Secret Avocado Oil Health Benefits!

Did you know that avocado oil has a plethora of benefits? We’ve heard for years how avocados can be beneficial to us, so it only makes sense that avocado oil has its own set of secret benefits as well. Let’s discuss the many ways we can use avocado oil and all the benefits it has for your health!

The avocado originated from Mexico and is considered a fruit, not a vegetable.

But unlike fruits, avocados contain both protein and fat, which most fruits don’t have. It’s this fat in avocados, which comes to us in the form of avocado oil, that is so incredibly beneficial. 

Avocado oil has many similarities to olive oil, they’re both monounsaturated fats. Unlike other vegetable oils, such as canola, soybean, or corn – avocado oil and olive oil are anti-inflammatory monounsaturated omega 9 oils. 

It’s best to steer clear of these highly inflammatory vegetable oils. Women with menstrual cramps should especially cut corn, soybean, and canola oil out of their diet. People with autoimmune diseases also benefit from lower antibodies and fewer symptoms when they cut out these oils.

The healthiest alternatives to these common vegetable oils would be avocado and olive oils.

I’ve talked a lot about olive oil because of my Greek last name and my Italian heritage, but now I live in California. Avocados have been a part of my diet consistently since 1987. I’m blessed that my husband’s grandmother has a huge, 70-year-old Fuerte avocado tree. It produces gorgeous, very oily avocados. When I was pregnant with my daughter I craved avocados and ate one every day. I swear that is why she has the most gorgeous skin and hair! Avocado oil is great for your skin and hair and can be applied directly to your skin as an anti-inflammatory moisturizer.

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of avocado oil:

• Avocado oil is a heart-healthy oil and is great for your cardiovascular system. It’s one of the few natural sources of beta-sitosterol, which is a plant fat that positively impacts lipids and cholesterol levels in your body. Avocado oil helps your liver make more protective HDL cholesterol and lowers LDL cholesterol. 

• 70% of avocado oils consist of heart-healthy oleic acid, an Omega 9 fatty acid that helps lower high blood pressure and total body inflammation. This is a reflection of your CRP (cardio reactive protein) actually dropping as you replace inflammatory vegetable oils with avocado oil.

• Consuming avocado oil is good for your eyes. It’s rich in lutein and vitamin E. These antioxidants can help preserve your vision and help your eyes age more gracefully.

• Studies show that consuming avocado oil increases the uptake of carotenoids in your gut. Carotenoids are found in red, yellow, and orange vegetables. They are very powerful antioxidants. 

• Avocado oil seems to increase mitochondrial energy production. A recent study on rats showed that avocado oil benefits mitochondrial energy production by ridding the cells of free radicals. Free radicals are the leftovers from energy production and can be highly damaging.

Therefore, in terms of health benefits, there aren’t many differences between olive and avocado oil. But one great thing about avocado oil is that its smoke point is higher than olive oil. The smoke point is how high you can heat the oil before you damage it, so avocado oil is great for high heat cooking. 

Here are a few ideas on how to use avocado oil in your cooking: 

• Add it to a smoothie. 
• Drizzle it over a salad or make a salad dressing.  
• Marinate meat with avocado oil, and just like olive oil, it helps to protect the food and maintain its nutrition during the cooking process.
• Use it to roast vegetables.
• Make homemade mayo with it. 
• Use it for baking.
• Top hummus with it. 
• Drizzle it over vegetables or soup.  

Another nice thing about avocado oil is its neutral flavor. Olive oil has a stronger flavor, so it’s better for savory recipes. For sweeter recipes, avocado oil tends to work better. One of the things that I love to do in our hormone support group is share recipes. You can access the group by signing up for the Hormone Reboot Training, and then join our private group and share how you’re using avocado oil.

I look forward to hearing about the other ways you’re using avocado oil. Enjoy!

If you’d like to learn even more, my DMAR Nutritional Path to Healing is where I explain all the healthy fats, as well as the different types of proteins and carbohydrates you need for a healthy diet. I even help you calculate your exact carbohydrate needs so that you can keep body fat down, but still have enough energy. You can access my DMAR Nutritional Path to Healing through our free Hormone Reboot Training.