Avocados have many benefits, but also many calories. A nutrition researcher explains what predominates.
Illustration Simon Tanner / NZZ
Reader question: Are avocados as healthy as they are often claimed?
The avocado is out of line. Even though we like to eat it as part of a salad, it is not a vegetable, but a berry – and is therefore considered a fruit. In contrast to other fruits, the avocado is not sweet, but is characterized primarily by its high fat content. 100 grams of avocado contains around 24 grams of fat. For comparison: the proportion of cheese and chocolate is around 30 grams.
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“From a health perspective, this of course makes the avocado suspicious,” says nutrition researcher Stefan Kabisch from the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. But he immediately gives the all-clear: “Avocados contain predominantly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated vegetable fatty acids, which are considered healthy.” In this respect, the avocado fits the current recommendations for a traditional Mediterranean diet with fresh products and without a lot of sugar.
In this respect, according to Kabisch, a guacamole spread made from avocado is always a good option as part of a savory instead of sweet breakfast – which also keeps you full for longer. Many people also like to spoon the pulp out of the peel with salt, pepper and lemon.
Olive oil is better researched
However, it has not been scientifically proven whether avocados are really good for your health. According to Kabisch, the few available studies only contain a small number of participants and were only carried out over a short period of time.
The health value of unsaturated vegetable fatty acids has been well researched in olive oil. Studies there showed that the oil can lower blood pressure and blood lipids, thereby reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. “The avocado does not consist of exactly the same ingredients as olive oil. But we can assume that its main component, unsaturated fatty acids, has a similar positive health effect,” says Kabisch.
Not a superfood
However, the avocado is not a superfood, as it is sometimes portrayed. For example, it is claimed on the Internet that consuming avocados helps preventively or therapeutically against cancer, improves memory or vision. According to Kabisch, none of this has been scientifically proven.
The avocado contains additional ingredients such as vitamins, some protein, fiber and potassium, which are healthy. Fiber and unsaturated fatty acids have been proven to have an anti-inflammatory effect. But these substances are also found in other foods. There is also no above-average potassium or folic acid in the avocado. “With a balanced diet, we adequately cover all the nutrients we need,” says Kabisch. In this respect, there is no compelling reason to include avocado in your diet.
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Be careful with the calories
If you like the nutty, fatty taste, feel free to use avocado. However, you shouldn’t come up with the idea of primarily covering your daily fiber needs in this way. The green fruit contains too many calories – at around 230 kilocalories per 100 grams, around four times as much as an apple.
The high calorie content is the key point for Kabisch to exercise moderation when consuming avocados. To meet your daily protein requirement, you would need to eat one to two dozen avocados. Legumes, eggs, fish or meat are more suitable. There are also more suitable foods with fewer calories such as salad and vegetables for fiber.
One thing is clear: the avocado has gained in popularity. This is how the amount of imported avocados has increased in Germany has increased fivefold in the past ten years. In Switzerland the amount has roughly tripled within ten years. Nutrition researcher Kabisch explains this primarily with the trend towards a diet in which vegetable fats are very popular as a replacement for animal products. For him, from a health perspective, the avocado is a sensible possible part of a balanced diet.
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