If you love avocados, you probably just eat the flesh of the fruit and just throw the seed away. But one study discovered that there’s a compound in avocado seeds that will change your mind about disposing of them. It’s not a secret that avocados are extremely healthy, but this compound makes the whole fruit even healthier. The seed is said to hold the key for treating a rare yet deadly type of leukemia known as acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
AML is an aggressive form of cancer that attacks the white blood cells. With avocados, particularly their seeds, you can take advantage of the compound called avocatin B. The compound was studied by the University of Waterloo and Mount Sinai Hospital (both in Canada) as well as the University of Perugia, Italy and it appeared that it can be effective in fighting the cells that cause the blood cancer.
The research was performed involving about 800 compounds and they were all tested against leukemia cells. The most effective was avocatin B, which caused the cancerous cells to die. Even better news is that the compound did not affect the normal blood cells of the body.
An Exciting Discovery
Many scientists have become interested in avocatin B and there are now plans to take advantage of it to develop a drug for leukemia. Of course, this will take a long time, but it does look promising. For now, the current treatments for this fatal blood cancer are:
- Stem cell transplants
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted therapy
- Biological therapy
So next time you eat avocados, don’t toss away the seeds just yet. While the fruit contains B vitamins, including folate as well as healthy fats, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin K, the seed has a ton of nutrients to boast as well. It is loaded with bioactive phytochemicals andantioxidants. In fact, 70% of the antioxidants in the fruit are found in the seed itself.
How to Eat Avocado Seeds
It may come as a surprise to many, but avocado seeds are indeed edible. With the nutrients found in it, along with the anti-cancer benefits, it is time you stop tossing the seed to the garbage bin. Eating it is easy. After extracting the seed from the fruit, put it in a plastic bag. Then, you can safely crush it using a hammer. Once crushed, add it to your favorite smoothie, just like you would with other superfoods, such as chia seeds. You can also process it in a blender after crushing it with a hammer.