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... that avocados, as well as other well known plants such as cinnamon, camphor, and laurel belong to the Lauraceae family?
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Avocado
Avocados (Persea americana Mill) are nature's original health food. They are the world's most nutritious fruit, because they contain almost all essential nutrients. They play an important role in reducing one's chance of falling prey to common life-threatening diseases.
The avocado is one of the best sources of natural minerals and vitamins. Less than half a medium avocado (about 100g) contains about 171.0 kcal (food energy). With 3.2 grams of dietary fibre, avocados have the highest concentration of dietary fibre of any commonly eaten fruit. High fibre intake lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.
Avocados are rich in disease fighting anti-oxidants such as vitamin A, C and E that help in cleaning up dangerous excesses of free radical cells known to contribute to heart diseases, cataracts, premature ageing and cancer. Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Iron and Boron are the most important minerals contained in this underestimated fruit.
Avocados have been avoided for many years as a result of the common misconception that they are fattening and contain dangerous levels of unhealthy oils and cholesterol. Scientists are now advocating avocados as an important part of the daily diet. Sports enthusiasts are now encouraged to consume monounsaturated fats (found in avocados) during training and before endurance events, as it helps in the resistance of fatigue and with the recovery period. Avocados are high in essential fatty acids that are important to the diet because the body cannot produce them. They are present in every healthy cell in the body and are critical for the normal growth and functioning of the cells, muscles, nerves, and organs.
Hints: Avocados are very sensitive to cold but may be kept refrigerated in the vegetable crisper. They may be ripened for a few days at room temperature (optimal between 15 and 18 degrees C). This ripening process can be accelerated by placing avocados in a paper or plastic bag. This is further helped by adding an apple, a pear or a banana in the same bag, as these fruits give off natural ethylene. A ripe avocado should yield a little when pressed gently near the stem end. Make sure you purchase avocados with their skin intact.
History
Thousands of years ago the avocado was called " The fruit of Gods" by Central American Indians because of its ability to increase the vitality and general health of a human being.
The avocado originated in a broad geographical area stretching from the eastern and central highlands of Mexico through Guatemala to the Pacific coast of Central America (West Indies). Avocados are classified within three ecologically separate subspecies known as the Mexican, Guatemalan and West Indian races. As a result of the widespread distribution of avocado races, considerable interracial crossing occurred, resulting in the most economically important cultivars in both tropical and subtropical areas.
Scientists believe that avocados have been cultivated in Mexico for a period of 10,000 years, and a progressive selection was based on increased fruit size. Avocado's nutritional value compelled the American colonizers to distribute the crop to the regions where the climate permitted its culture.
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