Paleo Diet Magazine

Don’t Throw Away the Best Part of the Avocado Ever Again

Avocados have a huge number of health benefits, and their versatility in the kitchen make them easy to add to nearly any dish. They have healthy fats, vitamin K, lutein, folate, and many more important vitamins and nutrients. But, if you’re like most people, you’re throwing away the best part of the avocado, and we’re not talking about the skin. The seed of the avocado contains 70% of the nutritional benefits of the avocado, so adding the seed or seed oil to your diet will help you increase your nutritional intake and provide you with more antioxidants.

Anti-Tumor Properties

Tests done on the benefits of avocado seeds to treat tumors in mice and rats have revealed that the seed of the avocado contains a condensed flavonol which can fight and break down tumors. This flavonol can only be found in the avocado seed.

How to Eat Avocado Seeds

Avocado seeds to have a strong flavor which means eating them can be a bit tricky, but with a little work you can easily incorporate them into your diet. To eat them raw, use a high-powered blender and then add the seed to a smoothie. It works best in juice or a green smoothie. To add them to sauces or seasonings, you can dry the seed in a food dehydrator or by letting it sit in the sun for a few days. This will also preserve it so you can extend its use.

Soluble Fiber

Soluble fiber helps your digestive system move food through properly and can help reduce a number of intestinal disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome. One of the best sources of naturally-occurring soluble fiber is avocado seeds.

Antioxidants

Avocado seeds are also packed with antioxidants, which means they can help you lower your cholesterol, and decrease your risk of heart disease and stroke among other things.

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. 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 jewelry and decorations. Check out this link for more information.

To think we’ve been throwing these out all this time!

Source: EatLocalGrown.com

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