Studies Shells of avocado seeds protect against heart disease and cancerous tumors

What makes the skins of avocado seeds so healthy?
If you have eaten avocados so far, you have probably disposed of a very healthy portion of the fruit in the trash. The shells of the seeds of avocados seem to be a veritable goldmine for our health because they contain a hitherto unknown wealth of chemical compounds that could treat a variety of diseases.

Researchers at the University of Texas's Rio Grande Valley found in their study that avocado seeds contain many beneficial chemical compounds that are beneficial to health and can prevent various diseases. The results of the study were presented at the 254th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The ACS experts also published a press release on the results of their study.

Most people just throw away the seeds of avocados. Physicians found that the shells of these seeds contain many important compounds that can even protect against cancer and heart disease. (Image: karepa / fotolia.com)

Shells of avocado seeds contain many healthy compounds
The shells of avocado seeds are usually simply discarded along with the seeds. This could be a mistake. Physicians found many useful chemical compounds in the skins of the seeds. These could be used in the future for the treatment of various life-threatening diseases such as cancer or heart disease.

What can the compounds from avocado seed shells be used for??
It could very well be that avocado seed trays, which most people simply consider garbage, are actually a true jewel of human health, the researchers report. The medical compounds in the shells could be used to treat cancer, heart disease, and other conditions, explains author. Debasish Bandyopadhyay. The results of their current study also suggest that the seed shells are a potential source of chemicals that could be used in plastics and other industrial products.

Covers of avocado seeds are almost always disposed of
In total, nearly five million tons of avocados are produced worldwide worldwide, say the experts. Americans alone consume almost 1.9 billion pounds of avocados a year, say the researchers. In most cases, however, only the flesh is eaten and the seeds are thrown into the trash. There are indeed some edible oil manufacturers who extract the avocado oil from the seeds. However, they remove the shell of the seeds before processing.

Physicians produce pod oil and pod wax from the seed pods
The scientists produced about 21 ounces of powder from the skins of over 300 dried avocado seeds. After further processing, this amount yielded about three teaspoons of seed pod oil and just over one ounce of so-called seed coat wax. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, the research team found a total of 116 compounds in the oil and 16 compounds in the wax.

What positive effects can the oil have??
Many of these compounds do not appear to occur in the seeds themselves or the fruit. Among the components of the oil was, for example, behenyl alcohol (also known as docosanol), which is used in anti-viral drugs. In addition, the oil still contained heptacosan, which can inhibit the growth of tumor cells, and dodecanoic acid, which increases healthy cholesterol (HDL), thus reducing the risk of atherosclerosis.

What did the produced wax contain??
In the wax produced, the researchers discovered, inter alia, benzyl butyl phthalate. This plasticizer is used to promote flexibility in a wide range of synthetic products, from shower curtains to medical equipment. Other contained compounds are useful in cosmetics or as food additives, say the authors.

Further research is needed
In subsequent studies, scientists claim to be modifying some of these natural compounds to be used to create better medicines with fewer side effects. (As)