Avocado oil
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Pressed from the avocado pit or the flesh.
Unsaturated fat and no carbohydrate.
Fine for most people at normal amounts.
Rules by country
Avocado oil is a food without an E-number, so it is not assessed as an additive by any of the three regulators. What makes it useful is its fatty acid profile and its smoke point, both of which are properties of the fat rather than of any regulator's approval.
What is it?
The oil is about 65% monounsaturated, 20% polyunsaturated and 10% saturated, and it carries a good amount of vitamin E. The smoke point sits well above that of olive oil, which is why it became a standard in restaurant fryers. Most of what is sold is refined, so the green color and the grassy smell of the cold-pressed version are usually gone.
Where it comes from: Most commercial avocado oil is pressed from the pit rather than the flesh, which is why it does not taste of avocado. A smaller share is cold-pressed from the flesh and keeps a green tint and a grassy note.
Why it’s in food
- Frying
- High-heat cooking
- Dressings
- Roasting
- Finishing
Often found in
Also listed as: Avocado oil, Avocado seed oil, Refined avocado oil
Health & gut impact
Avocado oil is the richest common source of oleic acid, and replacing saturated fat with it lowers LDL cholesterol in controlled feeding trials.
Sacks and colleagues, American Heart Association presidential advisory on dietary fats (2017)
A tablespoon of avocado oil gives a meaningful share of the daily vitamin E that protects cell membranes, more than most oils of the same volume.
USDA FoodData Central, avocado oil
Avocado oil is high in monounsaturated fat and does not break down as fast as soybean or corn oil, but it still degrades in a fryer that runs all day, so the change should be made on smell and on how the oil looks rather than on the label.
FAO/WHO Codex standard for vegetable oils
What can I use instead?
Related
More fats & oils:
Common questions
Why does avocado oil not taste like avocado?
Because it is usually pressed from the pit, and the pit has almost none of the flesh compounds that carry the flavor. The cold-pressed oils made from the flesh do taste of avocado and are sold in smaller bottles for that reason.
Is avocado oil better than olive oil?
For heat they are close, with avocado oil having the higher smoke point. For eating cold, extra virgin olive oil wins on the polyphenols it keeps and on the evidence behind it. Using one for each is a reasonable split.
Is avocado oil healthier than butter?
In a controlled trial, avocado oil lowered LDL cholesterol where butter did not. Both are concentrated fat sources, so the swap helps mainly if it replaces rather than adds.
Is Avocado oil safe?
Generally safe (91/100). Avocado oil is a food without an E-number, so it is not assessed as an additive by any of the three regulators. What makes it useful is its fatty acid profile and its smoke point, both of which are properties of the fat rather than of any regulator's approval.
Is Avocado oil vegan?
Yes. Pressed from the avocado pit or the flesh.
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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
- Sacks and colleagues, American Heart Association presidential advisory on dietary fats (2017)
- USDA FoodData Central, avocado oil
- FAO/WHO Codex standard for vegetable oils