Avocado bone or seed, does it really have so many properties and health benefits?
Avocado bone, seed or pit seems to have very interesting properties and health benefits, but is there reliable evidence that this is really the case? Is there any contraindication to taking avocado or avocado pit?
In this post I will tell you how avocado pit is used and consumed to reduce cholesterol, avocado seed extract has an antimicrobial effect, avocado skin has more antioxidants than seed, contraindications of avocado pit consumption and the conclusion.
- Also at the end of the article you can watch a video in which I tell you about the benefits of avocado or avocado. You may be surprised at how beneficial this fruit is.
And if you feel like it, you can take home some delicious and healthy ORGANIC AVOCADO .
The avocado seed or pit has been used in the traditional medicine of some cultures as a treatment against different diseases. The leaves of the tree were also used.
The pulp of the avocado or avocado, Persea americana , is very beneficial especially to take care of our cardiovascular system. Even avocado oil is used successfully to make beauty products for skin and hair care. But also avocado oil used internally has been shown to have benefits for osteoarthritis.
I recommend that you do not stay without knowing more information (very interesting, by the way) that I provide you about the properties of avocado or avocado and even how to grow it, read also:
10 reasons to add avocado to your diet
Nutritional properties and benefits of avocado or avocado
Avocado or avocado oil: properties and therapeutic uses
11 benefits of eating avocado or avocado
How to grow the avocado tree or avocado
How to germinate an avocado pit
But in this article I want to talk to you about the possible medicinal properties of the avocado pit . Currently there are few studies that we can consult to be able to verify if the avocado seed is as beneficial as it is said.
Avocado seeds contain components such as phenols, which have an important antioxidant action . In addition, it also contains a significant amount of fiber.
So far, studies carried out on the possible benefits of consuming avocado pit conclude that it could improve cases of hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes and inflammation. These studies are carried out mainly with the extract of the avocado seed and in mice. Therefore, there is no evidence of studies carried out in humans and it has not been possible to verify its possible effect against different ailments.
Avocado seeds have fungicidal and antimicrobial action.
How is the avocado seed used and consumed?
First, a thin brown skin that surrounds the entire bone is removed.
Then it is grated with a grater or similar and toasted over low heat in a pan or in the oven and when it is dark brown it means that it is ready.
This «flour» can be added to any dishes you want, although it does taste bitter.
You can also put some in a glass, add hot water and make an infusion.
Let’s see what information is currently available on the properties or benefits of avocado pit:
Avocado pit to lower cholesterol
In a study carried out in mice, it was possible to observe how LDL levels were reduced by administering bone meal or avocado seed (the ground bone).
This cholesterol-lowering effect can occur due to the amount of phenols and fiber in the avocado pit.
Avocado seed extract with antimicrobial effect
Another study carried out with the extract of the avocado seed or seed concluded that it had microbial and antifungal action.
Specifically, it was observed how avocado pit extract could inhibit the growth of some bacteria and fungi. This means that avocado seed extract could be used successfully to combat skin and nail fungus and other conditions caused by bacterial activity.
Avocado skin has more antioxidants than pit
Another study consulted was able to analyze the components of both the avocado skin and the bone. The skin and bone extracts were obtained and both were analyzed for their composition.
The conclusion was clear: comparing the two extracts, avocado skin has a higher phenol content and, therefore, higher antioxidant activity, than bone.
Even this study indicates that both the skin and the pit of avocado can be used as an ingredient or as a food additive to add antioxidant properties.
Contraindications of the consumption of avocado pit
In one study , the possible genotoxic potential of avocado pit extract was analyzed.
The extract was given to one group of mice and another group was not supplied. When both groups were analyzed, it could be observed that the mice that took the avocado pit extract showed no evidence of genotoxification. This means that there was no damage to his DNA.
This does not mean that an excessive consumption of avocado pit cannot produce adverse or secondary effects in some individuals, such as vomiting, nausea, poor digestion, etc. The safe intake of avocado pit has not been determined.
Conclusion on the consumption of avocado pit
If, when you eat an avocado, you want to grate the pit a bit, that’s fine, but don’t be obsessed with it either. Your health will hardly notice the difference.
There are fruits like pineapple , apple or pomegranates or even green tea that are also rich in antioxidants. And of course the pulp of the avocado itself. The pulp contains more than 20 essential nutrients such as fatty acids, vitamin E, group B, minerals such as magnesium and also fiber.
The same antioxidants that you have in the avocado pit are found in the pulp of the fruit itself.
Studies that have been done with avocado seed extract have more concentrated levels than avocado pit has and have been done in mice, not humans. At the moment there are very few studies in this field.
In addition, the avocado seed tastes bitter and is a good way to ruin your guacamole or any other recipe you are preparing with avocado.
Unfortunately, a lot of misinformation has been published about the properties of the avocado pit or seed when, in addition to not having evidence about the benefits of its habitual consumption, it has been attributed virtues that it does not have.
Virtually all fruits and vegetables have great health properties and provide us with antioxidants, luckily there is no need to resort to avocado pit.
