Avocados May Have This Unexpected Health Benefit

Whether they're mashed into guacamole, spread onto toast, or sliced to go atop a salad, there is no denying that avocados are a versatile and tasty food. They make an excellent addition to a variety of meals and dishes, but they are not only a flavorful ingredient and great garnish — they are also a very nutritious fruit that has been shown to provide significant health benefits. Avocados seem to have grown in popularity in recent years, and their high nutritional value plays no small role in that.

For starters, avocados are high in many vitamins and nutrients, including vitamins C, E, K, and B6, as well as potassium and folate, according to Medical News Today. Research has shown that eating a diet rich in avocados may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol and protect against chronic health issues such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, osteoporosis, depression, and cancer. The fruit is rich in fiber and antioxidants, which can improve metabolic health and reduce the risk of eye problems like macular degeneration. Avocados are also known for their high amounts of monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been proven to improve heart health and boost your absorption of nutrients from other healthy foods, according to Healthline.

While avocados' health-boosting, disease-preventing nutrients are all great reasons to snack on the rich and flavorful fruit, they may also boast a more surprising and aesthetic health benefit. According to The Seattle Times, one reader who added avocados to their diet has enjoyed the unexpected benefit of stronger fingernails and thicker, healthier-looking hair. The publication reported that others have claimed to notice similar effects.

Although scientists have not been able to find an exact reason why eating avocados could be linked to healthier fingernails and hair, many people have reported positive changes to their appearance after incorporating avocados into their diet. Healthy food in general has been shown to improve the health of many areas of the body, so better-looking hair and nails could very well be a part of that. After all, it isn't unlikely that an ingredient with as many health benefits as avocados could aid your outsides just as well as it does your insides. Considering all their other health-boosting vitamins, nutrients, and healthy fats, to boot, you certainly can't go wrong adding an avocado or two to your routine.