A High-Fat Fruit for Detox

By Kelley Herring

Beets and grapefruit juice both help protect your liver and aid in detoxification. Now you can add avocados to your liver-defending list.

Researchers at Shizuoka University in Japan fed 22 different fruits to a group of rats. The rats had liver damage caused by galactosamine, a powerful liver toxin. The researchers then measured the changes in specific liver enzymes. Of the 22 fruits, the avocado had the most potent liver-protecting activity. In fact, avocados boast five compounds that appear to be active in reducing liver damage.

Hirokazu Kawagishi, the study leader, says: "Besides offering taste and nutrition, avocados seem to improve liver health. People should eat more of them."

Don't be deterred by the avocado's high-calorie, high-fat profile. Avocado fat is the heart-healthy monounsaturated variety. Plus, the "alligator pear" has a slew of potent nutrients, including antioxidant vitamins E and C, glutathione, lutein, and zeaxanthin. If that's not enough, they're also high in fiber and potassium, and provide a good amount of folate to boot.

So go ahead and slice avocados onto salads, fold them into wraps, and mash them into guacamole. You'll delight your taste buds... and protect your liver.

It's Fun to Know: The History of the Charcoal Briquette

Give Henry Ford credit for inventing the charcoal briquette. Ford made the first briquettes out of sawdust and scrap wood from his factories. Then he sold barbecue grills and the briquettes at Ford dealerships to encourage people to drive their cars to go on picnics.

(Source: That's a Fact, Jack!)

Word to the Wise: Levity

"Levity" (LEV-ih-tee) - from the Latin for "lightness" - is an inappropriate lack of seriousness.

Example (as used by William Logan in The New York Times): "Thomas Hardy had his black moods, but also his moments of sour levity."

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2270, 02-05-08], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

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