What Is the Main Nutrient You Get From Avocados?

An avocado is a fruit that sometimes goes by the name alligator pear or butter pear. It has considerably more calories per ounce than other fruits--almost three times as many as an apple, for instance. But avocados are quite nutritious and contain lots of vitamins and minerals.

Main Nutrient

• An avocado has more fat than proteins or carbohydrates. It has 4.5 grams per ounce (a medium-sized avocado weighs about 5 ounces) according to the California Avocado Commission. About 81 percent of an avocado's calories come from fat, but contrary to popular belief, avocados are quite healthy.

Type of Fat

• Bob Bergh, of the University of California at Riverside's botany and plant sciences department, reported in 1992 that avocados can help with weight loss and lowering bad (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL) cholesterol. Because the avocado's fat is mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated (linoleic fatty acid), it provides a feeling of fullness without empty calories.

Vitamins and Minerals

• Avocados contain vitamins A, E, C and B6. They also contain riboflavin, pantothenic acid, magnesium, copper, zinc, manganese, potassium, folate, thiamin, iron and niacin. So per calorie, an avocado packs quite a punch of beneficial nutrients.

Fiber

• Avocados contain high amounts of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Fiber helps prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

Nutrient Density

• Nutrient density is not a measure of how many total calories a food provides, but more importantly an indication of the quantity of essential nutrients (vitamins, minerals, trace minerals and phytochemicals) you get for each calorie you consume. Avocados are considered nutrient dense.