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Avocado, or American Perseus, is a fruit that has long been grown in areas with a humid tropical climate. Avocado has been known since the Aztec civilization. The pulp and bone were used to prepare the medicinal "forest oil". The avocado seed is located in the center of the fruit and is rarely used because many consumers are not familiar with the unique properties of the drupe.
Is it possible to eat an avocado seed
Avocados are trees and fruits of the same name. Trees grow up to 20 m, have evergreen lanceolate leaves. Branches grow in a short period of time, stretching up to 5 - 8 m.
Fruits can be of different colors, it depends on the variety. However, the main characteristics of the fruit are about the same:
- the shape of the berry is semi-oval, its minimum length is 5 cm, the maximum is 20 cm;
- weight varies from 100 g to 1 kg;
- The rind is tough and dense, dark green or black;
- the pulp of all berries is light green and oily; when fully ripe, it can release oil;
- the seeds of the fruit are light or dark brown seeds.
Avocado pulp is known to be healthy and nutritious. It is prized for its essential oil and organic acid content. The degree of maturity is determined by the density of the structure. The bone, which is located in the center, is most often removed and not used.
This is due to the widespread belief that the avocado seed contains toxic substances. This information is only half true. The avocado seed was used in food by the ancient Aztecs, it is included in the famous spices in the Middle East.
The benefits and harms of the avocado seed for the body can be traced if you familiarize yourself in detail with the features of this part of the avocado.
When choosing this fruit, few housewives know that the oblong pear-shaped fruit contains a voluminous bone. Small, rounded fruits have small seeds. But at the same time, large fruits are considered more juicy and dense in structure, while small avocados are watery and may have veins.
The bone is a kind of helper when cutting the fruit in half. They probe the pulp with a knife and begin to cut before the edge of the blade begins to rest against the bone. Then the fruit is continued to be cut in a circle and opened, leaving the drupe intact in the center.
Is the avocado seed poisonous?
Information about the toxicity of the avocado seed appeared after scientists published data on the properties of the composition of the product. Its peel, leaves and seeds contain a highly toxic substance - persin, which was first isolated from avocado leaves and recognized as unhealthy.
This poorly soluble type compound is similar in molecular formula to organic fatty acids and has similar properties. In high dosages, persin is dangerous, but a small amount of the substance will remain harmless to the human body.
This quality of persin can be compared to the harm and benefits of consuming sugar. Taking large amounts of sucrose every day will certainly lead to poor health, but despite this, sugar is considered one of the most popular ingredients in the grocery basket.
The fact that the leaves, peels and seeds of avocados can cause the development of gastrointestinal diseases in animals and even their further death also does not speak about the benefits of the avocado seed. Eating large quantities of leaves by animals will inevitably lead to diseases, since animals receive an excess of persin, which begins to measure in hundreds of grams.
It is safe to conclude that, despite the presence of a highly toxic substance, avocado seed cannot be harmful to health when taken in moderation, in a controlled manner.
Why avocado seeds are good for you
However, the fact that scientists and researchers are arguing about the toxicity of the avocado seed, its benefits and harms to the human body is explained by the fact that the seed has high medicinal qualities. The external use of extracts of all parts of the avocado has long been used on an industrial level.
Ingestion is complicated by preparation methods. The drupe is rather rigid in structure. To use it for food, you need to get a powder or cut off the particles with a sharp knife for further cooking.
