I am sure most of you would have known that avocados are actually one of nature’s healthiest foods, and they are characterized as being a “super food”. Eating avocados regularly can reap numerous health benefits and in fact, it can help you to lose weight if you support it with regular exercise and a healthy diet because it has low levels of cholesterol.

However, did you know that an organic oil can also be derived from the avocado fruit? It is pressed from the fleshy pulp of the fruit, thus making it one of the few oils that are not derived from its seed. The unrefined and organic oil typically looks green in color and has a rich, fatty odor. This is because the oil is rich with healthy fats, like oleic acid and other essential fatty acids which will be mentioned in greater detail below.

Also, avocado oil is a great substitute to olive oil and a much better alternative to the highly processed and rancid oils of soybean, cottonseed and safflower oils. Yes, it can be used for cooking to produce much healthier dishes because its high level of monounsaturated fats help to protect the heart and ensure cholesterol levels do not go off the charts!

Read on to find out more!

Health Benefits of Avocado Organic Oil:

1. Promotes Heart Health

As has been alluded to earlier, avocado organic oil helps to lower cholesterol levels. Even though it is high in fats content, it is specifically rich with monounsaturated oleic acid content, commonly referred to as omega-9 fatty acid.

It helps reduce risks of any cardiovascular diseases associated with a high cholesterol level because it raises high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, which are commonly characterized as “good” cholesterol in the body, while thus lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, commonly referred to as “bad” cholesterol in the body.

As such, this helps lower cholesterol levels which will effectively reduce risks of heart attacks, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.

For example, a 2005 study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology notes how an avocado oil-rich diet resulted in an increase in oleic acid content and reduces triglycerides as well as LDL cholesterol levels. Another 2014 study found in PubMed also notes how avocado oil reduced LDL levels and inflammatory events, which led the researchers to conclude that avocado oil supplementation has a positive health outcome on the heart.

2. Lowers Blood Pressure Levels

Related to the heart, avocado oil is also known to be able to help lower blood pressure levels, again due to the presence of monounsaturated fats by ensuring that your arteries do not remain clogged and thus, pressure does not build up.

A 2005 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that in the setting of a healthy diet, a partial substitution of carbohydrate with either protein or monounsaturated fats (this is where avocado and its oil can come in) can help lower blood pressure levels, improve lipid levels and therefore reduce estimated cardiovascular risks.

3. Helps Alleviate Arthritis

Arthritis is a common ailment that afflicts tens of millions of people around the world. Luckily, you can use avocado organic oil in helping to alleviate this common affliction because avocado oil has potent anti-inflammatory properties that helps to soothe the inflamed muscles and sore joints.

In fact, avocado oil (mixed with soybean oil) has even been approved as a prescription drug in France because of its ability to alleviate the negative effects of arthritis! In Denmark, it has been introduced as a food supplement. This is because it has an effect on the symptoms of knee and hip osteoarthritis, notes a 2005 study conducted by a Danish researcher.

4. Improves Nutrient Absorption

Incorporating avocado oil into your diet is also useful for boosting the absorption of carotenoids. Carotenoids are actually health-promoting antioxidants that are fat-soluble, and they need dietary fats to be absorbed into the body.

These antioxidants are especially useful for the human body because they are thought to decrease the risks of certain cancers and eye disease, as seen in a 2002 study published in Nutrition in Clinical Care.

A 2005 study published in The Journal of Nutrition notes that adding avocado fruit can significantly enhance carotenoid absorption from salad and salsa, because of the beneficial lipids present in avocado.

5. Strengthens Skin and Improves Healing

Not only that, avocado oil also helps improve the skin drastically. If you include avocado oil into your moisturizer, the vitamin E, potassium and lecithin found in the oil will be easily absorbed through the epidermis of the skin and into the internal layers of the skin.

This helps to promote the growth of new skin cells and fortifies the existing cells to produce stronger and healthier skin. It also helps to moisturize dry and cracked skin as well, thus you can apply it onto cracked heels and dry cuticles, in addition to your face.

