Avocados have been showing up everywhere the past few years -- on menus, in beauty products, and on the many lists of superfoods you should be eating, like, starting yesterday. But is this bumpy green fruit really deserving of all the hype?

在最近的几年，牛油果（鳄梨）的身影随处可见，不管是在菜单上，美容产品中，有许多菜单上出现的超级食品，就像是你应该从昨天就开始食用它。但是这个表皮坑坑洼洼的绿色水果真的是实至名归么？

In a word: YES. For starters, they're pretty, but more importantly, they’re extremely good for you. Need more reasons to love avocados? Behold: They've got the good fat

一言以蔽之：是的，对于初次尝试它们的人来说，确实是非常的好，但更重要的是，食用它们会对你的身体非常好。还需要一些喜欢牛油果的理由？那就是：它所含的脂肪都是有益的。

Let's get it out of the way: Avocados are fatty, but not all fats are created equal. The vast majority of the fat in avocados is monounsaturated, which is a polysyllabic way of saying that it can decrease LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and improve overall heart health.

让我们来揭开它的秘密：牛油果富含脂肪，不是所有的脂肪都是一样的。（科普时间到~脂肪由甘油和脂肪酸组成，其中甘油结构简单，为不变量。因此，脂肪因所含脂肪酸种类不同而有所变化，脂肪酸分为饱和脂肪酸和不饱和脂肪酸，其中不饱和脂肪酸又分为单不饱和脂肪酸和多不饱和脂肪酸两类。以上是天然食品中的所含的脂肪酸，还有一类为反式脂肪酸，大多出现在人造食品中。）牛油果所含的绝大部分的脂肪是单不饱和脂肪酸，所以它能够有效的降低体内胆固醇的水平，提升整体健康。

1. Nutrient absorption never tasted this good

又营养又好吃

With avocados, it's all about the smooth, buttery texture and fresh, grassy taste. Nutritional value is just a bonus, which makes the following even more exciting: In addition to offering upwards of 20 vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E (fights free radicals and boosts the immune system) and vitamin K (important for blood clotting and bone health), avocados can help your body better absorb nutrients like beta-carotene from other foods.

牛油果有着黄油般绵密顺滑的质感又有清新口感，而且营养价值又为它加分，它富含多达20中维他命和矿物质，其中包括维生素E（对抗自由基并提高免疫系统）还有维他命K（对于血液凝结和骨骼健康至关重要）。牛油果还能保住吸收其他食物中的营养成分，比如贝塔胡萝卜素。

2. They keep you young

让你永葆青春

It's doubtful that avocados will make you live forever, but studies show that these fabulous fruits (technically, berries) can make your time on Earth a little bit easier. It turns out that the antioxidants found in avocados can protect against the effects of aging, which might explain why people in LA love them so much.

毋庸置疑，牛油果能让你长生不老，但是研究表明这些超棒的水果（尤其是莓类水果）能够让你的寿命更长。牛油果中含有抗氧化物质，能够对抗老化，这也许就解释了为什么在洛杉矶的人们这么喜欢牛油果。

3. They have their own festival

它有自己的节日

Most of the avocados we eat here in the United States are Hass avocados grown in California, but there are lots of varieties, including one called Bacon (no relation). If you happen to live in the Golden State, check out the annual California Avocado Festival, which has been around for 30 years and includes musical acts, an avocado auction, and the world’s largest vat of guacamole.

美国大部分的牛油果产自加利福尼亚地区叫Hass牛油果，它们的种类很多，甚至有一种叫培根。（和培根肉没有半毛钱关系），如果你正好住在加州，你可以查下加州牛油果节，该节日承办了30年，包括音乐表演，牛油果拍卖，还展示世界上最贵的牛油果酱。

4. There are countless ways to enjoy them

有各种各样的食用方法

Guacamole is the gateway appetizing staple that gets most people hooked, but that's just the beginning of the avocado's potential. From simple avocado toast and tasty green smoothies to satisfying salads and sandwiches, the rich, creamy flesh can be incorporated into almost anything, including dessert. People have even proposed using a halved avocado instead of a bun for a burger, and you can wash it all down with avocado beer.

牛油果酱是许多人喜欢的开胃菜，但这只是品尝牛油果食品的入门级。从简单的牛油果吐司、美味牛油果慕斯到牛油果沙拉、牛油果三明治，奶油般丰润的口感，几乎可以和所有的食材配搭，还包括，甜点。有人甚至还建议把汉堡包的面包皮换成切一半的牛油果，然后配着牛油果啤酒大快朵颐。

5. Don't eat the seed (but if you're REALLY into it, you can)

不要吃它的核（如果你实在爱好，那吃点也无妨）

First of all, if you don't know how to remove the seed in the center of the avocado, get on that. Now, a warning: Despite recent claims that we should all be eating avocado seeds, including research showcasing their nutritional value, the California Avocado Commission actually advises against consuming the seed, but mostly because there hasn't been enough research on it.

首先，如果你不知道怎样把牛油果中间的核弄掉，那就吃了它。现在，注意了：尽管最新的舆论建议我们应该吃掉牛油果的核，包括举证它的营养价值，但是加州牛油果协会还是不建议我们使用，因为没有足够的研究证明（牛油果核的营养成分）。

6. Share the love

牛油果还能用来分享爱

The best news of all? You can share an avocado with your dog.

独乐乐不如众乐乐？把牛油果和你的狗狗一起分享~