The Full Body Benefits of Avocado Oil

Avocado oil has emerged as a nutritional powerhouse, offering remarkable benefits for both internal health and external use. Rich in healthy monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, and essential nutrients, this versatile oil supports heart health, reduces inflammation, nourishes skin and hair, and serves as an excellent high-heat cooking option. This article explores the comprehensive benefits of incorporating avocado oil into your lifestyle.

The Nutritional Profile of Avocado Oil

At first, avocados weren't the most popular fruit (yes, they're a fruit!). However, as research increased and people grew to appreciate their buttery flavor, avocados became a dietary staple. 

If you're seeking an oil packed with healthy fats and antioxidants, avocados deliver. When premium avocado oil is extracted, it can benefit your entire body. According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public 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." 

Is Avocado Oil Healthy?

Undeniably so! 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." Avocado oil is a natural ingredient without harmful chemicals—making it not only delicious for consumption but also beneficial for various applications.

What makes avocado oil particularly potent is its concentration of oleic acid, an omega-9 fatty acid found in several animals and plants such as fish and chia seeds. This fatty acid facilitates proper fat transportation, allowing your body to access energy efficiently when needed. Rather than storing fat in unwanted areas, your body uses oleic acid to increase blood flow to muscles, enhance brain activity, replenish dry skin, and support vision health.

Key Nutrients in Avocado Oil

Avocado oil contains an impressive array of nutrients:

• Vitamin E: A powerful antioxidant that protects cells from damage

• Vitamin A: Supports vision and immune function

• Vitamin D: Important for bone health and immune function

• Potassium: Essential for nerve function and muscle control

• Lutein: Supports eye health and brain cognition

• Lecithin: Improves nutrient absorption and supports cell function

While whole avocados contain vitamins B and C, these water-soluble vitamins are less prevalent in the oil. Each nutrient listed plays a vital role in supporting your skin, internal organs, and even your nails and hair.

Internal Health Benefits of Avocado Oil

Enhanced Nutrient Absorption

One of avocado oil's most fascinating properties is its ability to enhance the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients from other foods.

With the vitamins already present in avocados, converting them into oil and using this in food increases the bioavailability of those nutrients. The oleic acid in avocado oil helps smaller vitamins and minerals cross through cell walls more efficiently, enabling them to perform essential functions like cellular regeneration and nutrient transport throughout the body.

During digestion, fats are necessary for properly breaking down food into usable components. Avocado oil contains numerous monounsaturated fatty acids that aid this process. As a result, essential vitamins are absorbed more rapidly, and digestive function can improve with regular consumption of avocado oil.

Heart-Healthy Fats

Avocado oil contains approximately 70% oleic acid, a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid that has been linked to reduced inflammation and beneficial effects on genes linked to cancer.

The fatty acid composition of avocado oil is remarkably similar to olive oil, which has long been celebrated for its heart-health benefits. Regular consumption has been associated with improved cholesterol profiles—specifically, reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol while maintaining or increasing HDL (good) cholesterol levels.

Research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests that replacing saturated fats with monounsaturated fats like those found in avocado oil may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 15-20%.

Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Chronic inflammation is at the root of many modern diseases, from arthritis to heart disease. The combination of monounsaturated fats and antioxidants in avocado oil creates a potent anti-inflammatory effect.

Seed oil-free, avocado oil helps reduce inflammation by lubricating joints and providing the body with anti-inflammatory vitamins, minerals, and fats. 

Studies suggest that compounds in avocado oil, including phenolic compounds, fatty acids, and bioactive sterols, can inhibit the production of inflammatory proteins, potentially reducing inflammation-related discomfort and disease risk.

Read: Are Seed Oils Bad for You?

Brain and Eye Health

Avocado oil offers numerous benefits for brain health. Our nerve fibers are protected by a fatty myelin sheath, which avocado oil's monounsaturated fats and oleic acid help maintain and rebuild. This enables proper neural function, with research suggesting that oleic acid may help preserve cognitive function in adults.

Similarly, your eyes benefit from neural protection. While direct studies are still developing, associations have been observed between avocado consumption and reduced ocular disease. The lutein present in avocados is also concentrated in human eyes, suggesting a beneficial relationship.

Supporting brain and eye health is made easier by cooking nutrient-rich foods like eggs, dark leafy greens, and cruciferous vegetables in avocado oil.

Cooking with Avocado Oil

Incorporating avocado into cooking provides an easy way to gain its benefits. Avocado oil has a light profile that allows food to cook evenly without overpowering flavors. 

