Researchers Find Avocado Extract May Have Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Avocados, the delicious green fruit used to create guacamole, may have anti-inflammatory properties that could aid certain health conditions. The discovery was made as part of a study out of Penn State, where researchers found that avocado seed extract had anti-inflammatory effects on cell culture models, hinting at a potential future use as a pharmaceutical for reducing chronic inflammation.

Chronic inflammation lies at the heart of a number of health conditions and diseases, including cancer, psoriasis, and arthritis. Reducing inflammation is an important part of addressing these health problems, and many have turned toward the compound CBD in search for a solution. Avocado seed extract may offer an alternative, however, with surprise benefits related to reducing inflammation.

During this study, Penn State researchers tested the anti-inflammatory effects of avocado seed extract with cell culture models grown in petri dishes that included a pro-inflammatory stimuli. The results were compared to the same models that weren't exposed to the avocado seed extract, and they indicated that avocado seed has some degree of anti-inflammatory activity.

It's unclear at this time what compounds in the avocado seed extract were responsible for inhibiting the pro-inflammatory mediators. Additional research starting with animal models is needed to further investigate the potential novel use for this extract, but the results are promising.

Talking about the work is Penn State's Center for Plant and Mushroom Foods for Health co-director Joshua Lambert, who explained in a university release: "The level of activity that we see from the extract is very good. We saw inhibitory activity at concentrations in the low microgram-per-milliliter range, which is an acceptable amount of activity to justify further studies."