Avocado – its nutritional value makes it one of the acclaimed super foods, but have we been throwing away the most nutritional part?
Do you know that Avocado is ounce for ounce higher in folate, potassium, vitamin E and magnesium? It’s also high in fibre.
The often protocol for disposing of the seed is that it gets tossed in the bin, or even the compost pile. Well, what if I was to say to you that you could have been starving your body of all the best nutrients? Yes that’s right, recent studies have shown the benefits of consuming the seed as well as the flesh.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you should try and take a bite out of the seed! I don’t think your dentist would be impressed with that outcome to say the least.
The best way to consume the seed
The best way is to grind it down into a powder. The best way to do this is by hand, as putting it straight into the blender probably wouldn’t have a great outcome either.
Ensure you dry the seed out a little and then you can place it into a bag and smash it down. Once you’ve done this a few times you can then place into the blender to finish the job off!
The powder can then be added to sauces, smoothies or even salad dressings. Alternatively you can add the powder to your facial mask to make an exfoliant! Thanks to the amount of antioxidants, avocado seed may slow down the ageing process and the formation of wrinkles!
The Avocado seed contains Flavonol. Flavonol is a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent and reduce tumour growth. A study that took place in 2013 found that the extract from Avocado fruit and seeds caused leukaemia cells to self-destruct.
A more recent study discovered that a certain compound found in the seed extract, called avocation B was effective against myeloid leukaemia cells.
As well as the above, this powerful fruit can also aid with digestive issues, strengthens the immune system and can even assist in lowering cholesterol.
So what are you waiting for?
Image taken from TriangleREVA