Author Topic: Can you eat avocado seeds?  (Read 5872 times)

MarvelMango

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Can you eat avocado seeds?
« on: March 06, 2017, 03:44:28 PM »
I just found this http://juicing-for-health.com/why-and-how-to-eat-avocado-seeds?t=LT
Has anyone heard of it or tried it?
Quentin

sildanani

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2017, 04:09:32 PM »
Thought they were poisonous. :o
« Last Edit: March 06, 2017, 06:28:29 PM by sildanani »
Anisha

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2017, 05:28:41 PM »

CTMIAMI

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2017, 08:04:20 PM »
Interesting a lot of for and against. Will like to find a factual article
Carlos
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fruitlovers

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #4 on: March 07, 2017, 01:40:43 AM »
Seems it is edible:
Morton, Fruits of Warm Climates:
The seed yields a milky fluid with the odor and taste of almond. Because of its tannin content, it turns red on exposure, providing an indelible red-brown or blackish ink which was used to write many documents in the days of the Spanish Conquest. These are now preserved in the archives of Popayan. The ink has also been used to mark cotton and linen textiles.
Medicinal uses of seed:
The seed is cut in pieces, roasted and pulverized and given to overcome diarrhea and dysentery. The powdered seed is believed to cure dandruff. A piece of the seed, or a bit of the decoction, put into a tooth cavity may relieve toothache. An ointment made of the pulverized seed is rubbed on the face as a rubefacient—to redden the cheeks. An oil extracted from the seed has been applied on skin eruptions.
https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/avocado_ars.html#Other Uses
Oscar

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #5 on: March 07, 2017, 01:44:28 AM »
When I first got my vitamix I blended one up in a smoothie just because I could and I was so excited for my life changing blender. That being said, I haven't done it since. I didn't feel any ill effects and it didn't taste particularly bad but I make pretty heavy duty smoothies.
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Doug

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #6 on: March 07, 2017, 07:17:27 AM »
Some time ago a friend, who is somewhat of an expert in nutrition, told me of the many health benefits of eating avocado seeds. Since then I grate them in salads....and I'm still on the planet. I haven't noticed any particular health changes from eating them, but I'm in pretty good shape anyway. BTW, when I eat apples I eat the seeds as well. A WHOLE apple a day keeps the doc away? Both apple and avocado seeds have a nice almond taste that I like.

bsbullie

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #7 on: March 07, 2017, 07:30:54 AM »
Some time ago a friend, who is somewhat of an expert in nutrition, told me of the many health benefits of eating avocado seeds. Since then I grate them in salads....and I'm still on the planet. I haven't noticed any particular health changes from eating them, but I'm in pretty good shape anyway. BTW, when I eat apples I eat the seeds as well. A WHOLE apple a day keeps the doc away? Both apple and avocado seeds have a nice almond taste that I like.

Ahhh...please provide some contradicting evidence that apple seeds can be eaten.
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Doug

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #8 on: March 07, 2017, 09:28:03 AM »


Ahhh...please provide some contradicting evidence that apple seeds can be eaten.
[/quote]

Do you mean provide evidence that apple seeds CAN be eaten? Evidence: I'm alive!
« Last Edit: March 07, 2017, 09:32:32 AM by Doug »

BajaJohn

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #9 on: March 07, 2017, 10:40:56 AM »
Doug is one of many people demonstrating that you can eat avocado pits without immediate ill effects. That is about the extent of the research going on into eating whole avocado seeds.  Apple seeds contain amygdalin, the cyanide generating material at the center of the almond seed / laetril uproar a few years ago (https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/patient/laetrile-pdq). Small doses won't hurt but turning them into a "superfood" might. The official position on avocado seed is that not enough is known to make a recommendation either way.....
http://www.health.com/food/no-you-shouldnt-start-eating-avocado-seeds
http://www.californiaavocado.com/blog/march-2016/is-it-safe-to-eat-the-avocado-seed

The most informative article is a peer-reviewed article...
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Deepti_Dabas/publication/235755293_Avocado_Persea_americana_Seed_as_a_Source_of_Bioactive_Phytochemicals/links/54afef1e0cf2431d3531c47e/Avocado-Persea-americana-Seed-as-a-Source-of-Bioactive-Phytochemicals.pdf
It notes that avocado pits are used in traditional medicine and that there are many EXTRACTS that belong to classes of chemicals that have health benefits. Neither necessarily makes avocado seeds a good choice for regular consumption. Too much of a "good" thing in medicine often turns bad.

