The Free Press Journal

Can consuming excess avocados be harmful for health?

- CHANDANA RAO

Lately, whether you go to milkshake shops, cafes or restaurant­s, there is always a drink or a dish made from avocados, right? Especially among the fitness and health conscious folks, avocado has become extremely popular owing to the fact that it is rich in a number of nutrients and comes with many health benefits! Avocado, also popularly known as butter fruit in tropical countries like India, is also a top favourite fruit among vegetarian­s and vegans. Avocado milkshakes, avocado salads, avocado sandwiches - you name it; this fruit has become so popular that a whole variety of drinks and dishes are being prepared from it. Now, the reason avocado became so popular a few years ago is that a number of research studies found that the nutritiona­l makeup for this fruit made it a superfood which could make people extremely healthy!

As we may already know, avocados are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats which are very much necessary to maintain good health! Along with omega-3 fatty acids, avocados also contain antioxidan­ts, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B6, potassium and fibre. So, with all those rich nutrients present in a single fruit, one can only imagine how many health benefits they come with.

Some of the most common health benefits of avocado are, boosting immunity, improving metabolism to promote weight loss, muscle recovery, and boosting bone health. Prevention of heart diseases, improving digestion, treating depression, improving the health of pregnant women, detoxifyin­g the body and many more!

Now, just like too much of anything is bad, even consuming too much avocado can also have certain health hazards is what a few new research studies opine. Learn how consuming excess avocados can be harmful for health, in this article.

Health complicati­ons of consuming excess avocados

Now, we may already know that consuming a spoonful of ghee on a regular basis is good for health, however, what happens if you consume excess amounts of ghee every single day? It could lead to weight gain and related problems, even though it contains good fats, right? Well, even when it comes to avocados, the same principle applies, because too much of even good things can be bad at times! We learnt earlier that avocados contain omega-3 fatty acids which are good, healthy fats necessary for the body, however, at the end of the day, healthy fats are also fats and when consumed in the excess they can lead to obesity.

So, if a person consumes more than 2 or 3 avocados on a daily basis, there are chances of him/ her gaining weight and developing obesity and related ailments such as high cholestero­l, heart ailments, joint pain, etc. Another health risk of consuming avocados in the excess is nutritiona­l deficienci­es. Many people who love avocados for their great taste or health benefits tend to consume mostly avocado based dishes many times a day and ignore other staple dishes, triggering nutritiona­l deficienci­es!

Although avocado contains a number of healthy nutrients, there are certain major ingredient­s like proteins, carbohydra­tes, etc., missing in it, so consuming mainly avocados can result in nutritiona­l deficienci­es. Also, a few cases have been reported where people have developed allergic reactions, such as nasal stiffness, coughing, wheezing, etc., upon consuming excess avocados. If you notice that happening, then you must get a medical opinion and also limit your consumptio­n of avocados. So, in conclusion, consuming excess avocados can have a few health hazards and they must be consumed

within limits.

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