Avocado skin is an outer thin layer of the fruit known as the endocarp that protects the seed and the fruit. It can be thick and rough or smooth and thin, depending on the avocado variety.
While most people throw away the skin and ingest the flesh, it’s interesting to know that some eat the skin.
Can you eat avocado skin? Yes, it is safe to eat avocado skin. Some avocado varieties, such as Topa Topa and the Mexola, have smooth and thinner skin, making them easy to eat together with the skin. Most avocado variety like Hass has a rough lizard-like texture that makes them nasty and hard to chew.
The avocado peel is rich in fiber, required for proper digestion, weight management, and general gut health.
Is Avocado Skin Poisonous?
Is avocado skin poisonous? No, avocado skin is not toxic, but its bitter, and most people don’t find it enjoyable. Although avocado skin contains persin, humans don’t have any problems processing persin.
There are some avocado varieties whose skin you can eat, such as the Haas Avocados, the Topa Topa, and the Mexicola. Hass avocados are found in most American groceries. They are leathery, tough, and dark-skinned and mostly eaten with a spoon or scoop out, leaving the pit and skin.
The avocado skin is among the healthiest parts that you should consume. Put the skin and the fruit without the pit in your blender, add your favorite fruit or vegetable, blend and enjoy a nutritious smoothie.
The Topa Topa avocados are smooth-skinned from Mexico and have a large seed. This means you can eat its skin plain along with the fruit or blend it with some blueberries to a smoothie if you don’t like how it tastes. The Mexicola avocados are also smooth-skinned, dark, and rich in creamy flesh. Its skin is neither sweet nor bitter like the Haas avocado. You can blend the skin and add other fruits to it to fully enjoy the benefits.
How Do You Eat Avocado Peels?
Since some avocado varieties have tough skins, you may not be sure of the best ways to enjoy this nutritious part without the bitter taste or roughness.
So, what are the best and most popular ways of eating avocado skin? The easiest and convenient way to eat these avocado peels is by blending and pulverizing to mix with other fruits. Mixing with other fruits reduces the bitterness and tough texture and increases the amount of nutrients.
You can crush or blend the avocado peel into a paste. Using a high-powered blender, you can be sure to achieve a smooth texture, even of the toughest skins. Then add a favorite smoothie, dip, dressing, or any other preferred recipe. Peel the avocado skin or cut your avocado with the skin intact, add the rest of the ingredients, and blend until smooth.
Something to remember, some avocado skins may still be bitter, even after blending.
To pulverize the skin, use the oven at a temperature of 200 to 250 degrees for an hour, but ensure that you check it frequently to avoid burning. Do not overheat as the temperature reduces its nutritional value. It should be entirely powdered to prevent the chunks of peels in your dish.
What are the Benefits of Eating Avocado Skin?
Avocado skin, especially the dark green parts close to the skin, are the most nutritious. They contain a higher concentration of antioxidants including, chlorophyll, phenols flavonoids, and carotenoids
Phenol helps prevent damage to the biomolecules, including lipid, DNA, and protein, by interfering with the cancer process, resulting in cancer risk reduction. Flavonoids help in fighting diabetes and protect the nerve cells from degeneration.
Carotenoids have lutein and zeaxanthin that are good for your eye.
Chlorophyll is the green color that is responsible for the plant’s health and strength. It is a blood builder that detoxifies the body and helps in healing wounds. Almost all the avocado antioxidants help fight free radical damage, prevents cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Are Avocado Peels Toxic to Dogs?
No, avocado peels are not toxic to dogs unless they are allergic to them. As long as the dog likes the skin, you can give it to it. You might hear people saying avocado skin is poisonous to your dog because it contains a toxic known as persin. This toxin is dangerous to other birds and livestock but not harmful to dogs, especially in small quantities.
Persin refers to the natural antifungal compound is produced by the avocado plant and is present in the leaves, seeds, fruit, and skin.
Dogs are not as sensitive to this poison as other animals like horses. The avocado skin has a low concentration of persin, which makes it less toxic to dogs. It has fewer fats, which means it is not likely to cause pancreatitis in your dog.
However, your dog should not overeat it. This may cause digestive issues like diarrhea and vomiting, among many others, due to the high amount of fiber and the rough texture.
Why Don’t People Eat Avocado Skin?
Most people eat avocado peels, although not all varieties of avocado skin are edible. Others don’t eat it either because they are allergic to it or can’t stand the skin’s rough texture or bitter taste. This doesn’t mean you can’t eat them; it is just the preference of other people.
Some don’t eat the skin because they naturally don’t like the avocado fruit or have not tried thinking it is poisonous and should not be eaten. It is better to try eating the avocado skin, it has so many health benefits, and you might end up loving it.
Final Thoughts
- You can eat avocado skins and enjoy the increased nutritional benefits.
- Some avocado varieties, such as Topa Topa and the Mexola, have smooth and thinner skin, making them easy to eat together with the skin.
- Avocado skin is not poisonous, but they are bitter and not enjoyable to eat. It contains persin, but humans don’t have any problems processing persin.
- The avocado skin has a low concentration of persin, which makes it not much toxic to dogs. To keep your dog safe, give avocado skin moderately
- Avocado skin contains a higher concentration of antioxidants including, chlorophyll, phenol, flavonoids, and carotenoids, which help fight free radical damage and prevent cancer.