Avocado Benefits, Side Effects: Low Fodmap, Acidic, Gluten Free? (2024)

What are avocado benefits and side effects? Are avocados vegan? Are avocados gluten free? Is avocado acidic or alkaline? Low fodmap? Good for you? Healthy? Sustainable? Here are avocado pros and cons: all the info on avocados that every ethical consumer wants to know…

Food is something we consume every day and if you’re like me, you do all the research you can to make sure you don’t hurt yourself, the planet, animals or others when shopping. As an ethical consumer myself, I am giving you all the info I’ve found on avocado benefits and side effects.

You are going to learn all about avocado benefits and side effects. This will include avocado benefits for your health and potential risks, avocado water footprint and avocado carbon footprint, avocado sustainability, if avocados re vegan or impact animals in other ways, and much more.

After learning if avocados are good or bad for you, the environment, animals and human rights, you will be prepared to make the best choices you can the next time you buy food.

This post is all about avocado benefits and side effects that every ethical consumer should know.

Avocado Benefits And Side Effects

Health

Avocado benefits for health may include:

• arthritis management
• diabetes management
• digestion
• increased libido
• reduced depression
• regulated blood sugar
• vision
• cancer prevention
• cardiovascular health
• detoxification
• disease prevention
• immune system
• liver function
• lower cholesterol
• lowered risk of diabetes and heart disease
• kidney function
• nutrient absorption
• anti-aging
• freshen bad breath
• hair growth and hair health
• reduced bloating
• skin health
• weight loss

Avocado side effects may include:

• weight gain if over-consumed

Additionally, avocados are…

• Alkaline 9.0 pH level once digested
• Gluten Free
• Not a common Food Allergen
• Low Fodmap (may cause gas, bloating & pain for some)

Environment

Water footprint: low, it takes 1,981 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of avocados / 237 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of avocados

Carbon footprint: low, 0.9 kg CO2e to produce 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds of fruits, a car driving equivalent of 2 miles or 3.25 kilometers

Destruction: low to high, avocados from Mexico are problematic since there is little environmental protection for the industry, reports show deforestation in the state of Michoacán, diverse forests are destroyed to make way for avocado farms, many trees are intentionally burned down to bypass a Mexican law, allowing owners to change their land-use permit to agriculture instead of forest land if it was “lost to burning”

Avocados are…

• Sustainable in general, however avocados from Michoacán, Mexico are destructive unless certified as sustainable

Animals

Kills: none, avocado production does not require any animals

Harms: none, avocado production does not require any animals

Indirectly kills or harms: none, no animals are indirectly killed or harmed from avocado production as long as toxic chemicals have not been used, be sure to buy Non-GMO/organic, as pesticides harm and kill wildlife and ecosystems by contaminating soil, water, air and plants that animals eat

Avocados are…

• Vegan
• Harmful to wildlife and ecosystems unless organic

Laborers

Health and safety: varies, overall, agriculture continues to be one of the most dangerous industries, farmworkers may be subject to dehydration, heat stroke, unprotected exposure to harmful, toxic chemicals and pesticides, unsafe machinery and clean drinking water may not always accessible

Living conditions: laborers often face tough working conditions including long hours in the sun and heat performing physically exhausting tasks, labor laws and rights may or may not be in place

Wages: varies, generally farmworkers earn meager wages, there are many cases of underpaid agricultural workers, wage theft and no overtime payment or benefits

Avocados…

• Tend to have laborer issues and a high rate of human rights concerns

Are avocados alkaline or acidic?

Avocados are alkaline.

What is the pH level of avocados?

Avocados have a 9.0 pH level, raw, once digested.

When you eat food, it breaks down to an ash residue that can be neutral, acidic or alkaline. Minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, zinc, silver, copper and iron produce an alkaline ash; whereas sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine and iodine, which are in meat, coffee, dairy and alcohol, leave an acid ash.

Going alkaline easier than ever with this: Acidic and Alkaline Foods List

Are avocados gluten free?

Yes, avocados are gluten free. Avocados do not contain gluten. Avocados are a type of fruit, therefore making it a naturally gluten free food.

Celiac and gluten sensitivity symptoms are similar and may include:

• recurring abdominal pain
• chronic diarrhea
• constipation
• tingling
• numbness in hands and feet
• chronic fatigue
• joint pain
• unexplained infertility
• low bone density (osteopenia or osteoporosis)

There are hundreds of potential symptoms, many of which are also symptoms of other conditions.

Going gluten-free easier than ever with this: Gluten and Gluten Free Foods List

Are avocados a common food allergen?

No, avocados are not a common food allergen. Some people may experience allergic reactions to avocados but it is relatively rare by comparison.