Avocado seed contains several groups of substances that have beneficial properties:
- Tannins... These are compounds that are known for their tanning properties. They contain pomegranate seeds, bird cherry berries, persimmons. They are famous for their qualities to stop bleeding, improve blood clotting, and have anti-inflammatory effects. Tannins can be part of antidotes due to their astringent properties and their ability to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria;
- Amino acids... Organic compounds that are an irreplaceable part of most chemical reactions. They improve metabolic processes, structure cells. Amino acids also help reduce the risk of developing heart and vascular diseases;
- Cellulose... When cooked correctly, the avocado seed retains its fiber structure. Fiber helps to normalize digestive processes, removes harmful substances from the body and has a positive effect on peristalsis. The ability of fiber to normalize the passage of gastric juice is also important;
- Vitamins of group B... Important components of any processes in the body. They affect the condition of the skin of the face, hair growth, the quality of the nail plates;
- Active ingredients... Among the components, traces of substances are seen that activate the production of collagen or elastin. They slow down the aging process and help improve the protective properties of the epidermis;
- Compounds of substances with an unusual bitter taste, they act as one of the natural aphrodisiacs;
- Substances with bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effects, help to improve the body's defenses and are regarded as activators of natural immunity. Powder-based decoctions help to normalize the patient's condition during a cold.
Persin is actively investigated by scientists: the therapeutic value of the component may be associated with its protective properties against the formation of cancer cells.
How to use an avocado seed
Using an avocado seed is possible at home. You can make your own spice mixture or make a face mask using this fruit. The use of pomace and extracts from fruit parts in industrial production is widespread.
In cooking
To use the avocado seed at home for cooking, it is crushed. The process by which the powder is obtained looks like this step by step:
- The bone of a ripe avocado is peeled from the pulp.
- The upper brown shell is peeled off.
- The contents are cut in half.
- The resulting pieces are fried in a pan or baked for 15 minutes.
- The resulting mass is left to dry for 10 hours.
- Then it is crushed with a blender or meat grinder to a powdery state.
Ripe avocado powder will have an orange-yellow hue. The Iranians use the powder to season any meat dish.
A decoction of the powder can be taken in case of indigestion, for this, boil 1 tbsp. l. powder with 1 tbsp. water. The drink has a pleasant taste, it can be sweetened or supplemented with lemon juice.
In cosmetology
The avocado seed is popular in the preparation of face, body and hair masks. This is due to the fact that the composition has anti-inflammatory, vasoconstrictor and bactericidal properties. For the preparation of cosmetics, the avocado seed is used in one of the following forms:
- like a paste;
- as an alcohol-based infusion;
- as an abrasive agent.
Powder, ground with water or cream, is suitable for softening the skin, eliminating inflammation and redness. If you add vegetable or olive oil to the paste, then you can use the mixture as a massage oil or sunscreen.
With regular application of such cream-based preparations, the appearance of wrinkles can be significantly reduced due to the content in the seed of substances that contribute to the production of natural collagen.
The powder is insisted on alcohol for 7 days in a ratio of 1: 3. The mixture is rubbed over the inflamed areas, applied to small acne and boils. During the night, the infusion can dry the skin and lighten redness.
Powder infused with water, suitable for rinsing hair. The substances in the composition make the hair thicker and shinier. Its weekly application helps to stimulate hair growth and improve the condition of hair follicles.
Avocado pits, like apricot pits, are suitable for preparing scrubs to remove the upper stratum corneum of the epidermis.
In treatment
Avocado seeds have long been known for their medicinal properties. On their basis, decoctions are prepared for the treatment of diarrhea, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Since the avocado seed has a low glycemic index, it is used as a means of increasing the elasticity of blood vessels in patients with diabetes mellitus.
Adding a small amount of powder to tea or water at the start of the day improves brain function.
Avocado seed harm
Uncontrolled intake of drupe is almost impossible, but an overabundance of Persin can be harmful to health. You should be responsible when taking funds based on powder or dense seed pulp.
Contraindications to the use of avocado seeds
In addition to its beneficial properties, the avocado seed has direct contraindications. It is not used:
- pregnant and lactating women;
- children under 8 years old;
- people suffering from complex allergic reactions to food;
- persons with individual intolerance to avocado oil;
- those who have been diagnosed with liver disease (essential oils can negatively affect the condition of the liver);
- who is following a particular health-related diet;
- elderly people taking a variety of analgesic-based medications.
Conclusion
The avocado seed is the part of the fruit that can be both harmful and beneficial. The unique medicinal properties of the seed are taken into account in the preparation of various cosmetics, and are also used for some diseases associated with digestion and the state of the vascular system of the body.
