. (2018). Avocado Medicinal Use and Benefits. Herbal resource.