Are jaboticaba seeds safe to eat?

[hedda]

Aloha All,  I am Hedda and a new member.  I have a jaboticaba tree that makes a lot of fruit! I find the easiest way to enjoy them is to blend them skin, seeds and all in my vitamix and enjoy with some protein powder and yogurt.  But someone mentioned that the seeds could be toxic.  Is that true?  Maybe in huge quantities?  Or is small amount ok? THANK you!

[FlyingFoxFruits]

safe to swallow, but don't chew them up.  They have tannins, and bitter compounds designed to deter animals from destroying the seeds.

(in other words, don't blend them up)

[Mike T]

I have swallowed lbs of them over the years and not suffered any adverse consequences.They are designed to be swallowed whole by vertbrates and not take down their dispersers in the process.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

I have swallowed lbs of them over the years and not suffered any adverse consequences.They are designed to be swallowed whole by vertbrates and not take down their dispersers in the process.

what do you think about the seeds being toxic though Mike?

I think they're marginally edible, (not horribly toxic, and might have some nutritional value) depending on species...but a good indication of edibility is to see what rats do...they always discard seeds, and avoid skins!

[fruitlovers]

I think the clingy exterior pulp around the seed protects it and probably passes whole through digestive system and probably even viable? This could be easily tested. I know kids swallow them all the time w/o any harmful effect.

[Recher]

Yes they pass thru he system in viable condition.. some anyway

I PURPOSEFULLY chew and swallow. i eat the seed becuase its easier than spitting em out and I chew for the protein. The seed is certainly not unpleasant to eat.

[Cookie Monster]

I chew and swallow the seeds. Still alive... :-).

[huertasurbanas]

Hi, I have the same quiestion about guaviyu seeds... but nobody knows... we will have to pay or convince someone to analyze them.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

Yes they pass thru he system in viable condition.. some anyway

I PURPOSEFULLY chew and swallow. i eat the seed becuase its easier than spitting em out and I chew for the protein. The seed is certainly not unpleasant to eat.

I can't believe you chew them up! 

they're bitter and tannic! Rats and squirrels won't even eat them. 

If they were meant to be eaten, there would be Brazilians exploiting the benefits of the edible seeds.

[hedda]

This is such a cool website; THANK YOU everyone for taking the time to read and answer!  These are organically grown so no concerns about chemicals on the skins. I only want to eat about a dozen a day; and the Vita-mix does pulverize the seeds and skins to nothing, so I would be ingesting them.  I tried cutting out the seed; but so much fruit is lost.  I did not have any ill effects from the 10 I ate yesterday; so I will try this for a few weeks and see how it goes and then report back.  Have a great day!!

[hedda]

New information! I asked my Naturopathic  Physician if it was safe to blend up a small amount of seeds and she recommends NOT to; it is best not to blend them.  So I guess I'll stop that method. Darn, it was so easy!  Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

[FlyingFoxFruits]

New information! I asked my Naturopathic  Physician if it was safe to blend up a small amount of seeds and she recommends NOT to; it is best not to blend them.  So I guess I'll stop that method. Darn, it was so easy!  Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

safe to swallow, but don't chew them up.  They have tannins, and bitter compounds designed to deter animals from destroying the seeds.

(in other words, don't blend them up)

that's old information....you could have just listened to me. 

[fruitlovers]

Am i imagining things, but didn't someone quite a while back post an article from Brazil saying that jaboticaba seeds have valuable nutritional qualities? 

[FlyingFoxFruits]

Am i imagining things, but didn't someone quite a while back post an article from Brazil saying that jaboticaba seeds have valuable nutritional qualities? 

maybe as hog feed?    or as a dewormer for livestock? 

[fruitlovers]

Am i imagining things, but didn't someone quite a while back post an article from Brazil saying that jaboticaba seeds have valuable nutritional qualities? 

maybe as hog feed?    or as a dewormer for livestock? 

NO, it was for human consumption. Wasn't it you that posted it? It was an article in Portuguese. Do you know what i'm referring to? Maybe i saved it, i'll have to search for it.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

http://www.revista.unal.edu.co/index.php/actabiol/article/view/16429/27992

i found the article in spanish..and I'll be the son of a monkey's uncle

read this quote...

