Monounsaturated oils, vitamin

The observation of a lower incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and certain types of cancers in the Mediterranean area led to the hypothesis that a diet rich in grain, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, wine in moderate amounts, and olive oil was beneficial to human health. To date, this effect has been mainly attributed to the low saturated fat intake of the Mediterranean diet and its high proportion of monounsaturates, which indeed may favorably affect the plasma lipid and lipoprotein profiles. Nevertheless, other components of the diet, such as fiber, vitamins, flavonoids, and phenols, may play an important role in disease prevention, acting on different cardiovascular variables. 

Avocado produces a rather viscous oil that penetrates the upper skin layers well and is beneficial for dry skin and is often found in sun preparations. It is versatile, with applications ranging from soothing nappy rash to an ideal choice for damaged, dry and mature skin. It is a mixture of monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids, with oleic (60-70%), linoleic (8-15%), palmitoleic (4-7%), linolenic (2%), palmitic (12-16%) and stearic (2%). Vitamins A, B and D are found along with lecithin. Lecithin is one of the major phospholipids (a lipid combined with a phosphate group) of the body. Phospholipids are vital chemicals needed in the body for structural and metabolic functions. 

Tree nuts are highly nutritious and provide macronutrients (fat, protein, and carbohydrate)[l,8], micronutrients (minerals and vitamins)[l], fat-soluble bioactives (monounsaturated fatty adds [MUFA], polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFA], monoacylglycerols [MAG], diacylglycerols [DAG], tria-cylglycerols [TAG], phospholipids, sterol esters, tocopherols, tocotrienols, phytosterols, phytostanols, squalene, terpenoids, sphingolipids, and essential oils, among others) [1,4-6,9-12] (Table 1.2), and phy-... 

Avocado (Persea americana Mill) is an important tropical fruit and a good source of lipophilic phytochemicals such as monounsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, vitamin E and sterols [46]. It has several cultivars that present great variation on time of fruit production and oil content in the pulp. Studies have indicated that the avocado oil is similar to olive oil and can be used in cosmetics and also for human consumption [47, 48]. New Zealand, Mexico, Chile United States and South America are among the main avocado oil producers. Avocado oil has the advantage that can be obtained from the fruit by means of a cold extraction methods, which is an easy and low technology that allow maintain in the oil significant amounts of the bioactive phytochemicals present in the fruit [47]. 

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