Avocado (Persea americana)
Medicinal Profile of
Avocado (Persea americana)
Avocado is a nutrient-dense fruit valued both as food and medicine. Rich in healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals, it supports cardiovascular health, skin vitality, hormone balance, and nutrient absorption. Traditionally, avocado fruit has been used as a nourishing food for weakness, digestive health, and convalescence, while its leaves and seed have separate medicinal traditions. The fruit itself is stabilizing, moistening, and nutritive, making it especially helpful for dryness, depletion, and inflammatory patterns.
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👉 Tastes describe the initial impression a food or herb leaves on the tongue, and they reveal its deeper actions in the body, shaping digestion, circulation, and tissue response.
Sweet (subtle, creamy) – Nutritive, grounding, and restorative.
Bland – Gentle, steady nourishment with no sharp qualities.
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👉Qualities describe the felt nature of a substance or practice, and how it acts in the body beyond nutrients or chemistry.
Moistening – Lubricates dry tissues, restores suppleness.
Nourishing – Provides dense nutrition for rebuilding.
Stabilizing – Steadies inflammation and heat through rich oils.
Grounding – Provides weight and substance, reducing nervous agitation.
Oily/unctuous – Moistening, builds reserves, supports lubrication of tissues.
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Nutritional Value (per 100 g raw avocado)
Avocado provides about 160 kcal per 100 g. It contains 14.7 g of fat, of which ~9.8 g are monounsaturated (mostly oleic acid), ~1.8 g polyunsaturated, and ~2.1 g saturated. Carbohydrates total 8.5 g, with 6.7 g from fiber and only 0.7 g from natural sugars. Protein content is modest at 2 g.
In terms of vitamins, avocado offers 21 µg vitamin K (26% DV), 81 µg folate (20% DV), 10 mg vitamin C (12% DV), and 2.1 mg vitamin E (14% DV). It is also a good source of B vitamins, especially pantothenic acid (B5) at 1.4 mg (28% DV) and vitamin B6 at 0.3 mg (13% DV), with smaller amounts of niacin (B3), riboflavin (B2), and thiamine (B1).
Mineral content includes 485 mg potassium (14% DV), 29 mg magnesium (7% DV), 0.19 mg copper (21% DV), 0.14 mg manganese (6% DV), 0.55 mg iron (3% DV), 0.64 mg zinc (6% DV), 12 mg calcium (1% DV), and 52 mg phosphorus (5% DV).
Avocado also supplies a rich array of phytonutrients, including carotenoids such as lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene, along with phytosterols like beta-sitosterol and campesterol, and unique polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PFAOs) that contribute antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
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Fresh fruit: Eaten raw, mashed, or blended in smoothies for nourishment.
Avocado oil: Used internally for cooking or externally as a moisturizer.
Topical mask: Mashed avocado applied to dry or inflamed skin.
Indicated Patterns by Affinity
👉 Indicated patterns describe the functional state of the body and its organs and/or tissues, showing whether they are dry, atrophied, too damp (pressure), stagnant, lax, inflammed, sluggish, tense or underactive. The Primary Indicated Pattern is the main state where this remedy works best. Secondary Indicated Pattern(s) are the patterns that often develop over time when the primary state is left unaddressed. The primary pattern must be supported first, as this allows the secondary patterns to naturally ease or resolve.
👉Affinities are the organ systems and tissues where the remedy acts most strongly.
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Dryness (Primary Indicated Pattern) – When digestive tissues lack lubrication, leading to sluggishness or irritation. Examples: Constipation from dry, hard stools, Dry tongue or mouth with poor digestive comfort, Irritated gut lining worsened by dryness.
Atrophy (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – When tissues are undernourished and thinned, losing resilience. Examples: Weak gut mucosa with sensitivity, Nutrient deficiency symptoms (fat-soluble vitamin malabsorption), Poor assimilation leaving tissues depleted.
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Dryness (Primary Indicated Pattern) – When lack of lipid nourishment leaves nerves overstimulated and poorly insulated.
Examples: Nervous agitation from deficiency, Irritability with depleted reserves, Poor stress resilience from lack of calming fats.Atrophy (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – When nervous tissues weaken or degenerate from lack of nourishment.
Examples: Cognitive decline linked to nutrient depletion, Nervous exhaustion with poor recovery, Thinned nerve reserves with low adaptability. -
Atrophy (Primary Indicated Pattern) – When vascular tone weakens due to lack of nutrient support.
Examples: Fragile vessel walls from low lipid nutrition, Poor cholesterol balance with tissue weakness, Anemia-like fatigue from nutrient depletion.Congestive (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – When heavy, rich intake contributes to sluggishness.
Examples: Feelings of heaviness after excessive avocado intake, Sluggish digestion from too much oily food, Congestive weight gain in damp terrains. -
Dryness (Primary Indicated Pattern) – When skin lacks oil and moisture.
