Avocados - © agric.wa.gov.au

Please Don’t Eat Those Avocado Pits!

This is just to be sure you’ve seen the news… A Facebook post about eating Avocado Pits got more than 25 million views this past week but, if you’re one of the folks who took the post at its word, listen up! The California Avocado Growers Association warns against taking them internally…

Home Grown Avocado Tree - © reddarter.com

And that’s an absolute, in spite of what the Facebook video post said about grinding it up, drying it out and sprinkling the resulting granules on a variety of foods to add extra nutrient value. Turns out that the Post may have been right about the storehouse of nutrients in the Avocado Pit, but it neglected to mention the other not-so-good-for-you stuff. In short, the Pits are the pits.

No less an authority than the California Avocado Commission has the final word:

The California Avocado Commission does not recommend consumption of the “pit” or seed of an avocado. The seed of an avocado contains elements that are not intended for human consumption.

And that’s good enough for me.

Of course, the Commission doesn’t come right out and say Acocado pits are toxic. You can find hundreds of Google links to sites that insist both pro and con on the issue. But, as I’ve always said, when myou’re talking abiut food, if something sounds crazy or unhealthy, its best to put down the fork and back away from the plate…

In closing, let me rephrase the Grower’s statement: You probably shouldn’t be doing anything with Avocado Pits aside from trying to grow Avocado trees from them.

We apologize for the interruption. Enjoy your day!

~ Maggie J.