Avocado is a fruit tree that belongs to the Lauraceae botanical family. A much more familiar tree also belongs to this same family, namely the laurel. It is believed that the avocado originated in southern Mexico. It was cultivated throughout Central America in the pre-Columbian age, before the arrival of the Europeans. The area of greatest diffusion was between the Rio Grande River (now Colorado) and Peru. Today avocado is intensively cultivated not only in America but in many areas of the world. Some production areas are: Polynesia, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Madagascar, Mauritius, Madeira island, Canary Islands, Algeria, South Africa, southern Spain, southern France, Sicily, Crete, Israel and Egypt.
What is Avocado
Its scientific name is Persea americana and is popularly known as avocado or avocado tree. Avocado is the fruit of the avocado tree, belonging to the Lauraceae family and cultivated mainly in tropical areas, such as Mexico, Peru or Brazil, but recently it is also grown in Italy, particularly in some areas of Sicily and Sardinia.
The fruit has the shape of a pear, has a green peel, which becomes darker and tending to black as the fruit ripens and a single large seed. Although it is a fruit, in reality, its organoleptic characteristics and its nutritional values are very different from the fresh fruit we are used to. In fact, it is most commonly used for savory preparations and is mainly considered a source of fat.
Grow the Avocado
Avocado is an exotic fruit that is recently starting to be grown in Italy too, especially in the regions of the far south such as Calabria and Sicily. Being a tropical plant, it prefers a warm climate, for this reason it finds an ideal cultivation environment in the southern regions, especially in Sicily. This is where most of the national production is concentrated. However, there are several varieties of avocado. Some are more resistant to cold, and therefore can also be grown in other areas. The important thing is to follow the right cultural precautions and choose the right variety wisely.
The avocado plant can reach a height of around 20 meters but more commonly, when grown, it does not go beyond 12 meters.
Avocado fruits
As for the fruits, there are differences in the avocado depending on the species to which it belongs. Guatemalan species produce fruits of medium size, ovoid in shape very similar to a pear. The color is dark green at the end of ripeness. The fruits of the Mexican varieties, on the other hand, are smaller, weighing about 170 g. They have very thin skin and when fully ripe they are very dark, almost black-shiny. In general, the pulp of avocado fruits is deep green near the skin and more yellow near the seed. An oil is extracted from the pulp which brings many benefits to the skin and hair. The seed inside the fruit is single, large, oval in shape and inedible. As soon as they are picked, the fruits have a hard pulp, but then soften until they have a buttery consistency. So the fruit continues to ripen even after harvesting. This favors the permanence of the fruit on the tree without spoiling. It must be said, however, that the fruits ripening on the plant are very sensitive to the wind. Its action can sometimes cause abrasions. Harvesting begins in autumn, in the months of October and November for the early varieties. The late varieties can ripen their fruits until the beginning of spring.
Properties of Avocado
Avocado is indicated as a protective from the sun's rays, which is why it is used in the formulation of sun creams or after sun creams. Avocado stands out for its many nutritional properties and more: avocado oil is suitable for regenerating the skin and for the preparation of a large number of natural creams, including DIY. Avocado is a highly energetic fruit, large and well ripe fruits can bring up to 350-450 calories. Each 100 grams of avocado contains 238 kcalories and it is precisely by virtue of its lipid composition that avocado can be considered a fruit with beneficial properties. The lipids present in avocado are monounsaturated with a high presence of oleic acid and related lipophilic molecules. For this reason, avocado seems to be suitable for those suffering from hypercholesterolemia: a study conducted by Pennsylvania State University and published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, saw a clear reduction in bad cholesterol in patients who consumed avocado. Since it is a fruit rich in potassium, it is recommended for use in patients suffering from hypertension. Among the other abundant micronutrients present in avocado we mention magnesium, folic acid and a fair amount of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant.
Rich in good fats, antioxidants, fiber, minerals and vitamins, avocado is good for:
the cardiovascular system;
the nervous system;
gastrointestinal system;
longevity.
Nutritional values
100 g of avocado provide:
MACRONUTRIENTS
238 kcal.
Proteins
4,4 g.
Lipids
23 g.
Saturated fatty acids
2,48 g.
Monounsaturated fatty acids
18,33 g.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids
1,45 g.
Carbohydrates
1,8 g.
Soluble sugars
1,8 g.
Total fiber
3,3 g.
MICRONUTRIENTS
Potassium
450 mg
Magnesium
25 mg.
Vit. E 6,40 mg
Vit. K 21 µg
Avocado is mainly a source of fat and, therefore, can replace or supplement part of the fats from other foods, such as extra virgin olive oil or nuts. Wanting to take as a reference a standard portion of extra virgin olive oil which is equal to about 10 ml (1 tablespoon), this corresponds to a portion of about 50 g of avocado. Considering that on average a whole avocado weighs about 300 g and that the edible part is about 76% (therefore, about 230 g), the kcal of the whole avocado are about 530.
Cosmetic properties
In the field of natural cosmetics, avocado oil is very popular. For home preparations such as masks and scrubs it is possible to mix the avocado pulp with oatmeal or jojoba oil while for shock treatments, it is possible to use pure avocado oil directly. Avocado oil is used to moisturize the skin naturally (moisturizing body lotions), in aromatherapy, for hair treatments, to remove skin spots (age spots) and even to prepare soaps. Naturally, avocado oil can be used as a moisturizer for the body: just apply the oil to the skin of the body just after a shower or bath, it will help retain moisture and nourish the skin. Avocado oil can be found in specialized stores.