Examples: Dry, flaking skin, Cracked lips, Dull complexion from lack of essential fatty acids.Atrophy (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – When skin tissues thin and lose elasticity.
Examples: Premature wrinkling, Fragile, easily damaged skin, Poor wound healing from nutrient deficiency. -
Dryness (Primary Indicated Pattern) – When respiratory membranes are parched, irritated, or poorly lubricated.
Examples: Dry, irritated throat, Dry cough from lack of lubrication, Parched lungs in dry climates.Atrophy (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – When respiratory tissues weaken from long-term depletion.
Examples: Fragile lung tissue with low resilience, Shallow breathing linked to deficiency, Weak recovery after respiratory irritation. -
Atrophy (Primary Indicated Pattern) – When liver tissues are weakened by lack of fat-soluble nutrients or antioxidant reserves.
Examples: Low glutathione production, Fat-soluble vitamin depletion (A, D, E, K), Poor resilience to toxins.
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👉 Medicinal actions describe the specific ways a food influences organ systems and body functions.
Digestive System
Digestive Soother – Oils buffer the stomach lining and ease inflammation.
Nutrient Absorption Enhancer – Increases uptake of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K, carotenoids).
Stool Softener – High fiber and oils gently ease constipation and support bowel regularity.
Satisfies Stomach (Satiety promoter) – Dense nutrition and healthy fats help regulate appetite and prolong fullness.
Cardiovascular System
Cardiovascular Tonic – Nourishes and protects blood vessels and heart.
Cholesterol Modulator – Supports healthy lipid balance (raises HDL, lowers LDL).
Anti-inflammatory – Reduces vascular irritation and oxidative stress.
Integumentary System (Skin & Hair)
Skin Emollient – Moisturizes and restores dry, rough, or inflamed skin.
Demulcent/Soothing – Provides mucilage-like protection for irritated tissues.
Skin Tonic – Supports elasticity and reduces oxidative damage.
Wound Healing (supportive) – Applied topically to aid tissue repair.
Nervous System & Mood
Nervine Support – Provides B vitamins and essential fats for nerve health.
Antidepressant (mild) – Supports mood balance, partly through folate and healthy fats.
Grounding Relaxant – Stabilizes agitation and nourishes during depletion.
Endocrine & Hormonal System
Hormone Support – Supplies sterols and healthy fats for endocrine function.
Liver Tonic (Livoprotive) – Its nutrient density indirectly supports hormone clearance and balance.
Urinary System
Diuretic (mild) – Promotes gentle fluid elimination through increased potassium intake.
Liver & Gallbladder
Livotonic – Rich in antioxidants and oils that protect liver tissue and support bile flow.
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👉 Constituents are the natural compounds in a food that give rise to its actions in the body.
Monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid, palmitoleic acid) – Cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid) – Essential fatty acids for tissue repair.
Phytosterols (beta-sitosterol, campesterol) – Support cholesterol balance and hormone function.
Carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-carotene) – Antioxidant, eye and skin protective.
Vitamins: Vitamin E, Vitamin C, B vitamins (especially folate, B5, B6, niacin).
Minerals: Potassium, magnesium, copper.
Polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PFAOs) – Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory.
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Fresh fruit: 1st–2nd Degree – nutritive, gentle, cumulative benefits.
Avocado oil (internal): 2nd Degree – stronger lipid-modulating and anti-inflammatory effects.
Avocado oil (topical): 2nd–3rd Degree – direct skin emollient and healer.
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May enhance effects of antihypertensive or cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Oil may increase absorption of fat-soluble medications.
Generally low interaction risk when eaten as food.
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Very safe as food and medicine.
Rare allergy possible (especially latex-fruit syndrome).
High caloric density, use mindfully in weight-restricted diets.
Leaves and seeds (not fruit) may have stronger actions but are not typically used as food.
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Traditional Sources
Morton, J. F. (1987). Fruits of Warm Climates. Miami, FL. (Discusses traditional uses of avocado as food and medicine across the Americas.)
Standley, P. C. (1920). Flora of the Panama Canal Zone. Smithsonian Institution. (Mentions ethnobotanical uses of avocado fruit, leaves, and seed.)
Modern Sources
Dreher, M. L., & Davenport, A. J. (2013). “Hass avocado composition and potential health effects.” Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 53(7), 738–750.
Fulgoni, V. L., et al. (2013). “Avocado consumption is associated with better diet quality and nutrient intake, and lower metabolic syndrome risk in US adults.” Nutrition Journal, 12, 1.
Ding, H., et al. (2007). “Antioxidant properties of avocado fruit extract and its nutritional implications.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 55(12), 4568–4574.
Wang, L., et al. (2015). “Effect of avocado intake on postprandial satiety, glucose, and insulin responses.” Nutrition Journal, 14, 1–10.
Unlu, N. Z., et al. (2005). “Carotenoid absorption from salad and salsa by humans is enhanced by the addition of avocado or avocado oil.” Journal of Nutrition, 135(3), 431–436.
