Posts from April 9th, 2018

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Also known as an alligator pear or butter fruit, the versatile avocado is the only fruit that provides a substantial amount of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). Avocados are a naturally nutrient-dense food and contain nearly 20 vitamins and minerals.

This MNT Knowledge Center feature is part of a collection of articles on the health benefits of popular foods. In the article, we take an in-depth look at the possible health benefits of eating avocados as well as a nutritional breakdown. To maintain balance, we will also look at the possible health risks of consuming avocados.

Benefits

Eating a diet that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables of all kinds has long been associated with a reduced risk of many lifestyle-related health conditions. Numerous studies have found that a predominantly plant-based diet that includes foods such as avocados can help to decrease the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and overall mortality while promoting a healthy complexion and hair, increased energy, and overall lower weight.

1. Avocados are nutrient rich

 

 

 

Avocados are rich in vitamins and minerals.

According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, one serving (one-fifth of an avocado, approximately 40 grams) contains:

• 64 calories
• almost 6 grams of fat
• 3.4 grams of carbohydrate
• less than a gram of sugar
• almost 3 grams of fiber

Avocados are a great source of vitamins C, E, K, and B-6, as well as riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium. They also provide lutein, beta-carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Although most of the calories in an avocado come from fat, don't shy away! Avocados are full of healthy, beneficial fats that help to keep you full and satiated. When you consume fat, your brain receives a signal to turn off your appetite. Eating fat slows the breakdown of carbohydrates, which helps to keep sugar levels in the blood stable.

Fat is essential for every single cell in the body. Eating healthy fats supports skin health, enhances the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, and may even help boost the immune system.

2. Healthy for the heart

Avocados contain 25 milligrams per ounce of a natural plant sterol called beta-sitosterol. Regular consumption of beta-sitosterol and other plant sterols has been seen to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

3. Great for vision

Avocados contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two phytochemicals that are especially concentrated in the tissues in the eyes where they provide antioxidant protection to help minimize damage, including from ultraviolet light.

As the monounsaturated fatty acids in avocados also support the absorption of other beneficial fat-soluble antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, adding avocados to your diet may help to reduce the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration.

4. Osteoporosis prevention

 

 

 

Vitamin K is essential for bone health.

Half of an avocado provides approximately 25 percent of the daily recommended intake of vitamin K.

This nutrient is often overlooked, but is essential for bone health.

Vitamin K is often overshadowed by calciumand vitamin D when thinking of nutrients important for maintaining healthy bones, however, eating a diet with adequate vitamin K can support bone health by increasing calcium absorption and reducing urinary excretion of calcium.

5. Cancer

Adequate intake of folate from food has shown promise in protecting against colon, stomach, pancreatic, and cervical cancers.

Although the mechanism behind this apparent reduction in risk is currently unknown, researchers believe that folate protects against undesirable mutations in DNA and RNA during cell division.

Avocados may even have a role to play in cancer treatment, with some research finding that phytochemicals extracted from avocado can selectively inhibit the growth of precancerous and cancerous cells and cause the death of cancer cells, while encouraging the proliferation of immune system cells called lymphocytes.

These phytochemicals have also been shown to decrease chromosomal damage caused by cyclophosphamide, a chemotherapy drug.

6. Healthy babies

 

 

 

Folate is also known as folic acid.

Folate is extremely important for a healthy pregnancy.

Adequate intake reduces the risk of miscarriage and neural tube defects.

Recent research from McGill University found a 30 percent higher incidence of a variety of birth defects in baby mice conceived using sperm from mice with a folate deficiency compared with mice conceived using sperm from mice with adequate folate levels.

7. Lower risk of depression

Foods containing high levels of folate may help to decrease the risk of depression because folate helps to prevent the build-up of homocysteine, a substance that can impair circulation and delivery of nutrients to the brain.

Excess homocysteine can also interfere with the production of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, which regulate mood, sleep, and appetite.

8. Improved digestion

Despite its creamy texture, an avocado is actually high in fiber with approximately 6-7 grams per half fruit.

Eating foods with natural fiber can help prevent constipation, maintain a healthy digestive tract, and lower the risk of colon cancer.

9. Natural detoxification

Adequate fiber promotes regular bowel movements, which are crucial for the daily excretion of toxins through the bile and stool.

Recent studies have shown that dietary fiber may also play a role in regulating the immune system and inflammation.

10. Osteoporosis treatment

Substances called saponins, found in avocados, soy and some other plant foods, are associated with relief of symptoms in knee osteoarthritis, with further research planned to determine the long-term effects of isolated extracts.

11. Antimicrobial action

Avocados contain substances that have antimicrobial activity, particularly against Escherichia coli, a leading cause of food poisoning.

12. Protection from chronic disease

According to the Department of Internal Medicine and Nutritional Sciences Program of the University of Kentucky, high fiber intakes are associated with significantly lower risks of developing coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and certain gastrointestinal diseases. Increased fiber intake has also been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterollevels, improve insulin sensitivity, and enhance weight loss for obese individuals.

Avocado seed husk may help to treat heart disease, cancer

Researchers found that avocado seed husks contain compounds that could help to kill viruses, combat heart problems, and treat cancer.

READ NOW

Diet

 

 

 

Avocado can be mashed and spread on toast instead of butter, or sliced and added to a sandwich or salad.

You can tell how ripe an avocado is by gently pressing into the skin. If the avocado is firm and does not budge, you will need to let it ripen for a few days before consuming. Soft avocados make great guacamole or dip, while firmer avocados are great for slicing and adding to a salad or a sandwich. To speed up the ripening process, place an avocado in a paper bag with a banana.

