Blinners Team
Avocado oil is becoming more and more mainstream for people wanting to cook with a healthy oil, and you’re about to find out why in this post. We’ll explain why use avocado oil so that you can have a good reference of why it is becoming so popular and why we use it in so many of our recipes and guides.
We’ve put together this simple guide to help answer some of the most frequently asked questions about it and some of its main benefits.
Let’s go…
Table of content
What is avocado oil?
Avocado oil is the natural oil pressed from the pulp of an avocado. Almost 70% of its content consists of heart-healthy oleic acid, a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid.
This fatty acid is also the main component of olive oil and is believed to be partly responsible for its health benefits. Additionally, around 12% of this oil is saturated fat, and about 13% is polyunsaturated fat.
It is used as an edible oil both raw and for cooking, where it is noted for its high smoke point.Â
It has an exceptionally high smoke point: 250 °C (482 °F) for unrefined oil and 271 °C (520 °F) for refined. The exact smoke point depends on the quality of refinement and the way the oil is stored.
How does it compare to olive oil?
There are many other oils that we could compare it to, but olive oil being such a popular and healthy option we thought you might want to know what’s their main difference.
Similar to olive oil, avocado oil is also high in the unsaturated fatty acid called oleic acid, which provides a variety of health benefits.
However, a big benefit of avocado oil is that it has a higher smoke point when compared to olive oil, as we hinted above. Its high smoke point makes it a good choice for high-heat cooking methods like grilling, sautéing, and roasting.
This is why we recommend it over olive oil in some of our recipes, when we know the cooking temperature will be on the high end, so that it remains a healthy meal.
What are its main benefits?
Avocado oil is known for its many potential benefits to a person’s health, and has been documented in different researches and findings. Here are some of them:
- Rich in oleic acid (VERY healthy fat) – Research suggests that a diet rich in unsaturated fats, such as oleic acid, is beneficial for health and may reduce the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease and dementia.
- Reduces cholesterol and helps with heart health – A few studies in humans and animals suggest that avocado oil may benefit heart health by reducing blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels.
- Can help with eyes health – Lutein is a carotenoid found in avocado oil. This nutrient improves eye health and may lower the risk of age-related eye diseases.
- Enhances important nutrients absorption – There is good reason to include a healthy fat source like avocado oil when eating vegetables, as it may increase the absorption of carotenoid antioxidants up to 17-fold.
- Great source of antioxidants – Avocado oil is rich in disease-fighting free radicals such as carotenoids, tocopherols, and plant sterols. Consuming this oil and other antioxidant-rich foods can help reduce your risk of chronic disease.
- Improves skin and wound healing – Avocado is high in fatty acids and antioxidants that promote wound healing and overall skin health. Some studies have shown that applying a cream containing avocado oil (20%) and vitamin B12 led to significant improvements in psoriasis symptoms.
- Might reduce arthritis symptoms – Multiple studies have reported that avocado/soybean unsaponifiables — a combination of avocado and soybean oil extracts — may relieve pain in those with hip and knee osteoarthritis.
How do I choose the right type?
Avocado oil is relatively new on the scene, and the Food and Drug Administration has not yet adopted ‘standards of identity,’ leaving some avocado oil bottles to be mixed with lower-quality oils.
Having said that, here are some of the things you should look at when choosing a high quality type of avocado oil.
- Choose extra virgin – Extra virgin oil is the least processed form and should retain most nutrients, but it’s not that easy to spot as there are no regulations to state that an avocado oil is actually “extra virgin“. Below are some tips to help you spot a high quality one…Â
- Verify the color – Extra virgin avocado oil should have a vibrant green color. A lighter, more yellowish color may indicate that the oil has been mixed with cheaper oils. However, color alone is not a foolproof indicator of quality.
- Check the packaging – Look for oil in dark glass bottles or tins that protect against light, which can degrade the oil.Â
- Expiration date – Because it can go rancid, it’s important to check the expiration date and buy the freshest oil possible. Once opened, try to use the oil within six months.
- Taste and smell is important – Pure, high-quality avocado oil should have a grassy, buttery flavor and should not taste or smell rancid.
As with any food, it’s best to consume it as part of a balanced diet that includes a variety of nutrients. If you have specific dietary concerns, it’s always a good idea to speak with a registered dietitian.
Is it safe to cook with avocado oil?
Most definitely, you can cook with it. Given it’s extremely high smoke point, as explained above, it is not only safe to cook with avocado oil – but, highly recommended!
Quality extra virgin avocado oil is an especially healthy fat that retains its beneficial qualities, even when cooking at a high temperature.
It does NOT have the downside of overheating like olive oil has.
Avocado oil is quite resistant to high heat and doesn’t oxidize or go rancid during cooking.
Not only is it an excellent cooking oil, but it is also one of the healthiest.
Does avocado oil expire?
Absolutely it can go bad. It DOES expire!
It is said to stay good while bottled for about two years, but not for much longer than about six months once opened to enjoy it with its best flavor.
There are two ways to easily tell whether your avocado oil is rancid: smell and taste. Fresh avocado oil won’t smell rancid if it’s fresh. Also, it should have a grassy, buttery flavor when it’s good.
If you want to taste it to check for freshness, try a small amount. If it is sour, the oil is likely rancid. We don’t recommend cooking with rancid oil.
At what temperature does it degrade?
The smoke point of an oil refers to the temperature at which it begins to smoke and degrade. At this point, harmful compounds form in the oil. When it reaches its smoke point, an oil also loses much of its nutrients and antioxidant properties.
Extra virgin avocado oil has a smoke point of between 482 °F and 520 °F (250 °C to 271 °C). This is one of the highest smoke point of any healthy cooking oil that you can find in the market.
Good quality (extra virgin) avocado oil will also have a higher smoke point than its lower-quality counterparts.
How should I store it?
To maintain freshness and flavor, it is important to store your avocado oil correctly and, as stated above, consume it within 6 months.
While convenient, keeping your bottle by the stove is not a good idea. Exposure to heat and sunlight can reduce the quality of your avocado oil and even damage it.
It is best to store your tightly closed bottles in a cool, dark space like an unheated pantry.
Do you have a recommended one?
You can find all sorts of great brands of avocado oil in many stores, both online and traditional. You should only make sure that they have all the prerequisites mentioned before so that you can get the best possible type.
However, if you feel like buying it online here’s one that we highly recommend. This organic avocado oil choice has all the prerequisites that we look at before getting one of these…
AVO Organic 100% Avocado Oil
Non-stick Sautéing, Salads, Vinaigrette, Marinades, Pan Coating, General Cooking 64 Fl-oz (Half a Gallon), NO preservatives added, Naturally Processed.
Affiliate Disclosure
This post may contain affiliate links, i.e., when you buy any product using these links, we get commissions. However, it doesn’t cost you anything extra. If you do purchase any product using the given links, we thank you in advance!
Related posts and recipes
We have a large number of posts and recipes where we make use of avocado oil because of the great benefits that you saw above, especially with the organic avocado oil.
However, here are only a few of our posts and recipes where avocado oil is used:
You can explore our recipes and get some more ideas of when and how to use avocado oil.
If you have any questions or comments, make sure to reach out to us or leave us a comment down below.
Thank you for reading us!
