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Food

You Might Be Missing Out on the Healthiest Part of the Avocado

But you still shouldn't eat it.
Photo by Flickr user threelayercake

We are not in peak avocado anymore. Now that avocado toast is more or less a requirement for survival and avolattes are a thing that exist and someone invented an avocado walkie-talkie that no one asked for, we're so far past peak avocado that we've circled around and are approaching peak for the second time. Weirdly enough, though, there are still things to learn about everyone's friggin' favorite food, including the potential health benefits in the parts that we toss in the trash.

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In what is being described as a "first of its kind study," a group of chemists studied the chemical compounds found in avocado pits and husks, and they've discovered that those inedible pieces could possibly be used for everything from prescription medications to PVC pipes. The researchers ground 300 dried avocado seed husks into powder, which was then processed into seed husk oil and seed husk wax. The team made some surprising discoveries during their analysis of the oil and wax, which they presented at a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society.

"It could very well be that avocado seed husks, which most people consider as the waste of wastes, are actually the gem of gems because the medicinal compounds within them could eventually be used to treat cancer, heart disease and other conditions," Dr. Debasish Bandyopadhyay said in a statement. "Our results also suggest that the seed husks are a potential source of chemicals used in plastics and other industrial products."

Some of those medicinal compounds included docosanol, which is what Abreva users smear on their mouths to treat cold sores, and heptacosane, a molecule that may slow the growth of tumors. Bandyopadhyay says that his team would like to continue their avocado seed research to determine whether these naturally occurring compounds could be used to make medications that may have fewer side effects than those containing lab-generated versions of these same substances.

READ MORE: Avocado Thieves Have Created a Black Market on Facebook

Despite all the untapped potential that could be found in those avocado seeds, you should leave them to the scientists. Even the California Avocado Commission says—in a bold font—that it "does not recommend" eating them.

But still, just knowing that they might contain some kind of anti-viral or cancer-slowing super powers will make you feel extra-smug when you're eating your next slice of avocado toast. If that's not worth $10, we don't know what is.