Ever increasing in popularity across the world, thanks to its claims of being one of the healthiest foods on earth, avocado is a powerhouse of nutrients. It is rich in vitamins, potassium, and folate. Moreover, its rich and creamy texture makes it versatile and a great addition to a variety of dishes, from salads to pasta. That’s not all.
Packing in all the nutritive value and making a place for itself in kitchens globally is avocado oil, the edible oil pressed from the fruit.
What Makes Avocado Oil Special?
High Good Fat Content
Avocado oil is one of those rare oils that are pressed from the pulp of the fruit rather than the seed. And since avocado is a fruit with a high fat content—over 75 percent—most of it in the form of oleic acid, a healthful monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid, the oil is just as nutritious. It has similar nutritive value as olive oil, with similar benefits and heart-healthy properties. Moreover, not only are the fats healthy, they also increase the absorption of healthy plant nutrients like carotenoids from a meal.
High Smoking Point
As avocado has a high smoking point, about 255 °C (490 F), which is much higher than that of olive oil, it can withstand a lot of heat before it starts releasing smoke, loses all its nutrients and flavors and turns rancid, and burns the food. This makes it a safe option for deep frying.1
Mild Flavor
It’s a light oil with a mild and delicate flavor that mixes well with all kinds of food and enhances their flavor rather than dominate them.
Low Extent Of Oxidation
Oils turn rancid when the fats in them become oxidized after coming into contact with oxygen and start releasing harmful free radicals. This happens mostly when the fats are of the polyunsaturated type. Avocado oil has 68.4 percent monounstaurated fats, 19.31 percent saturated fats, and 11.75 percent polyunsaturated fats,2 which makes it a stable oil. Moreover, while synthetic antioxidants are added to other oils to lower their oxidation tendency, avocado oil is already rich in antioxidants. Just make sure you store organic avocado oil in a cool, dry, and dark place to keep the plant nutrients intact.3
Avocado oil has 68.4 percent monounstaurated fats, 19.31 percent saturated fats, and 11.75 percent polyunsaturated fats,4 which makes it a stable oil.
Health Benefits Of Avocado Oil
Brings Down Cholesterol With Oleic Acid
Extra-virgin avocado oil from the Hass variety of avocados is emerald green in color because of the high levels of chlorophylls and carotenoids in it. Just like olive oil, avocado oil is a great source of oleic acid, one of the omega-9 fatty acids that are known to reduce cholesterol and improve cardiovascular health.5
Keeps The Heart Healthy With Beta-Sitosterol
Avocado oil has a significant amount of beta-sitosterol, a type of plant sterol that the body can use to break down unhealthy fats into more usable forms.6
Prevents Free Radical Damage With Antioxidants
Cold-pressed avocado oil is rich in pigments like chlorophyll and carotenoids that act as antioxidants and fight free radicals responsible for many conditions like inflammation, cancer, and skin and eye ailments.
Helps With Weight Management
As a slow-digested carb rich with dietary fiber, it keeps you satiated for longer. For that reason alone, this oil could fit well in your weight loss plan, since.7 A study found that people who ate avocados regularly had lower weight, BMI, and waist size.8
Ways To Use Avocado Oil For Cooking
Avocado oil can be as versatile as your innovative cooking ideas. It adds a mild, buttery richness to your food. Use it to make salad dressings, to drizzle over your dips, for stir fries, to pan roast and bake.
Salad Dressing
Whisk some avocado oil with lemon juice, salt, and pepper to create a simple vinaigrette for your salad, especially if it’s a colorful salad of fruits and veggies. Avocado oil can help your body absorb the carotenoids in the salad by up to 15 percent.9
Drizzle
If you are serving dips, drizzle the oil on top for added flavor. Also, you could drizzle it over soups, garlic bread, or even toast. You could even infuse the oil with your favorite herbs. Use it on crusty bread to make an excellent side for your soup.
Baking
Substitute butter with avocado oil to bake healthier cakes and cookies.
Stir Fry
Sauté your greens in avocado oil along with garlic and other seasonings for a flavorful side.
Grill
When grilling or pan-frying meat, avocado oil can be a great choice, thanks to its high smoking point. The lovely flavor only adds to the meat’s appeal.
Curries
Since it has a mild flavor, avocado oil will not overpower the spices in curries much. In fact, it will complement them well with its buttery texture.
Deep Fry
Fry your potato crisps and croquettes in avocado oil without worrying about the health factor.
Dashing to the market already? Just remember to buy a bottle of cold-pressed organic emerald-green avocado oil and not the refined pale yellow variety. And don’t forget to share your unique avocado oil recipes with us.
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