NBC – Once shunned for its high fat content, the avocado is now revered in kitchens across America for its amazing heart-healthy benefits, but the guacamole-starter's place in the spotlight may be spoiling, according to a NBC report.
Just ask anyone who's tried to cut open the green fruit, and ended up slicing right through their hand instead.
"You can injure anything from tendons to nerves to blood vessels," warns Dr. Thomas Waters.
One problem is the big, slippery pit in the middle. People tend to use a big knife to whack it out of there.
It's been reported that one plastic surgeon in the United Kingdom suggested the problem is so bad that avocados should come with warning labels.
[WATCH: How to avoid cutting your hand while slicing avocados]
We couldn't find a doctor willing to go quite that far, but doctors did offer a few safety tips instead.
First, don't hold anything you're trying to cut. Place it on a cutting board.
If you must hold it, put a folded towel between the fruit and your hand.
Second, sharpen your knives.
"A very sharp knife is actually safer," Waters said. "It's more accurate and you're able to do what you need to do. It's actually the dull knives that lead to injuries."
The potential for long-term injury is real. Deep cuts to nerves or tendons can take weeks or months to heal.
