On the days they aren’t prohibitively expensive, there aren’t too many people who can say no to an avocado.
Delightful in both sweet and savoury dishes, we want to get as much as we can out of these little fruits.
But even we have never considered eating the seed!
Like most of you, we usually cut our avocados and ditch the seeds in the bin or the compost, but after reading up on the incredible benefits contained in that little powerhouse, we’re going to change our habits. It turns out that the avocado seed:
1. Avocado Seeds May Destroy Cancer Cells
We know that avocados are packed with antioxidants, but did you know that most of those antioxidants (around 70%) are contained in the seed? In particular, avocado seeds contain a powerful antioxidant called flavonol, which has been found to prevent and reduce tumour growth. A study published in the�Pharmaceutical Biology journal in 2013 found that avocado extract from Hass avocados caused leukaemia cells to self-destruct .
2. Avocado Seeds are Great For Your Digestion
For hundreds of years in South America, avocado seeds were used by traditional healers to treat digestive issues including dysentery and gastric ulcers. The reason they’re so good for this is again down to the antioxidants within the seed, as well as the fibre. In fact, an avocado seed contains more soluble fibre per ounce than most other vegetables. This means they’re ideal for maintaining digestive health, which is key to general health.
3. Avocado Seeds Lessens Inflammation and Reduces Joint Pain
Behind many chronic and painful diseases that follow us through life is one cause: inflammation. Heart disease, arthritis, cancer and even broke have all been associated with too much inflammation in the body. The seed of the avocado is high in other beneficial antioxidants to help with this called catechins and procyanidins. These are effective anti-inflammatories that also work to reduce pain, stiffness, swelling in inefficient joint movement.
4. Avocado Seeds Gives You Gorgeous Skin
Avocado seeds don’t just make you feel good on the inside, they make you look good on the outside. Those wonderful antioxidants that we’ve already talked about have the ability to rebuild collagen, repair cell damage, and generally do a positive number on your skin. This means you’ll get glowing skin that looks more youthful and replenished!
5. Avocado Seeds Do Wonders For Your Heart
We already know that avocados are packed full of monounsaturated fats that are heart healthy, but�that with their amino acids and fibre content, they can also help to lower your cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular issues. So if you’re concerned about heart problems, or a history of heart problems, avocado seeds might be worth adding to your preventative measures.
6. Avocado Seeds Strengthens Your Immune System
There’s nothing worse than being let down by your body when it comes to illness, but it turns out those little avocado seeds may have been hiding the answers all along. Avocado seeds give your body a much needed immune boost, help to keep free radicals at bay, and can prevent all kinds of infections thanks to, you guessed it, antioxidants!
7. Avocado Seeds Help To Lower Cravings And Shed Fat
Although antioxidants have been behind most of the benefits of avocado seeds, this one is down to another essential part of the seed: fibre. Avocado seeds are chock full of fibre, which helps to keep you feeling full. This fibre also plays a part in evening out blood sugar levels, which means you’ll get less bad cravings.
So How Do You Eat Avocado Seeds?
Nobody is expecting you to chomp down on an avocado seed straight from the fruit, so you’re probably wondering just how you can access all these health benefits. Well, since the avocado seeds are quite dense, and they can taste a little bitter because they contain tannins, most people recommend adding them to smoothies.
It’s worth warning you that trying to put an entire avocado seed in most commercial blenders can cause damage to the blades. So, cutting or crushing the seed up first is recommended, and you can choose to have them fresh or dry them for a few days before using them. If the taste bothers you, cover it with sweeter flavours like banana, dates, strawberries and more.
You don’t need to eat the entire seed in one sitting either, so feel free to chop it into halves or quarters and add it as you feel the need.
What do you think, would you eat an avocado seed?
Have your say!