Why avocados are a health scam

In recent years, in addition to milk powder, there is another thing that has become popular in China from abroad, and that is? Avocado! Avocado: labeled as healthy, it is blooming everywhere in China!

According to statistics, in 2010, China’s import volume of avocados, which relied on imported supplies, was only 2 tons. By 2017, this number had grown to 32,100 tons! An increase of tens of thousands. Almost all new restaurants have avocado dishes for customers who are pursuing health and fashion. In these restaurants, large and small, it’s hard to call it a salad without a few slices of avocado. Avocado even once became a representative of high-end, healthy and nutritious food. According to data released by an authoritative consulting company, in China, the number of products labeled "superfood" and "superfruit" increased by 202% between 2011 and 2015. Naturally, their sales also increased at the same time. They not only represent the "petty bourgeoisie" lifestyle of using imported products, but more importantly, they sell a dose of peace of mind to Chinese people who have long been anxious about health and food safety. ?Eating natural fruits is always harmless, right? Imported and expensive things must be good things? Foreign experts will never lie? Many Chinese people think so.

As far as avocados are concerned, the keywords of the promotion focus on "protecting the heart, lowering cholesterol, losing weight", etc. The reason is that avocados contain about 2% protein, while ordinary Fruit is almost zero, which is why it is often said to be nutritious. The fat calories of one avocado = 3 bowls of rice. It is true that avocados contain protein that is almost not contained in other fruits. However, many people ignore that the fat content of avocados is so high that it hardly looks like a fruit! According to nutritionist measurements, one avocado The calories are about the same as 3 bowls of rice. Don’t underestimate eating this fruit, as you may gain weight if you don’t pay attention. The fat content of avocado is shockingly high compared to other foods: fried soybeans (20% fat); Snickers (25% fat); potato chips (33% fat); pistachios ( 45% fat); almonds (50% fat); hazelnuts (60% fat); walnuts (65% fat); pecans (72% fat)? The fat content of avocado is 15.3%, even more than ordinary pork 15% fat content! ?

One of Western Australia’s largest avocado industry players said: ?Asian markets are paying high prices for Australian avocados and they are happy to buy them. I have never seen this for exported fruit. level of income. ?In English, avocado was not called avocado before, but called alligator pear, which translates to "avocado". Its rough dark green peel does look a bit like a ferocious crocodile. What is even less well-known is that avocado also has an even less popular name: aguacate. At that time, the Avocado Growers Association strongly protested, saying that this name would destroy the entire industry. So at the suggestion of the association, alligator pear and aguacate were changed to the noble-sounding avocado. After changing the name, savvy farmers and agricultural product dealers began to raise large amounts of funds to advertise and market avocados.

In 1974, an avocado cost US$1, which is equivalent to US$4.8 today based on purchasing power. For that era, this fruit was not very eye-catching and no one knew how to eat it. It was too expensive. So marketers followed the trend and packaged avocado as a "luxury product among fruits", exclusively for the elegant and wealthy upper class. This marketing concept is still deeply embedded in the sales of avocados, just like the underlying reason why Chinese people choose to eat avocados. It seems that eating avocados will lead to the lifestyle of the upper class and become the upper reaches of society. After all, avocado sells a lifestyle that sounds "high-end" and "high-style". The development of avocados has not been smooth sailing. In the 1980s and 1990s, the obesity rate in the United States was so high that it attracted everyone's attention. Nutritionists called on all Americans to reduce their fat intake. Therefore, fat content became a factor in determining whether a food is healthy or not. important criteria for health. At this time, avocado was kicked out of the category of healthy food by the US Food and Drug Administration.