Photo Credit Flickr’s arsheffield

Let me be extremely clear.

There are no studies demonstrating actual health benefits to the consumption of avocado pits.

None.

Yet that hasn’t stopped breathless articles like this one that I saw on Monday from exclaiming,

“Current research suggests that avocado pits “may improve hypercholesterolemia, and be useful in the treatment of hypertension, inflammatory conditions and diabetes. Seeds have also been found to possess insecticidal, fungicidal, and anti-microbial activities.“

Or this piece that reported,

“Dieticians [sic] say that consuming small quantities of that teeny-tiny seed can also help protect against sun damage, boost the health of your hair and nails and fight “bad” bacteria and inflammation in your gut“

So where are we on avocado pit research?

Well according to the same paper linked in that first breathless piece as being the “Current research” that informed their reporting,

“scientific research on the phytochemistry and biological effects of avocado seeds is in the nascent stages“

Where “nascent“, if you don’t know, means, “just coming into existence“, or “embryonic“.

Embry-frickin-onic.

Honestly, if you care so much about your health that you’d be willing to risk your blender by pulverizing “exceptionally bitter” avocado pits into dust to add to smoothies (the primary way that articles mention is doable), while doing so probably won’t hurt you, to suggest that you’ll get health benefits above, beyond, or in place of those that you’d get by ensuring that you’re cooking the majority of your meals from fresh whole ingredients, minimizing ultra-processed foods and restaurants, exercising regularly, not smoking, and cultivating sleep and friendships, is simply an exercise in nutritional, feel-good, magic foodism.

Please stop.

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(c) Weighty Matters – Read entire story here.