"Jabuticaba seeds were shown to be an important source of total carbohydrates, which can be exploited as a food product intended for human consumption. The extract of the seeds also showed a significant antioxidant activity. The oil showed significant percentage of unsaturated fatty acids, predominantly of linoleic and α-linolenic fatty acids."

[FlyingFoxFruits]

BUT!!!

they still taste horrible...and this is just research.

In the same study, it states that they discard the seeds...so I'm assuming it's not common place to process the seeds for human consumption.

But heck...humans seem to be able to eat anything...as we've learned in the off topic discussion. 

[fruitlovers]

http://www.revista.unal.edu.co/index.php/actabiol/article/view/16429/27992

i found the article in spanish..and I'll be the son of a monkey's uncle

read this quote...

"Jabuticaba seeds were shown to be an important source of total carbohydrates, which can be exploited as a food product intended for human consumption. The extract of the seeds also showed a significant antioxidant activity. The oil showed significant percentage of unsaturated fatty acids, predominantly of linoleic and α-linolenic fatty acids."

That's not the article, but was something similar to it. Obviously they can be consumed. Question is in what quantitiy is it safe/beneficial to eat the jaboticaba seeds? Is it merely on a medicinal dose basis, or can they be eaten as a food? The Brazilian article, if i recall correctly, was stating they could be eaten as a food. I don't have it stored in this computer. Might be on another, will have to search for it.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

they didn't test for toxicity in this study at all did they?  lots of things with toxins also have nutritional value.

[fruitlovers]

they didn't test for toxicity in this study at all did they?  lots of things with toxins also have nutritional value.

Are the M. vexator seeds tested for toxicity? You just posted a link for their use as grape seed extract.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

they didn't test for toxicity in this study at all did they?  lots of things with toxins also have nutritional value.

Are the M. vexator seeds tested for toxicity? You just posted a link for their use as grape seed extract.

it was being sold as a medicinal product...not a food product.

Medicines can be toxic.  (of course food can be as well, but it's usually prepared to remove toxins..puffer fish, pokeweed, cassava)

[fruitlovers]

they didn't test for toxicity in this study at all did they?  lots of things with toxins also have nutritional value.

Are the M. vexator seeds tested for toxicity? You just posted a link for their use as grape seed extract.

it was being sold as a medicinal product...not a food product.

Medicines can be toxic.  (of course food can be as well, but it's usually prepared to remove toxins..puffer fish, pokeweed, cassava)

I did a search on the forum trying to find the Brazilian research on edibility of seeds. I couldn't find it, but i found another post where i also referred to it. So i doubt i'm hallucinating it, unless i had a double repeat hallucination.    I'll have to crank up an old computer to try to fetch it. I believe i saved that file. Tried to google it but seems it's no longer up.

[Recher]

Yes they pass thru he system in viable condition.. some anyway

I PURPOSEFULLY chew and swallow. i eat the seed becuase its easier than spitting em out and I chew for the protein. The seed is certainly not unpleasant to eat.

I can't believe you chew them up! 

they're bitter and tannic! Rats and squirrels won't even eat them. 

SWEET TOOTH. THEY ARE NOT BITTER. TANNIN LOW. LIKE I SAY NOT UNPLEASANT TO EAT


If they were meant to be eaten, there would be Brazilians exploiting the benefits of the edible seeds.

[Kay]

The site seems to be down now, hopefully it comes back up.  but if you want to search for chemicals in pants check out:  www.ars-grin.gov/duke/

it doesnt have all, and i suspect it wont have anything in this genus, but worth a shot.

[Recher]

Yes they pass thru he system in viable condition.. some anyway

I PURPOSEFULLY chew and swallow. i eat the seed becuase its easier than spitting em out and I chew for the protein. The seed is certainly not unpleasant to eat.

I can't believe you chew them up! 

they're bitter and tannic! Rats and squirrels won't even eat them. 

SWEET TOOTH. THEY ARE NOT BITTER. TANNIN LOW. LIKE I SAY NOT UNPLEASANT TO EAT


If they were meant to be eaten, there would be Brazilians exploiting the benefits of the edible seeds.

People do not exploit the benefits of seeds that are only edible. The seeds must be palatable. And score high on the palatability test index. Even the highly palatable jak seed has been given a miss by and large. What is interesting is in deep batter frying champedek the seed is also cooked... at least in Taiping Malaysia.