Nutrition Facts and Tips

Avocado Oil Health Benefits for Nutrition, Hair and Skin

Avocado oil has a wonderful array of health benefits for nutrition and for natural hair and skin care. Avocado oil is the edible oil squeezed from flesh of peeled avocados, not the seeds.

You can do it yourself at home (see below) or buy extracted oil. Avocado oil has been widely used for both cosmetic purposes and cooking purposes, and is popular for hair treatment and nourishing the scalp.

Avocado oil's unusually high smoke point and pleasant aromatic flavor make it ideal for high temperature frying, such as stir fries and for oiling hotplates and grills. It is also used in preparing salad dressings and for other dishes. Nutritionally, avocado oil ranks about the same as extra virgin olive oil with a predominance of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Avocado oil is also rich in beta-carotene, liproteins, lecithin, and vitamins A, D and E.

This article includes data on the nutrients in avocado oil and its health benefits for nutrition and cooking, and as a tonic for the hair and skin.

Making Your Own Avocado Oil at Home

Remove the flesh from about 1 kg (2.2 lb) of avocado and transfer to a the blender. Add 2 cups of coconut cream - this is optional, if you want pure avocado oil.

Blend the mixture until its becomes completely smooth ( you may need 1-2 tablespoons of water, more if you do not use coconut cream.

When blended the mixture should have the consistency of wet paste. Next you need to remove the water by simmering. Add the mixture to a large saucepan or pot over moderate to low heat.

Simmer gently, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to prevent any burning on the sides or bottom of the pan.

Continue heating until all of the moisture has been boiled-off and evaporated, then set aside to cool. The mixture will turn a black color.

Next you need to filter the mixture through fine cloth used to line a large sieve.

Taking hold of the edges of the cloth, bring them together to form like a bag with the avocado mixture inside. Gently squeeze the avocado mixture in the cloth bag to filter out as much oil as you can (about 8-15% of the avocado flesh is oil, so the yield will be quite small).

Pour the extracted avocado oil into a glass container and store in the refrigerator. Alternatively you can by buy avocado oil relatively cheaply in health food stores and various food outlets.

Nutritional Health Benefits of Avocado Oil

Avocado oil has many unique healthy properties. See the table below for details of the key nutrients. Fresh avocado contains more protein than most other fruits and has more potassium than a banana. The key nutrients that are high in Avocado oil (see Table) are:

• High levels of unsaturated fatty acids
• Calcium
• Iron
• Potassium
• Zinc
• Copper
• Folate
• Biotin
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K
• Antioxidants

Nutrients in Avocado (100 g of Pulp)

Benefits for Nutrient Absorption - Research has shown that Avocado oil boosts the absorption of carotenoids in your food, as well as having substantial amounts of carotenoids. In the study, avocado oil used as a dressing for a salad boosted beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and lutein absorption by as much as 15 times in comparison with a salad with no avocado oil.

Healthy Fatty Acids - Avocado oil has very high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids (76%) and much higher than that for olive oil (67%), which is often promoted for its healthy fats. Avocado oil also has lower saturated fats than olive oil as well. Diets rich in monounsaturated fats are known to improve skin tone and complexion.

High Smoke Point - Avocado oil is ideal for high temperature cooking such as stir fries (see the comparison table below) because its smoke temperature is about 520 degrees Fahrenheit (270 Celsius). This is much higher than many of the other oils promoted for frying such as soybean or canola oil and is much higher than extra virgin olive oil (which is not really suitable for frying despite it being promoted for this purpose). Smoking during frying can taint the food and may release harmful chemicals as the fatty acids break down.

Rich Source of vitamin E - Avocado has one of the highest levels of Vitamin E than many other foods. This essential vitamin is known to help prevent cardiovascular disease, reduce blood pressure and may help to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other diseases.

Avocado oil is extremely rich in monounsaturated oleic acid (OA) and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. OA is known to play a role in reducing the absorption of dietary triglycerides and cholesterol. These essential fatty acids, together with vitamin E represent a powerful antioxidant suite which can help maintain your blood vessels, reduces blood pressure and helps to lower the risk of coronary heart disease and thrombosis.

Avocado oil anti-inflammatory properties and may help relieve the symptoms of diseases such as osteoarthritis and periodontal disease.

Avocado oil shown to be beneficial for treatment of Psoriasis - Research studies have suggested that the combination of avocado oil and vitamin B12 may be a useful as a longterm topical treatment for psoriasis.

Benefits of Avocado Oil for the Skin

Vitamin A, D and E, for which Avocado oil is a rich source, are all essential for in skin cell growth, maintenance and repair. Research studies have shown that the topical application of avocado oil to the skin and inclusion in the diet can help make fine lines, age spots and wrinkles less visible. Avocado oil is also useful for cleansing the skin. Simply pat avocado oil on the skin on, then rinse it off with warm water and a soft cloth.

The oil is also useful for softening dry, rough or flaking skin and is also beneficial for massaged into the scalp to improves your hair. Avocado oil may also help relieve eczema.

Health Benefits of Avocado Oil for the Hair

Avocado oil is a wonderful source of lecithin which has benefits as an emulsifier and lubricant for you hair and scalp. Avocado oil is also rich in sterolin which is useful as moisturizer for your in hair.

Cooking Oil Comparisons

Related Articles on Avocados Including Recipes and Uses for Skin and Hair

=> How to Cut, Peel, Prepare an Avocado - Best Avocado Recipe Ideas

=> Avocado Nutrition Facts - Calories, Fat, Protein, Vitamins, Minerals