[Bio] Avocados and you

The very convenient truth

Avocados are one of the healthiest foods out there. They contain many nutrients lacking in the average american diet. Some of these healthy nutrients are pantothenic acid, dietary fiber, vitamin K, copper, folate, vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin E, and vitamin C. They are also a good source of nutritious fats. An avocado holds between 71% and 88% of its calories in its fat. It’s quite obvious that would be able prevent many diseases.

A recent study conducted by Cancer Research demonstrated that one of the fats found in avocados, avocatin B, can be used to fight against cancer. This particularly deadly form of cancer is known as acute myeloid leukemia and is also referred to as AML. According to The U.S National Library of Medicine, acute myeloid leukemia is the most common form of leukemia in adults. Out of an estimated 62,130 new cases of leukemia in 2017, about 21,380 will suffer from AML to which will result in 10,590 deaths. For those over 65 who suffer from AML, 90% of patients will die within 5 years.

The basic research found that the specific avocatin B selectively targets the the leukemia stem cell. This means that it will not harm the healthy bodily cells, preventing the harm done by chemotherapy (radiation therapy). Professor Paul Spagnuolo from the University of Waterloo elaborates further in his interview with Davidwolfe.com “The stem cell is largely responsible for the disease developing and it’s the reason why so many patients with leukemia relapse. [...] We’ve performed many rounds of testing to determine how this new drug works at a molecular level and confirmed that it targets stem cells selectively, leaving healthy cells unharmed.” It was reported that it performs even better than man made drugs. Preparation for phase one of clinical trials has already begun for the applied research side of things. Avocados also contain a cancer fighting carotenoid. They act as antioxidants that protect cells from free radicals found in those with lung cancer from the chemicals in the smoke they inhale. These free radicals can damage cell membranes and DNA of the human body. Avocados contain 11 different kinds of carotenoids. In California, they were able to locate exactly where the carotenoid was and published guidelines for getting the most out of your avocado. To get the full effect you need to eat the avocado seed. 70% of the antioxidants are located in the seed of the avocado. To ingest the nutrients, you can either grate the avocado seed or turn them into powder by roasting them and passing them through a food processor.

This will provide more surface area for the acids in stomach to dissolve as well as allowing you to eat it without choking yourself. They are also anti-inflammatory and contain many soluble fibers which can prevent gastric ulcers, constipation, and diarrhea. In addition their amino acids and dietary fibers, the innards of the avocado can reduce cholesterol and cardiovascular issues. Lastly the antioxidants discussed earlier have been known to rebuild collagens and repair cell damage which reduces the signs of aging.

 

Work cited / just the links:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/06/29/avocado-anti-cancer-benefits.aspx

https://www.davidwolfe.com/scientists-find-avocados-kill-prevent-cancer/

http://www.spagnuoloresearch.com

https://medlineplus.gov/acutemyeloidleukemia.html

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/acute-myeloid-leukemia/about/key-statistics.html

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=5

http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/75/12/2478

https://www.pcrm.org/health/cancer-resources/diet-cancer/nutrition/how-carotenoids-help-protect-against-cancer

https://www.wimp.com/avocado-seeds-contain-a-surprising-amount-of-nutrition-for-something-weve-all-been-throwing-away/

http://jenknoedl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/20150115-avocados-brown-1.jpg

https://www.davidwolfe.com/avocado-seeds-health-benefits/