Victoria Beckham's four-a-day avocado habit: the secret to eternal youth, or the ultimate fad diet?

This week, Victoria Beckham revealed the secrets behind her dewy glow – wolfing down four avocados a day.

The fashion designer said the fruits contain healthy fats which keep her complexion looking ship shape.

Although she insisted the four-a-day habit is “not about wanting to look younger”.

Avocados are packed full of vitamins and minerals that are great for your skin. They’re full of healthy monosaturated fats, and delicious vitamins B, E, and C.

Vitamin C is needed to make collagen, the protein that keeps skin plump and elastic, while Vitamin E is an antioxidant which helps protect skin from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

But eating four of the fruits a day is not advisable for the average Jo and Josephine Soap looking for a glow up. 

The main reason is the high fat content. An avocado contains around 300 calories, 22 grams of fat and 10 grams of fiber, which is a very respectable 40 percent of your daily fiber goal (for a 2,000-calorie diet).

Registered dietitian Gillian McConnell and founder of Inside Out Nutrition, Gillian McConnell, advises against following Posh’s routine.

“If that is her diet, then I suspect she must not be eating much else,” Gillian said.

“It is full of healthy fats but it is highly calorific,” she said. “It sounds far too much all round. Extremes are not the way to go in relation to diet. Only eating one food group over an extended period of time is not healthy.

Gillian said that it would be extremely difficult to maintain a trim physique eating so much avocado.

She also warned against ‘mono diets’ – where people become reliant on consuming one food or food group. Celebrities tend to be prone to them, Ashton Kutcher landed in hospital after following Steve Jobs’s fruitarian diet.

The key to a healthy diet is all about balance and ensuring you are tucking into meals that incorporate a variety of food groups.

“Variety is the key,” Gillian said. “By limiting your diet down, you are limiting the omega oils, nutrients, and vitamins you get from having a varied and balanced diet.”

“I find it hard to believe she is eating that many avocados. It sounds like a fad to me and fads are never a good template to base your eating habits around.”

Avocados are also low in protein and we all need protein to help build and repair skin cells.

It would be better to have half an avocado a day to keep your visage looking fresh, rather than horsing down close to 30 a week.

Plus, Posh’s four-a-day diet ensures that meal time will get very predictable (how much avocado toast and guacamole can you eat?)

It seems likely that other factors ensure Victoria has flawless skin; good genetics, staying hydrated, getting a good night’s sleep, and implementing a foolproof skin care regime.

Plus, there are ethical reasons why we should all cut back on avocados. In recent years, there have been growing concerns that Latin American imports are damaging the environment and funding Mexican drug cartels.

Drug cartels have reportedly infiltrated the industry and run extortion rackets, preying on producers.

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