Deep Dive

If you want a raw ingredient that makes the rest of your bowl work harder, avocado is it: silky texture, satisfying fullness, steady energy, good fats and proven support for heart and metabolic health, nutrient absorption and gut balance – all while staying naturally low in sugar. Its comprehensive nutritional profile demonstrates why avocados are considered a true superfood, offering benefits that extend far beyond basic nutrition to support multiple body systems and long-term health outcomes. Add it to your raw bowl and you’ll feel the difference in both flavour and function.

 Why You'll Love It 

• Avocado typically provides more potassium than banana per 100 g - useful when most diets fall short on this blood-pressure-friendly mineral.
• Eating avocado helps your body absorb more fat-soluble vitamins (like A, D, E, and K) from other vegetables in your meal.
• Avocados supply the highest amount of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats of any fruit, which help lower bad cholesterol and support cardiovascular health, all this with very little sugar.
• Unlike many high-fat foods, avocados help with appetite regulation as they naturally promote satiety without causing weight gain, making them valuable for healthy weight management.
• Research suggests avocados may help improve insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism - particularly beneficial for people with diabetes risk factors.
• The unique antioxidants in avocado, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, not only protect your eyes but also support brain function as you age.
• The combination of vitamin E, monounsaturated fats (or MUFAs), and antioxidants supports skin health and may help reduce inflammation in skin cells.

 Health Benefits 

Heart health
Avocados excel at supporting cardiovascular wellness through multiple mechanisms. Research shows that consuming one avocado daily can reduce LDL "bad" cholesterol by 13.5 mg/dL compared to baseline diets. The high content of monounsaturated fats (particularly oleic acid) helps improve cholesterol profiles by increasing HDL "good" cholesterol while lowering harmful LDL cholesterol. Studies indicate that eating at least two servings of avocado weekly is associated with a 16% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 21% lower risk of heart attacks.

Blood pressure and vascular function
Avocado is naturally rich in potassium, a mineral essential for healthy heart rhythm and blood-pressure regulation as part of an overall balanced diet. Potassium helps the heart function healthily, nerves and muscles “communicate,” and is a key electrolyte in the body.

Blood sugar regulation
Despite their fat content, avocados are excellent for blood sugar control. With only 8.53g carbohydrates and 0.7g sugars per 100g, they have minimal impact on blood glucose levels. Research in adults with diabetes found that avocado intake was associated with improved fasting glucose. The high fibre content further helps stabilize blood sugar by slowing glucose absorption.

Eye health
Avocados support vision health through their high lutein and zeaxanthin content. These carotenoids accumulate in the macula of the retina, where they act as natural blue light filters and antioxidants. Studies show that consuming one avocado daily for six months increased macular pigment density by 0.101 optical density units, which correlates with improved cognitive function and spatial working memory.

Fullness, steady energy and appetite control
The unique combination of healthy fats and fibre slows digestion and makes avocados highly effective for appetite control. Research demonstrates that replacing carbohydrates with avocado in meals enhances hunger suppression and increases meal satisfaction for up to six hours. This effect is mediated by increased levels of PYY (peptide YY), a satiety hormone, rather than insulin spikes.

Digestive health and gut microbiome
Daily avocado consumption significantly improves gut microbiome diversity and promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria. Studies show avocados increase fibre-fermenting bacteria like Faecalibacterium, Lachnospira, and Alistipes by 26-65%. This leads to increased production of short-chain fatty acids and reduced bile acids, both beneficial for gut health.

Anti-inflammatory properties
Avocados contain multiple anti-inflammatory compounds including monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, and various phytochemicals. Studies show that avocado consumption is not associated with increased inflammatory markers despite their fat content, unlike foods high in saturated fats. The monounsaturated fats in avocados do not activate inflammatory pathways through toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4).

Brain and cognitive health
The lutein in avocados crosses the blood-brain barrier and accumulates in brain tissue, where it supports cognitive function. Research shows that consuming avocados improves spatial working memory and problem-solving efficiency. The high content of monounsaturated fats also supports brain health by improving the transport of lutein to neural tissues.

Cholesterol management
Avocados are exceptionally rich in beta-sitosterol (76mg per 100g), making them the richest known fruit source of plant sterols - a compound known to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels when included in your diet. The combination of monounsaturated fats and plant sterols makes avocados particularly effective for managing lipid levels naturally.

Gut microbiome support
In a 12-week randomized controlled trial, a daily avocado-containing meal beneficially altered gut bacteria and microbial metabolites versus a control diet - consistent with avocado’s fibre and polyphenol profile supporting digestive health.

Better nutrient uptake from your raw bowl
Adding avocado (or avocado oil) to raw veg significantly enhances absorption of carotenoids such as β-carotene, α-carotene and lutein from salad and salsa - meaning you get more out of the colourful produce you’re already eating.

 Why It Works – Scientific Insight 

• LDL particle quality & oxidation: MUFA-rich patterns with avocado improved antioxidant status and reduced oxidation of small, dense LDL, a mechanism linked to atherosclerosis.
• Micelle formation for phytonutrients: Dietary fat from avocado increases carotenoid bioavailability by enhancing mixed-micelle formation during digestion - so more β-carotene/lutein survive to be absorbed.
• Fibre-driven satiety & glycaemic steadiness: Viscous and insoluble fibres slow gastric emptying and glucose absorption, underpinning the satiety findings seen in the randomized crossover trial.
• Potassium & vascular tone: Adequate potassium intake supports normal heart function and blood-pressure regulation, complementing overall cardiometabolic patterns.
• Microbiome shifts: Regular avocado intake modulates gut taxa and metabolites, aligning with benefits seen when diets supply fermentable fibres and plant bioactives.

See Reference