Do you like avocados? Do you like eating that lovely soft green flesh of this fruit? I do not think anyone eats the hard outer skin, and it would probably not be nice. But what about that seed in the middle?

The seed can be large or small, it varies from one avocado to another. But did you know that you can actually eat it? Instead of throwing it away, why not try to eat it instead.

Here are some benefits of the goodness of avocado seeds:

1. Avocado seeds have more antioxidants than most fruits and vegetables and polyphenols like green tea, plus they have more soluble fibre than most foods.

2. They help to prevent cardiovascular disease, lower cholesterol, and prevent strokes.

3. They help with inflammation of the GI tract and diarrhea. In South America avocado seeds are used for dysentery and other GI tract problems. They have phenolic compounds that help to prevent gastric ulcers, and prevent bacterial and viral diseases.

4. They contain a flavonol that prevents tumour growth, so may help to prevent cancer.

5. They boost your immune system and prevent debilitating diseases. The seed’s antioxidants keep free radicals at bay and slow the aging process. They have a good anti-inflammatory ability that can help with arthritis and other joint diseases.

6. The seeds can increase collagen in your skin thus helping to keep your skin looking young and wrinkle free. Avocado seed oil can make your hair shiny and help get rid of dry dead skin.

7. They are very high in Qi energy.

8. They contain significant amounts of potassium, which is good for blood pressure.

9. They are good for your heart. “Any heart disease patient must eat the avocado including the seed.” – Dr. Tom Wu Dr. Wu has earned the “Remarkable Contribution” award from the American Cancer Society and the “World Famous Doctor” award from the United Nations for his breakthroughs with diabetes and cancer.

How to Consume Them

So how does one go about eating a large hard seed? Eating seeds in general is considered healthy, and things like almonds are seeds. Other healthy seeds include bitter apricot kernels, chia seeds, nigella seeds, flaxseeds and many others. But they are all small and relatively easy to chew.

The best way to consume seeds in general though is not to chew them whole, but to put them into a grinder. That way they can be ground down to a powder which makes for much better digestion and absorption of the nutrients.

It is the same with avocado seeds, but they have to be prepared first. A large seed like that cannot just be put into a grinder and made into a powder, you have to prepare it properly. Follow our illustrated guide below to prepare your avocado seeds for eating. Some websites suggest bashing it with a hammer, but this is a far better way of preparing and will not result in broken kitchen worktops.

Step 1: Get a good grinder

The photo here shows a cheap coffee bean grinder bought online, which works well for grinding seeds and nuts. I bought this on Amazon but it appears to have been discontinued, but you can find something very similar at http://amzn.to/1PNsS63 (affiliate link).

Step 2: Keep the avocado seed when you eat an avocado

Obvious really, do not throw away that avocado seed. Keep it and either let it dry out a bit or just use it as is.

Step 3: Peel and chop up the avocado seed

It is too big for the grinder as is, so remove the skin from the seed, and start to cut it up into smaller pieces. I generally cut them to the size of a pistachio nut, which makes it much easier to use in the grinder.

Step 4: Put the cut-up bits into the grinder

Now for the fun part. Put all the bits into the grinder, put the lid onto the grinder and start it up. For the one I used it just means plugging it into the mains and pressing the button the side. It will not work without the lid, otherwise you would have bits of food all over you and your kitchen. Once done, you have a powdery substance in the grinder.

I noticed as well with this, that it starts to turn orange quite quickly, and after I had finished grinding, it went a dark red colour.

Step 5: Put onto your food

Now you can eat the seed, all ground up, by putting it onto some food. In the photo I have put it onto some coconut oil, which was on top of some fruit. You could also try putting it in smoothies. The taste is slightly bitter, so not so nice to eat by itself. You might want to try it sprinkled in a salad as well.

Enjoy Your Avocado Seed

As there is so much nutrition and wellness in an avocado seed, and now you know how to prepare it for eating, give it a try and see if you like it. Even if you do not care much for the taste, you will still benefit from all of its health-giving properties and that is something surely worth doing if you want to have good health.

Sources/further information: http://omtimes.com/2012/10/13-great-benefits-of-eating-avocado-seeds/ 
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/10/08/eating-avocado-stone-seed-benefits_n_8262648.html 
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/why-you-should-eat-that-avocado-seed-and-how-to-make-it-tasty/ 
http://dailysuperfoodlove.com/4448/the-surprising-benefits-of-avocado-seeds/

 

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All photographs in this article © David A. King 2016