Avocado, or Alligator pear

Alligator pear, or avocado - is a small-sized fruit of South American origin. His so unusual name he got thanks to the British. They were the first to note the similarity of the fetal skin with the dark green color of the crocodile skin.

Alligator pear belongs to the same category of plants as camphor, cinnamon and laurel trees. This evergreen fruit plant with a wide crown and quite brittle branches, capable of reaching a height of fifteen to twenty meters. In this case, surprisingly, such a tree grows very quickly. The leaves of the alligator pear are broad, leathery, slightly pointed at the tip. The tree blossoms in February-April, its white flowers are collected in beautiful paniculate inflorescences. One plant produces an average of about 1000-1200 fruits per year. To fully ripen its fruit requires a lot of water, sun and heat. That's why the historic birthplace of avocados is rightfully considered to be Mexico and Peru. Their mild subtropical and tropical climate is the most optimal conditions for a given tree. Today, on an industrial scale, the alligator pear is grown in the US, Brazil, Africa, the Hawaiian Islands, Mexico and Israel. These are the main exporting countries of this product.

Currently, there are more than four hundred varieties of avocados all over the world, each of which differs from drusik in form, color, oil content and weight. Depending on what kind of pear the variety is, the fruit can be covered with smooth or stiff hummocky skin from almost black to dark green. Inside it is a large heavy bone. The fruits themselves can reach up to two kilograms in their mass, but the commercial grade of pears, as a rule, does not exceed 250-300 grams.

The taste of the fruit is very peculiar, its green or yellow-green flesh somewhat resembles a traditional butter with a slight nutty aroma.

In its homeland - in South and Central America - the alligator pear has about the same importance as in European countries, bread or meat. Its tender flesh consists of protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids, that is, pure vegetable oil. Together they effectively protect vessels, provide the necessary amount of energy to the heart muscle, promote better absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. The rest falls on such important for health and beauty trace elements, as folic acid, vitamins A, B, E, C, PP. These substances perfectly strengthen immunity, possess anti-stress and cosmetic properties - moisturize, soften and nourish the skin, restore the structure of weakened hair and rejuvenate the body as a whole.

Separately it is worth noting the effect of glutathione - an amino acid, also contained in avocados and protecting against some varieties of cancer, and phytosterol - a fat-like substance responsible for lowering cholesterol. Oil, obtained from the fruits of the alligator pear, found its application in the modern medical industry. The medicinal preparation, which is made on its basis, is used to treat and prevent parodontosis, scleroderma and arthrosis.