5+ a Day Says Avocados Are a Great Choice in October

5+ A Day Says Avocados Are a Great Choice in October

TAURANGA, 30th September 2011: The well-respected 5+ A Day Charitable Trust, whose objective is to encourage Kiwis to eat at least five servings of fresh fruit and vegetables every day, is teaming up with NZ Avocado Growers’ Association Inc. to focus on the nutritional benefits and versatility of avocados.

Avocados are one of the most nutritionally complete fruits on earth and 5+ A Day aims to encourage New Zealanders to eat more of them.

The new collaboration will begin next month when 5+ A Day will specifically promote avocados for October. The trust’s website ( www. 5aday .co.nz), Facebook page, Twitter and You Tube accounts communicate with thousands of Kiwis every week to encourage them to eat five or more servings of fresh fruit and vegetables each day.

The partnership comes at the perfect time for New Zealand avocado growers who have produced a record-breaking crop this year.

NZAGA and AIC chief executive Jen Scoular says up to 5.8 million trays (31,900 tonnes) of Hass avocados will be harvested in New Zealand between now and March 2012.

“We’re estimating a crop 20 per cent larger in volume than we’ve ever had before and nearly double our 2010-2011 volumes. This means plenty of fruit, packed full of goodness for every age,” Scoular says.

“The 5+ A Day campaign is very influential, particularly in New Zealand schools, so this joint effort to promote the consumption of avocados will build on our industry’s success.” The 5+ A Day programme was launched in 1994 and is now one of New Zealand’s most recognized food/health brands. Research shows 90 per cent of household shoppers and 93 per cent of children are aware of the 5+ A Day message and logo.

Currently 41 per cent of Kiwis actually follow that advice and 5+ A Day Charitable Trust spokesperson Paula Dudley says the not-for-profit organization aims to reach 50 per cent by 2015. “By focusing on avocados as our product of the month during October we know we can improve the health of New Zealanders,” Dudley says. “They are packed full of nutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They contain good monounsaturated fat, they’re cholesterol-free, are a good source of fibre and are also brilliant for your skin.”

The support from 5+ A Day comes just as a new campaign is launched urging people to ‘Add An Avo’ to our daily diets. Scoular says the Add An Avo campaign, run by the NZ Avocado Growers’ Association Inc., is aimed at highlighting health and nutritional benefits as well as raising awareness about how to choose, handle and store avocados. Information packs and delicious recipe ideas are being distributed nationwide.

“We have such an abundance of avocados in New Zealand, we often take them for granted. But avocados are an amazing fruit and we’re looking forward to sharing lots of information about how important they are to our health and well-being during this bumper season,” says Scoular. ENDS For more information or images please contact: Natalie Bridges | Village Public Relations & Marketing p: +64 7 572 1608 | m: +64 21 891 699 e: [email protected] About Avocados Avocados are super-fruits packed full of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and good fats. Their health benefits for everyone are vast and varied. They are one of the most nutritionally complete fruit in the world.

Key Vitamin and Mineral Breakdown of Avocados:

 FIBRE: Avocados are a good source of fibre, which helps to maintain a healthy digestive system and is important in control of weight.  IRON: Avocados are a source of iron, which is important for brain function, immunity and the formation of red blood cells.

 FOLATE: Avocados are an excellent source of folate. Folate is important for healthy growth and development, especially during periods like pregnancy where good intake of folate is important to reduce the risk of neural tube defects.

 NIACIN: Avocados contain niacin, which helps to manage cholesterol and is used for energy production.  VITAMIN B6: Avocados are a source of vitamin B6, which releases energy from food and promotes a healthy nervous system.

 VITAMIN C: Avocados contain vitamin C, which fights against infection and is used in tissue repair and general health, as well as helping the body to absorb iron from food. Vitamin C, which is an amazing antioxidant, anti-viral and anti-bacterial. It is also brilliant for your skin, helping with assisting collagen and elastin pathway, which keeps your skin looking radiant. Cholesterol Free

Avocado is naturally cholesterol free. Indeed it is one of the few fruit to contain fat, but the fat is of the good kind. It is healthy monounsaturated fat, which helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Avocados also contain essential Omega 3 fatty acids.

Nutrient-Dense They are a nutrient-dense fruit containing a mass off vital goodies needed for a healthy body. Avocados are low in sugar, contain fibre and are salt free.

Powerful Antioxidants

Avocados contain amino acids, especially one called Glutathione, which is also a powerful antioxidant. Increasing the body’s production of glutathione inhibits the progression of the aging process. Old cells contain 20% to 30% less glutathione compared to young cells. Eating 190grams of avocados gives you 3.09mg of vitamin E. Avocados are fantastic antioxidant and brilliant for your skin.

Other Health Benefits

The folic acid in avocados reaps health rewards for everyone. Additional folic acid in a male’s diet can help alleviate some causes of infertility; folic acid is also essential for pregnant women. In the older generation, studies have shown that lutein, found in avocados, is a compound show to reduce age-related macular degeneration and can also help reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

Avocados can also help teenagers suffering from acne. Many teenagers with acne have low levels of Zinc. Introducing avocados into your teenager’s diet may improve their skin because of the Zinc they contain. It is also believed that applying Zinc topically may decrease inflammation so try making an avocado mask using blended avocados.

Avocados and the vitamin B they contain are great for helping through stressful times, which can affect your overall health. The B-vitamin found in avocados, particularly vitamin B6, is brilliant in helping support the adrenal glands and possibly reducing the effect of stress on the body. Versatility

Avocados can be used in a multitude of ways, from smoothies, to salads, pizzas, omelettes and even soups and cheesecake. They are even great as a first food for babies going onto solids because they’re easy to mash up into a puree.