Avocados are probably one of the greatest foods of all time, and not just because they taste so darn good! They are also extremely beneficial to your health and remarkably versatile in the kitchen.
Offering a very wide array of medicinal properties, they are loaded with healthy fats, lutein, vitamin K, and folate, among many other vitamins and nutrients.
But did you realize that you might be getting rid of the most beneficial part of the avocado every time you eat one? No, it’s not the skin… it’s the seed!
Avocado seeds actually make up around 70% of the avocado’s nutritional benefits. Incorporating avocado seeds or avocado seed oil into your diet is a great way to boost your antioxidant and nutrient intake.
Other Benefits of the Avocado Seed
According to the Encyclopedia of Common Naturals Used In Foods, Drugs and Cosmetics, tests conducted on rats and mice have shown that avocado seeds have anti-tumor properties, due to a condensed flavonol found only in the seeds.
Avocado seeds are also loaded with soluble fibre. In fact, they are said to be among the highest sources of naturally occurring soluble fiber.
Soluble fiber is extremely important for your digestion and digestive track. With adequate sources, you can drastically reduce your risk of developing Irritable Bowel Syndrome and other intestinal disorders.
Because of their high antioxidant content, avocado seeds have the potential to lower cholesterol and decrease your chance of developing heart disease or having a stroke.
Ways To Eat An Avocado Seed
You can blend up the avocado pit in a high-powered blender and add it to your smoothie. The pit does have a bit of a stronger flavor, so it is important to mix it with something that can stand up to its intensity, like a green smoothie or juice.
You can dry and then grate the pit to add to sauces or use as a seasoning directly over your food. Also, if you dry the pit prior to use it will have a slightly longer shelf life. You can do this in a dehydrator or just leave it on a sunny window sill for a few days.
Many Other Uses
Aside from including them in meals, avocado seeds can be used for a number of different things:
- Try chopping it up in a blender or food processor after being dried and mix with either a mashed banana or half of a mashed avocado for a simple, all-natural facial scrub.
- You can attempt to grow an avocado tree from a seed, although I will be honest, I have not had much luck with that up here in Canada! It’s worth a shot though, you can follow some simple directions here.
- You can also treat various aches and pains by making a tea with the avocado seed. Either place half of the seed in boiling water for 10 minutes, or dry out the seed, blend to a powder, and add 1 tablespoon to 1 cup of boiled water. This is great for a stomach ache, and can alternatively be cooled and applied topically to soothe itchy skin.
- The dried seeds can be used for various arts and crafts projects and for making jewellery and decorations. Check out this link for more information.
To think we’ve been throwing these out all this time! Do you have any unusual ways of using avocado seeds? Please share in the comments section below!
By Alanna Ketler, Collective Evolution | Certified organic avocado oil, cold-pressed, is available on Amazon.