A group of the eight major allergenic foods, AKA the Big-8, include:

• milk
• eggs
• fish
• crustacean shellfish
• tree nuts
• peanuts
• wheat
• soybeans

Severe food allergies can be life threatening. Following ingestion of a food allergen, a person with food allergies can experience a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.

Persons may still be allergic to and have serious reactions to foods other than the eight foods identified by the law.

Be aware of common dietary restrictions and food allergens with this: The Big 8 Most Common Food Allergens List

Are avocados low FODMAP?

Yes, avocados are low-FODMAP, a food you can eat if on a low-FODMAP diet.

A low FODMAP diet may help those with bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, stomach pain, and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).

It’s all about knowing your body. Observe what works and what doesn’t. You body might even react negatively to a low-FODMAP food simply due to intolerance. Everyone is different! Be mindful and patient. Take time to get to know what’s best for your physical health and overall wellbeing.

See this High-FODMAP and Low-FODMAP List of Foods

Water footprint of avocados?

Avocados have a relatively low water footprint compared to other foods.

It takes 1,981 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of avocados / 237 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of avocados.

Did you know that water is a finite, non-renewable resource?

How much water does it take to produce an apple? A serving of rice? A steak dinner?

Find out how much water your food consumes with this: Water Footprints of Foods and Ingredients List

Carbon footprint of avocados?

Avocados likely have a relatively low carbon footprint compared to other foods.

It takes around 0.9 kg CO2e to produce 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds of fruit, a car driving equivalent of 2 miles or 3.25 kilometers.

When calculating carbon emissions, some factors may include…

• farm equipment
• animal feed production
• hothouses (greenhouses)
• food processing
• packaging
• transport
• refrigeration
• freezing
• package waste and more

But that’s not all!

It’s best to keep the following in mind when grocery shopping:

• shopping locally reduces transportation emissions
• food without packaging reduces waste as well as the carbon footprint
• refrigerated and frozen foods increase carbon emissions
• seasonal foods reduce carbon emissions from hothouses (greenhouses)
• growing plant-based foods at home is the most environmentally sustainable method with zero carbon footprint

Find out how much carbon your food emits with this: Carbon Footprints of Foods and Ingredients List

Are avocados sustainable?

Avocados from Mexico are problematic since there is little environmental protection for the industry. Reports show deforestation in the state of Michoacán and diverse forests have been destroyed to make way for avocado farms. Many trees are intentionally burned down to bypass a Mexican law, allowing owners to change their land-use permit to agriculture instead of forest land if it was “lost to burning”.

Read more about ‘What Makes Food Sustainable Or Unsustainable?’

Are avocados vegan?

Yes, avocados are vegan. Avocados are a fruit and not an animal product or byproduct, therefore making it a vegan food.

Animals of factory farming are suffering. They live in horrific conditions that often include confinement, physical abuse and unnatural environments…so much so that they need to receive antibiotics to keep from getting ill or spreading disease. Additionally, growth hormones allow all kinds of animals to become fatter faster and live short lives.

Go vegan for animals!

It’s the best way to help animals and it’s not as difficult as you may think. Speak for animals with your actions, for they cannot speak at all.

Going vegan is easier than ever, at a glance with this: Vegan and Non Vegan Foods List

Do avocados have human rights issues?

At this time there are some concerns with avocado production. It’s important to stay aware of human rights concerns that may come with specific brands. Be sure to buy fair trade avocados.

Did you know the single largest employer in the world is agriculture? The labor involved behind each and every product cannot go unrecognized.

Some problems include workplace health and safety, child labor, gender inequality, inadequate pay, wage theft and exploitation. Workers can even experience harassment, humiliation and violence and unfair employers often fail to provide laborers with access to shade, drinking water, restrooms and breaks. Consequently, laborers can face nausea, dizziness, heat exhaustion, dehydration and heat stroke -the leading cause of farmworker death!

We can improve people’s lives with foods we eat every day simply by buying products that are certified fair trade.

Be sure to read up on this list of ‘Foods You Should Always Buy Fair Trade‘

Conclusion

Avocado pros include:

• numerous health benefits
• sustainable
• vegan
• alkaline
• gluten free
• not a common food allergen
• low carbon footprint
• low water footprint

Avocado cons include:

• avocados from Michoacán, Mexico are destructive unless certified as sustainable
• possible laborer exploitation (as with most foods)
• pesticide ingestion and contamination if not organic (as with most produce)

This post was all about avocado benefits and side effects.

Sources:

Avocados, raw, all commercial varieties – FoodData Central

Avocado | Food and Nutrition Information Center | NAL | USDA

Tesco suspends avocado supply from Kakuzi over allegations of human rights abuse

World economic forum: Avocado: the ‘green gold’ causing environment havoc

Are Mexican avocados the world’s new conflict commodity?

Food and agriculture organization of the united nations