The Full Body Benefits of Avocado Oil

At first, avocados weren’t the most popular fruit (yes, they’re a fruit!).  But when research started, and people grew to love the buttery texture, they soon became the fruit of choice.  If you want an oil packed with healthy fats and antioxidants then you’ve found your fruit!  According to the Harvard School of Health, “Avocados contain several nutrients including carotenoids, monounsaturated fats, potassium, and fiber that have been associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases, especially when included as part of a balanced nutritious diet.” When they are cold pressed, the healthy oils are extracted and can be used to benefit your whole body. 

Is Avocado Oil Healthy?

Undeniably so!  According to Katherine Zeratsky, a dietician from the Mayo Clinic, states that “Avocados are healthy, despite being a little higher in fat.  The type of fat matters.” This oil is a natural ingredient that doesn’t contain chemicals that can damage your body: this means not only is it delicious to eat, but you can use it everywhere!  What makes avocado oil so potent is it’s concentration of oleic acid. 

Oleic acid is an omega-9 fatty acid that can be found in several animals and plants such as fish, and chia seeds.  The fatty acid stimulates proper fat transportation to allow your body to access energy quickly when needed.  Unlike other fats that go to your thighs, your body uses oleic acid to instead increase blood flow to muscles, increase brain activity, replenish dry skin, and even help your vision. 

Well, that and the vitamins also help as well.

If you are still wondering avocado oil is healthy, here is the list of potential vitamins that can be found in this one-stop-shop oil:

• Vitamin B
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Potassium
• Lecithin (not a vitamin, but equally important)

While vitamin B and C are found in whole avocados, the others can be found in the oil.  Each vitamin listed is responsible for helping your skin, internal organs, and even your nails and hair. 

Some of the Benefits of Avocado Oil 

With the vitamins that avocados already have, turning thempo into a rich oil and using this on your skin and in your food, increases the bioavailability of those vitamins.  This means that when oleic acid is combined with smaller vitamins and minerals, it can help the vitamins cross through walls in our cells so that they can perform their jobs more efficiently like growing new cells, or transferring nutrients around the body.

When our food is broken down in the stomach and intestines, fats are needed to properly break down the food into pieces that can be used throughout the body.  Avocado oil, surprise, contains many monosaturated fatty acids (not just oleic acid) that aid in that process.  Not only are essential vitamins transferred into the body more quickly, but even your digestion can improve with avocado oil!

Heart Healthy Avocados

Avocado oil has monosaturated fats, which can potentially reduce your LDL (low density lipids) and increase your HDL (high density lipids) cholesterols.  Commonly, LDLs are known as bad cholesterol because of their link to increased strokes and heart disease.  When your cholesterol is balanced, this helps prevent heart disease, strain on your veins, and more!

Another way that avocado oil is heart healthy, is that it contains vitamin E which is known to decrease free radicals in your body.  When your veins have less free radicals, your blood pressure can be lowered, inflammation is decreased and yet again, your body receives more nutrients throughout the day. 

But what are free radicals you might ask? These are atoms that are no longer stable because they are missing a piece.  Atoms always want to find their missing pieces therefore, they ‘attack’ your body to gather back their pieces.  Free radicals go after your veins, skin, organs, and even your DNA. 

Lower blood pressure, decreased inflammation, and lower cholesterol are often connected to lower cardiovascular risk.  Keep reading to see just how avocado oil decreases inflammation in your body.

Amazing Avocados Decrease Inflammation

One of the diseases that effects the body with age, is arthritis.  This disease, especially osteoarthritis, causes a build up of inflammation in the joints which can prevent even the smallest of movements. 

Avocado oil decreases inflammation through lubricating joints, providing the body with anti-inflammatory vitamins, minerals, and fats.  Additionally, avocados are full with antioxidants like Vitamin E and lutein which remove harmful ions from your body and promote the balance of hormones in your body.  As further proof of avocado oil and its anti-inflammatory capabilities, a study found that rats who were fed sugar with a supplement of avocado oil were less likely to experience cardiac events than rats fed sugar without avocado oil. Since cardiac events can be connected to inflammation, yet again, avocados step in and help keep you healthy!

Healthy Eyes and Minds Provided by Avocados

Avocado oil benefits for the brain are many.  Our nerves are covered by a fatty acid myelin sheath which helps protect our nerves.  The monosaturated fats and oleic acid help rebuild these sheaths so that your brain can function correctly.  Because of this, oleic acid has been found to protect the cognitive function of adults. 

In much the same way, your eyes benefit from additional protection by nerve fortification.  While a direct study has not been completed, there are relationships between eating avocados and reduced disease in the eyes.  Additionally, in human eyes, there is a concentration of lutein which is also found in avocados.

Replenshing the brain and the eyes is made even easier if you cook up eggs, dark green veggies, and broccoli in a dash of olive oil.