It also notes that the pit is 10-15% of the avocado bulk which suggests that using seeds for health extracts could be a significant additional income stream for the avocado industry - especially if they gain traction in the "superfood" marketing craze and can be sold commercially in a conveniently used form such as powder. Maybe the current internet craze is a test-marketing ploy to see how much interest / potential market there is.

greenman62

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #10 on: March 07, 2017, 11:50:05 AM »
Doug is one of many people demonstrating that you can eat avocado pits without immediate ill effects. That is about the extent of the research going on into eating whole avocado seeds.  Apple seeds contain amygdalin, the cyanide generating material at the center of the almond seed / laetril uproar a few years ago (https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/patient/laetrile-pdq). Small doses won't hurt but turning them into a "superfood" might. The official position on avocado seed is that not enough is known to make a recommendation either way.....
http://www.health.com/food/no-you-shouldnt-start-eating-avocado-seeds
http://www.californiaavocado.com/blog/march-2016/is-it-safe-to-eat-the-avocado-seed


The most informative article is a peer-reviewed article...
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Deepti_Dabas/publication/235755293_Avocado_Persea_americana_Seed_as_a_Source_of_Bioactive_Phytochemicals/links/54afef1e0cf2431d3531c47e/Avocado-Persea-americana-Seed-as-a-Source-of-Bioactive-Phytochemicals.pdf
It notes that avocado pits are used in traditional medicine and that there are many EXTRACTS that belong to classes of chemicals that have health benefits. Neither necessarily makes avocado seeds a good choice for regular consumption. Too much of a "good" thing in medicine often turns bad.

It also notes that the pit is 10-15% of the avocado bulk which suggests that using seeds for health extracts could be a significant additional income stream for the avocado industry - especially if they gain traction in the "superfood" marketing craze and can be sold commercially in a conveniently used form such as powder. Maybe the current internet craze is a test-marketing ploy to see how much interest / potential market there is.




They did an LD50 on it in mice
and it is 1767mg/kg
thats 1.7 grams per kg

236 grams (8.3 oz) for a 180lb man
(dried seed )

if i got my math right  ??

which is strange, because the tox report for rats showed 2.5g/kg for 28 days
with no effect. (from extract)

so maybe the extract is safer.

Ive never eaten them, but one report said they are quite bitter.
maybe i will try 1/2 seed here or there
but, i dont think i will be consuming lots of this stuff.

« Last Edit: March 07, 2017, 01:27:52 PM by greenman62 »

FrankDrebinOfFruits

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #11 on: March 07, 2017, 11:53:15 AM »
When I first saw the video, I wondered if it was a Mexican variety. The Mexican variety of avocado has leaves that can be used in cooking, but the other 2 varieties (West Indian and Guatemalan) cannot. The only thing I question if there could be differences of toxicity in the seeds as well.

http://www.spicesinc.com/p-3325-avocado-leaves.aspx

I make no claims that the seeds can or cannot be eaten, but having difference in varieties would be a concern for the avocado growers to make no claims in case the public cannot differentiate the varieties carefully enough that it would be a danger.

greenman62

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #12 on: March 07, 2017, 01:46:43 PM »
When I first saw the video, I wondered if it was a Mexican variety. The Mexican variety of avocado has leaves that can be used in cooking, but the other 2 varieties (West Indian and Guatemalan) cannot. The only thing I question if there could be differences of toxicity in the seeds as well.

http://www.spicesinc.com/p-3325-avocado-leaves.aspx

I make no claims that the seeds can or cannot be eaten, but having difference in varieties would be a concern for the avocado growers to make no claims in case the public cannot differentiate the varieties carefully enough that it would be a danger.