Quick tips:

• Spread avocado on toast in the morning instead of butter.
• Use avocado instead of mayonnaise in chicken or egg salad, or as a spread on a sandwich.
• The soft, creamy texture of an avocado and its mild taste make it a perfect first food for babies.

Try these healthy and delicious recipes using avocado:

Coconut kale smoothie
Roasted Brussels sprouts with toasted pecans and avocado
Poblano chilaquiles
Chipotle mango guacamole.

Avocado can be used in a number of different forms, many of which are available to purchase online, including avocado oil. Avocado oil may be used for cooking, or for moisturizing the skin or hair, so check the product information before purchasing.

As well as incorporating avocado into the diet, using avocado products on the skin is an option. Avocado is a popular ingredient in moisturizing products, such as face masks, available to purchase online.

Risks

It is the total diet or overall eating pattern that is most important in disease prevention and for achieving good health. It is better to eat a diet with variety than to concentrate on individual foods as the key to good health.

If you are taking blood-thinners, such as Coumadin (warfarin), it is important that you do not suddenly begin to eat more or less foods containing vitamin K, which plays a large role in blood clotting.

Informat

California housing affordability edges up

• Twenty-nine percent of California households could afford to purchase the $550,990 median-priced home in the fourth quarter of 2017, up from 28 percent in third-quarter 2017 but down from 31 percent in fourth-quarter 2016.

• A minimum annual income of $111,260 was needed to make monthly payments of $2,780, including principal, interest, and taxes on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at a 4.17 percent interest rate.

• Thirty-seven percent of home buyers were able to purchase the $449,720 median-priced condo or townhome. An annual income of $90,810 was required to make a monthly payment of $2,270.

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 12) – After hitting a 10-year low in third-quarter 2017, slightly lower home prices and steady mortgage rates allowed more Californians to purchase a home in the fourth quarter of 2017, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^® (C.A.R.) said today.

The percentage of home buyers who could afford to purchase a median-priced, existing single-family home in California in fourth-quarter 2017 edged up to 29 percent from 28 percent in the third quarter of 2017 but was down from 31 percent in the fourth quarter a year ago, according to C.A.R.'s Traditional Housing Affordability Index (HAI). This is the 19th consecutive quarter that the index has been below 40 percent. California's housing affordability index hit a peak of 56 percent in the first quarter of 2012.

C.A.R.'s HAI measures the percentage of all households that can afford to purchase a median-priced, single-family home in California. C.A.R. also reports affordability indices for regions and select counties within the state. The index is considered the most fundamental measure of housing well-being for homebuyers in the state.

A minimum annual income of $111,260 was needed to qualify for the purchase of a $550,990 statewide median-priced, existing single-family home in the fourth quarter of 2017. The monthly payment, including taxes and insurance on a 30-year, fixed-rate loan, would be $2,780, assuming a 20 percent down payment and an effective composite interest rate of 4.17 percent. The effective composite interest rate in third-quarter 2017 was 4.16 percent and 3.91 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016. 

Conversely, the affordability of condominiums and townhomes dipped in fourth-quarter 2017 compared to the previous quarter with 37 percent of California households earning the minimum income to qualify for the purchase of a $449,720 median-priced condominium/townhome, down from 38 percent in the third quarter. An annual income of $90,810 was required to make monthly payments of $2,270. Thirty-eight percent of households could afford to purchase the $446,800 priced condo or townhome in third-quarter 2017.

Key points from the fourth-quarter 2017 Housing Affordability report include:

• At the other end of the spectrum, Los Angeles, Madera, and Mariposa/Tuolumne were the most improved counties on a quarterly basis, with each of the counties climbing 3 percentage points from the previous quarter.

• Five of nine counties in the San Francisco Bay Region recorded an affordability index of 20 or lower during the fourth quarter. Only Solano and Contra Costa counties posted an improvement in affordability, while Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Sonoma declined.

• Housing affordability increased in 14 counties (Contra Costa, Solano, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Kern, Madera, Merced, Tulare, El Dorado, Humboldt, Mariposa/Tuolumne, Siskiyou, Sutter).

• Fourteen counties experienced a decline in housing affordability from the third quarter (Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma, San Bernardino, Ventura, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Stanislaus, Butte County, Lake County, Shasta, and Yuba). Lake, Santa Barbara, and Santa Clara counties dipped the most from the third quarter with each of them dropping two percentage points in the fourth quarter of 2017.

• Housing affordability was unchanged in 15 counties (Alameda, Marin, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Kings, Placer, Sacramento, San Benito, San Joaquin, Amador, Mendocino, Tehama, Yolo).

• During the fourth quarter of 2017, the most affordable counties in California were Tehama (56 percent), Kern (54 percent), and Sutter, Tulare, and Kings, (all at 52 percent).

• San Francisco (12 percent), San Mateo (14 percent), and Santa Clara (15 percent) counties were the least affordable areas in the state.

Housing Affordability slides (click link to open)

Affordability peak versus current 
Annual required income peak vs. current
PITI peak versus current
CA housing affordability by quarter (2006-2017)
Housing affordability by county

See C.A.R.'s historical housing affordability data.
See first-time buyer housing affordability data.

Leading the way…® in California real estate for more than 110 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States with more than190,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.

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CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
Traditional Housing Affordability Index
Fourth Quarter 2017

CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
Traditional Housing Affordability Index
Fourth Quarter 2017

r = revised