The Benefits of Cooking with Avocado Oil

Taking avocado oil straight from the bottle isn’t the most appetizing experience.  This is why it is easier to cook with avocado oil.  Fortunately, avocado oil is very light and allows food to cook evenly without weighing down the flavor.

What makes this a great cooking oil is that avocado oil has a higher smoke point which makes avocado oil good for frying and cooking.  If you are someone that constantly works with high heat cooking, you may want to consider transitioning to avocado oil. The benefit of cooking with avocado oil is that you don’t have to take a tablespoon or two of avocado oil by mouth!  Instead, add that sweetness to your daily meals.

Much like olive oil, a more common kitchen oil, avocado oil has a high smoke point.  However, its smoke point is much higher than olive oil by almost 200°F.  Higher smoke points mean that it is harder for the beneficial compounds in the oil to break down and become useless.  Your body won’t be able to absorb all the nutrients found in olive oil when you cook your chicken at higher temperatures, but avocado oil will do the trick! 

Should I Worry About Refined vs. Unrefined Avocado Oil?

The process itself for unrefined avocado oil is simple: the avocados are sorted, squished, then pressed through an expeller to clear out any impurities.  This contributes to the light green color of the oil and to its health benefits and taste.

Without any harsh chemicals needed, avocado oil is ready to be used right away without any treatment. However, keep in mind that refined oils tend to have less flavor and nutrient density.  It is up to you to see what flavor you prefer, but unrefined, extra virgin avocado oil is top notch on taste and nutrition.

Avocado Oil for Your Body

The health benefits of avocado oil for your body are numerous.  While arthritis and heart health are mentioned above, the following are going to be highlighted:

• Hair and Nails
• Skin
• Brain and Eyes

In this section, the same oleic acid, monosaturated fats and vitamins will play a large role in helping your external body just like your internal body.

Healthy Hair: Are Avocados the Real Deal?

The benefits of avocado oil for hair are much the same as your skin.  Your hair requires moisture that is provided through your hair follicles: often, the amount of oil is not enough for many.  When you add avocado oil to your haircare regimen, you will notice an increase in thickness, less dandruff, and potentially faster hair growth. 

This is even backed by Stacy Chimento, a board-certified dermatologist.  They state that the “fatty acids, vitamins D and E, and beta carotene in avocado oil help moisturize and nourish the skin and hair.”

Wind and temperature changes can decrease the moisture in your hair and scalp: the lecithin mentioned in the very beginning of the article coats your hair and scalp with a protective layer that prevents moisture loss. 

An easy way to incorporate avocado oil is work a dime size amount of oil into your hair after a warm shower.  A quick recipe is also warming a few tablespoons of avocado oil, adding some of your favorite essential oils and massaging in the warm oil when it is cool enough to touch without burning your hand.

Collagen, Eczema, Acne, Oh My!: The Benefits of Avocado Oil for Your Skin

There are many benefits for your skin especially when acne, eczema and other dry skin conditions are considered.  Avocado oil on your face is a great way to retain moisture, but the benefits don’t stop there.  Try leaving the avocado oil on for a few minutes then rinse it off.  Surprise! No oily residue and only soft, supple skin is left protected from the sun.

Acne

When inflammation was mentioned, the internal benefits were discussed, not the external.  A common issue that many people deal with is acne.  Is avocado oil good for acne inflammation? The answer is yes.  Just like how avocado oil decreases inflammation internally, the inflammation, redness, and swelling caused by acne can be reduced by regularly using avocado oil externally.

Eczema

Eczema is a condition that can cause the build-up of dead skin cells that are inflamed, itchy, and often painful.  A study in Dermatology found that combining avocado oil with B12 helped decrease the symptoms of eczema and patients found that they started to feel much better. 

Youthful Skin

Yet another trick of the avocado, is that it is high in protein content.  Therefore, you can use avocado oil for skin collagen repair and regeneration.  Collagen is the protein in skin that stretches over time as we grow older.  This causes wrinkles to appear and lines to form since the collagen has become worn out.  There are plenty of collagen creams, but the best is in your pantry.  Avocado oil helps build up your collagen and slow the aging process.

The Verdict and Recap: Benefits of Avocado Oil

First and foremost, always consult with your doctor before making any dietary changes that you haven’t made before.  A doctor can help guide you through the process, check cholesterol levels, and ensure you are hitting the right amount of avocado needed for your body.

Overall, the avocado is a fruit that treats your body completely which is why it has become such a popular household food.  Better yet, avocado oil should start replacing olive oil in households. Why? Because it is something that can help you be happy, healthy, and well moisturized.

Avocado oil benefits:

• Great for your heart and veins.
• Cooks are higher temperatures than many other oils.
• Retains more nutrients when unrefined.
• Can decrease inflammation so great for an anti-inflammatory diet.
• Can be used not only to moisturize skin and hair, but also calm eczema episodes.
• Helps keep your eyes and body strong.

Check out our Avocado Oil Sweet Potato Chips here.