FYI

Cardiovascular effects of Persea americana Mill (Lauraceae) (avocado) aqueous leaf extract in experimental animals.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17497042


 chemical contents of the leaf, fruit and seed
http://www.arpapress.com/volumes/vol11issue2/ijrras_11_2_20.pdf

The phytochemical and pharmacological profile of Persea americana Mill
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249906/


CGameProgrammer

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #13 on: March 07, 2017, 02:43:09 PM »
Apple seeds have a small amount of cyanide in them. I've heard of one person with a weird compulsion to eat apple seeds who died from cyanide poisoning doing so, but he had to eat a whole cup of seeds. You can survive eating small quantities of poison but that doesn't mean you should. Why even ask if you can eat avocado seeds when there are so many actual edible seeds to eat instead?

sildanani

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #14 on: March 07, 2017, 03:38:46 PM »
Apple seeds have a small amount of cyanide in them. I've heard of one person with a weird compulsion to eat apple seeds who died from cyanide poisoning doing so, but he had to eat a whole cup of seeds. You can survive eating small quantities of poison but that doesn't mean you should. Why even ask if you can eat avocado seeds when there are so many actual edible seeds to eat instead?
Could we not being this up again? lol XD
Anisha

ricshaw

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #15 on: March 08, 2017, 12:39:39 AM »
Google avocado toxicity.

I have been told that not all avocado varieties are equal when it come to toxicity.
But you will find it hard to find information on this.

In Mexico, avocado leaves are used in cooking. The local Mexican variety. Maybe the following includes the pits.

"The leaves of the Mexican avocados (anise-scented) are not toxic, while those of the Guatemalan avocados (not anise-scented) are reported to have caused problems"

from
http://www.sfgate.com/homeandgarden/article/Recipe-for-cooking-with-avocado-leaves-make-sure-2722832.php

BajaJohn

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #16 on: March 08, 2017, 12:55:50 AM »
They did an LD50 on it in mice
and it is 1767mg/kg
thats 1.7 grams per kg

236 grams (8.3 oz) for a 180lb man
(dried seed )

if i got my math right  ??

which is strange, because the tox report for rats showed 2.5g/kg for 28 days
with no effect. (from extract)

so maybe the extract is safer.
Persins may be the culprit here - http://mct.aacrjournals.org/content/5/9/2300. They disrupt cancer cells but also other kinds of more useful cells. They are even present in the avocado pulp we eat, but we aren't affected because they are stored inside specialized cells that our wimpy digestive systems are not able to break down. The persins seem to migrate to skin of the avocado and maybe the seed along with natural insecticides and fungicides.  They are not so insulated from us there. The effects of persins vary across different species. Birds are extremely vulnerable and can die from eating avocados. Ruminants, mice and rabbits are quite vulnerable and may also die whereas dogs and cats just get sick - http://drjeandoddspethealthresource.tumblr.com/post/43604617320/avocados-dogs-cats#.WL-bgXplBJ9

Sooo - it depends which extract!
« Last Edit: March 08, 2017, 12:58:03 AM by BajaJohn »

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #17 on: April 14, 2017, 03:44:58 AM »
Well, i had to try it. Cooked up several avocado pits. Not going to win any gourmet prizes. Don't know where Morton got information that they taste like almonds? Not even remotely! To me they had a piney, pine needle-like taste, a bit perfumey, and with background bitterness. Also left unpleasant after taste. Maybe different races of avocado taste differently. But not likely to try that one again.
Oscar

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #18 on: April 14, 2017, 10:50:27 PM »
I make a Mole sauce from a recipe of Rick Bayless.  It uses a small amount of grated Avocado seed that adds some red color as it is exposed to air.  Cant say that I can detect any flavor in the Mole specifically from the Avocado seed or not.   

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #19 on: March 20, 2024, 05:58:58 AM »
spammer
« Last Edit: March 21, 2024, 09:37:07 PM by JakeFruit »

Elijah

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Re: Can you eat avocado seeds?
« Reply #20 on: March 20, 2024, 01:15:55 PM »
I just found this http://juicing-for-health.com/why-and-how-to-eat-avocado-seeds?t=LT
Has anyone heard of it or tried it?

They are not only edible but also has good health benefit, that's what I heard.