Related to this, avocado oil will also help improve healing times significantly then if you have incurred a wound, cut, scrape or a bruise, resulting in a damaged skin. This is especially so because it contains beneficial nutrients and anti-inflammatory attributes that are easily absorbed into the skin to promote cell regeneration and healing as well as to reduce redness and inflammation.

Not only that, there has been scientific literature confirming the efficacy of avocado oil on psoriasis. It has been reported that more than 6 million people have psoriasis, which is a common skin condition characterized by a buildup of rough, dry and dead skin cells, resulting in raised, reddish-pink areas.

A 2001 study published in Dermatology found that a vitamin B(12) cream which contains avocado oil has considerable potential to serve as a well-tolerated, long-term topical therapy in the treatment and management of psoriasis, as seen in how the cream resulted in a consistent improvement in the skin condition of the psoriasis patients.

Other health benefits of avocado oil include:

• Improves the digestive system and helps you lose weight

• Detoxifies the body

• Promotes hair health

• Promotes gum health

• Excellent source of vitamin E which helps to improve skin and eye health, bolster the immune system as it counters oxidative stress and boosts mental as well as memory power.

How to Use Avocado Organic Oil?

You can use avocado organic oil in your culinary dishes, either as a cooking oil or to drizzle it on top of dressings, sandwiches, salads, hummus, vegetables before roasting or in cold soups. You can even add a tablespoon of the oil to a smoothie, add it when baking or use it as a marinade for grilling meat.

Overall, it can be used in the same way as you would use olive oil, so the possibilities are undoubtedly endless!

However, do ensure that when you are using the oil especially for internal purposes, always purchase the healthiest and highest quality avocado oil, which means a 100% pure, organic, extra virgin, unrefined and cold-pressed avocado organic oil. When it comes to cooking with the unrefined oil, it is better suited for lower-heat cooking or in unheated recipes, such as a dressing or dipping oil, because it has a medium smoke point.

Avocado oil can also be applied topically onto the skin and hair to reap its beauty benefits! Since it is a carrier oil, this means that it is mild enough to be applied directly onto the skin, without the need to dilute the oil. Simply massage the oil onto your skin in circular motions, or you can even make your own DIY homemade avocado oil facial mask! Mash the avocado fruit and add in a tablespoon of avocado oil. Mix the mixture well and evenly to form a paste and apply to your face for 10 minutes before rinsing it off with lukewarm water.

In fact, you can even use the oil directly to remove light traces of eye makeup. Alternatively, you can add a few drops of the oil into your daily skincare products or daily shampoo/conditioner to improve skin and hair health.

Safety Precautions:

• Unfortunately, if you are allergic to avocado, then you should avoid avocado organic oil at all costs.

• People with latex allergies might also be allergic to avocado.

• If you have pre-existing medical conditions and are under prescribed medication such as blood thinner medications, then please consult with your doctor first for health advice before using the oil.

• If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, do consult with your doctor as well.

• Even though avocado oil is a mild carrier oil, do perform a skin patch test prior to topical application onto affected areas to ensure you do not suffer from allergic or sensitive reactions from the oil.

References:

Salazar MJ, et al., “Effect of an avocado oil-rich diet over an angiotensin II-induced blood pressure response”, Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2005); 98(3)

Carvajal-Zarrabal O, et al., “Avocado oil supplementation modifies cardiovascular risk profile markers in a rat model of sucrose-induced metabolic changes”, PubMed (2014)

Appel LJ, et al., “Effects of protein, monounsaturated fat, and carbohydrate intake on blood pressure and serum lipids: results of the OmniHeart randomized trial”, Journal of the American Medical Association (2005); 294(19)

Angermann P, “Avocado/soybean unsaponifiables in the treatment of knee and hip osteoarthritis”, PubMed (2005); 167(33)

Unlu NZ, et al., “Carotenoid absorption from salad and salsa by humans is enhanced by the addition of avocado or avocado oil” The Journal of Nutrition (2005); 135(3)

Johnson EJ, “The role of carotenoids in human health”, Nutrition in Clinical Care (2002); 5(2)

Stucker M, et al., “Vitamin B(12) cream containing avocado oil in the therapy of plaque psoriasis”, Dermatology (2001); 203(2)