CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



27 



failure to use fat overworks the organs engaged in the digestion 

 of starch and sugar and further throws out of commission the fat 

 digesting apparatus and it is well-known that the disuse of any 

 organ tends to weaken it. 



It was formerly considered, as far as digestibility and growth 

 are concerned, that one fat was practically as good as another. In 

 view, however, of the studies of Osborne and Mendel, McCollum 

 and Hart, and others, the old ideas have materially changed. 

 According to results of their experiments, it would appear that 

 milk fat, egg fat, cod liver oil, have a higher nutritive value as far 

 as growth is concerned than has either lard, almond oil or olive oil. 



The avocado oil has not been investigated and it might be that 

 as far as growth is concerned in the very young this may not l;e 

 as valuable as milk fat. At the same time experiments might indi- 

 cate that the avocado oil would be just as valuable as those fats 

 yielding positive results in the above referred to experiments. In 

 other words, there is of¥ered several opportunities for metabolic 

 invstigations with reference to the use of the avocado. 



Summarizing, then, it would appear that the avocado may be 

 said to be, as far as fruits are concerned, in a class by itself, con- 

 taining on the average a far higher caloric value than any other 

 fresh fruit with the exception of the olive and in view of the fac t 

 that the avocado ranks higher in fat or oil than the average or com- 

 monly used olive, it outranks even this fruit with respect to iis 

 total food value. 