One of avocado oil's standout cooking qualities is its high smoke point—approximately 520°F (271°C), which makes it an excellent oil for frying and high-heat cooking methods. This smoke point is over 100°F higher than olive oil. When oils are heated beyond their smoke point, beneficial compounds break down and potentially harmful substances may form. Avocado oil maintains its nutritional integrity at high temperatures, making it ideal for searing, stir-frying, and other high-heat applications.

Check out Jackson’s avocado oil chips for an easy and delicious way to introduce more avocado oil into your day.

Pure, Premium, Minimally-processed Avocado Oil

The process for producing avocado oil is straightforward: avocados are sorted, mashed, then pressed through an expeller to remove impurities. This minimal processing contributes to the oil's light green color, distinctive flavor, and health benefits.

Without harsh chemicals, unrefined and minimally processed avocado oil is ready for immediate use. Refined oils generally have less flavor and lower nutrient density. While personal preference varies, unrefined extra virgin avocado oil typically offers superior taste and nutritional value.

Always consult with your healthcare provider before making significant dietary changes. A medical professional can help ensure you're consuming appropriate amounts of avocado oil for your specific health needs.

External Benefits: Avocado Oil for Hair, Skin and Nails

Hair Benefits

Avocado oil provides many of the same benefits to hair as it does to skin. Hair requires moisture supplied through follicles, which is often insufficient for many people. Adding avocado oil to your hair care routine can increase thickness, reduce dandruff, and potentially accelerate hair growth.

Board-certified dermatologist Stacy Chimento confirms that the "fatty acids, vitamins D and E, and beta carotene in avocado oil help moisturize and nourish the skin and hair."

Environmental factors like wind and temperature fluctuations can decrease moisture in hair and scalp. Lecithin in avocado oil coats hair and scalp with a protective layer that prevents moisture loss.

A simple way to incorporate avocado oil is to work a dime-sized amount into your hair after a warm shower. Alternatively, warm a few tablespoons of avocado oil, add your favorite essential oils, and massage the mixture into your scalp when it's cool enough to touch without burning.

Skin Benefits

Avocado oil offers numerous benefits for skin conditions including acne, eczema, and general dryness. Applying avocado oil to your face effectively retains moisture. Try leaving it on for a few minutes before rinsing off—you'll find no oily residue, just soft, supple skin that's protected from environmental damage.

Acne

Beyond its internal anti-inflammatory properties, avocado oil also helps reduce external inflammation. Acne involves inflammation, redness, and swelling, which can be mitigated by regular application of avocado oil. The oil's anti-inflammatory compounds work externally just as they do internally, potentially reducing the severity and duration of breakouts.

Eczema

Eczema is a condition characterized by inflamed, itchy, and often painful accumulations of dead skin cells. A study published in Dermatology found that a combination of avocado oil and vitamin B12 significantly reduced eczema symptoms, with patients reporting noticeable improvement in comfort and appearance.

Youthful Skin

Another remarkable property of avocado oil is its collagen content, making it effective for skin repair and regeneration. Collagen is the protein in skin that naturally loses elasticity as we age, resulting in wrinkles and fine lines. While many commercial products advertise collagen benefits, avocado oil from your pantry may help maintain collagen integrity and slow visible aging processes.

The oil's ability to penetrate deeply into the skin allows it to deliver nutrients to the dermis layer where collagen is produced. Regular application can improve skin elasticity and moisture retention, giving skin a healthier, more youthful appearance.

The Verdict: Benefits of Avocado Oil Recap

Overall, the avocado is a remarkable fruit that offers comprehensive benefits for the entire body, explaining its popularity in households worldwide. Avocado oil, in particular, deserves consideration as an alternative to more commonly used oils like olive oil due to its versatility and extensive health properties.

Key Avocado Oil Benefits:

• Supports cardiovascular health by improving cholesterol levels and reducing inflammation

• Maintains stability at higher cooking temperatures than many other oils

• Retains more beneficial nutrients when unrefined

• Serves as an excellent component of anti-inflammatory diets

• Moisturizes skin and hair while potentially alleviating conditions like eczema

• Supports cognitive function and vision health

• Enhances absorption of nutrients from other foods

• Contains antioxidants that combat cellular damage from free radicals

Whether you're drizzling avocado oil over salads, enjoying Jackson’s avocado oil snacks, or applying it topically as part of your skin and hair care routine, avocado oil offers a wealth of benefits that contribute to overall wellness.