為什么牛油果對你有好處

為什么牛油果對你有好處

When people think of avocados, they often think of guacamole, but there's so much more to learn about this superfood.

當(dāng)人們想到牛油果時，他們通常會想到牛油果色拉醬，但是關(guān)于這種超級食物還有很多需要了解的。

The avocado — produced in subtropical climates including southern Spain, Australia, Peru, Ecuador, California, Arizona and Florida — is versatile, full of nutrients and popular throughout the world. California produces most of the avocados grown in the United States.

牛油果生長在亞熱帶氣候，包括西班牙南部、澳大利亞、秘魯、厄瓜多爾、加利福尼亞、亞利桑那和佛羅里達(dá)。加州生產(chǎn)的牛油果大部分產(chǎn)自美國。

Avocados are packed with nutrients, including potassium, vitamin K, folate, B vitamins and vitamin C. (Photo: Nama Uchida/Shutterstock)

While almost three-quarters of the avocado's calories come from fat, most of it is healthy fat. More specifically, the avocado contains monounsaturated fats, which are known to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and are believed to help increase the good kind of cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins (HDL's).

雖然牛油果近四分之三的熱量來自脂肪，但大部分是健康脂肪。更具體地說，牛油果含有單不飽和脂肪，這種脂肪可以降低低密度脂蛋白(LDL)膽固醇，并被認(rèn)為有助于增加有益的高密度脂蛋白(HDL)。

It's for this reason researchers at Penn State suggest eating an avocado a day isn't a bad idea. Their study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, found that avocados do even more, helping reduce LDL particles that had been oxidized in adult participants who were overweight or obese.

因此，賓夕法尼亞州立大學(xué)的研究人員建議，每天吃一個牛油果并不是個壞主意。他們的研究發(fā)表在《營養(yǎng)學(xué)雜志》(Journal of Nutrition)上，發(fā)現(xiàn)牛油果的作用更大，可以幫助超重或肥胖的成年參與者減少被氧化的低密度脂蛋白顆粒。

The avocado also has 60 percent more potassium than a banana. In addition, the avocado’s nutritional composition includes a large amount of fiber. Almost three-quarters of that fiber is insoluble with the rest being soluble fiber — and all that insoluble fiber helps things go smoothly in the bathroom.

牛油果的鉀含量也比香蕉多60%。此外，牛油果的營養(yǎng)成分包括大量的纖維。幾乎四分之三的纖維是不溶性的，其余的是溶性纖維——所有這些不溶性纖維有助于浴室里的事情順利進(jìn)行。

Avocados were brought to the U.S. from Mexico

牛油果是從墨西哥帶到美國的

Avocado trees does best in a semihumid climate. (Photo: Juan Luis Elgueta/Shutterstock)

California produces most of the avocados grown in the United States. A Santa Barbara judge first brought Mexican avocado trees to the state in 1871, and today, the bumpy, rough-skinned fruit with the tender flesh is harvested from spring through late September from Monterey County down through San Diego County, according to the California Avocado Commission. Most trees on average produce around 60 pounds of fruit annually, or 150 pieces.

加州生產(chǎn)的牛油果大部分產(chǎn)自美國。加州牛油果委員會稱，圣巴巴拉的一名法官在1871年首次將墨西哥牛油果樹引入該州，如今，這種凹凸不平、表皮粗糙、果肉鮮嫩的果實(shí)從春季到9月底從蒙特利縣一直收獲到圣地亞哥縣。大多數(shù)樹平均每年生產(chǎn)約60磅水果，或150片。

How do you select a ripe avocado? And what can you do with it, besides whip up the perfect guac recipe? First, squeeze the fruit gently. It should be firm but yield to gentle pressure. Avoid an avocado that has overly dark skin or is too soft when pressed. If you plan to eat your avocado in a few days, pick hard ones and place them in a brown paper bag at room temperature for two to five days to ripen.

如何挑選成熟的牛油果?除了做出完美的牛油果醬，你還能用它做什么呢?首先，輕輕地擠壓水果。它應(yīng)該是堅硬的，但屈服于溫和的壓力。不要吃太黑或太軟的牛油果。如果你打算幾天后吃牛油果，那就挑一些硬的，然后把它們放在一個棕色紙袋里，在室溫下放置兩到五天，讓牛油果成熟。

Versatile uses for avocados in the kitchen

牛油果在廚房的多種用途

Chickpeas and avocado play well together in this tasty sandwich. (Photo: Jaymi Heimbuch)

Many people enjoy a raw, ripe avocado by itself. Simply cut lengthwise, scoop out the pit, squeeze some lemon or lime juice on the flesh and grab a spoon. Avocados also are delicious cut into slices on top of burgers, cut into salads or whipped into milkshakes or smoothies (try a Jalepeño-Lime Mango Protein Smoothie). The fruit is also an ingredient in the California sushi roll.

許多人喜歡吃生的、成熟的牛油果。簡單地縱向切開，挖出核，在肉上擠一些檸檬汁或酸橙汁，然后拿起勺子。牛油果也可以切成薄片放在漢堡上，切成沙拉，或者攪成奶昔或冰沙(試試Jalepeno-Lime芒果蛋白冰沙)。這種水果也是加州壽司卷的原料之一。

Recipes for avocado abound, both on general cooking websites as well as the recipe section of the California Avocado Commission, which, in keeping with the avocado's Mexican heritage and popularity, features more than 100 different recipes for guacamole along with many other less traditional uses.

牛油果的食譜有很多，無論是在一般的烹飪網(wǎng)站上，還是在加州牛油果委員會的食譜部分，都有牛油果的食譜，與牛油果的墨西哥傳統(tǒng)和流行程度保持一致，有100多種不同的牛油果醬食譜，還有許多其他不太傳統(tǒng)的用途。