Avocado oil: properties and benefits

Avocado oil is one of the oils considered functional oils. What is a functional oil? It means that they are produced not only for their nutritional characteristics, but also to fulfil a specific function to improve health or reduce the risk of contracting certain diseases.

It is a totally vegetable and healthy product, as avocado is very rich in unsaturated fats and oleic acid, just like olive oil. It is ideal for lactose intolerant people and has no sugars or sweeteners.

Uses and properties

Although it is very famous at cosmetic level thanks to its high moisturising power, avocado oil is an excellent option for dressing salads, dipping bread or flavouring your favourite dishes. It can be used in both cold and warm recipes. You can make hummus, pâtés or sauces.

Avocado oil is obtained through a first cold pressing process, ensuring the molecular stability of fatty acids, vitamin E and natural antioxidants. In other words, it is cold extracted to keep its properties as intact as possible.

The components of the oil mean that its properties and benefits are increasingly used for both food and cosmetic care.

The acidity of the avocado is less than 1%. Composed of various medicinal substances such as lecithins and phytosterols such as beta-sitosterol, it is also very rich in unsaturated fats, specifically omega-9 and omega-6, and high in vitamin E, almost twice as much as grape seed, vitamin A, vitamin K and B vitamins.

It is also rich in amino acids such as glutamine, which has antioxidant action by inhibiting the formation of free radicals, which disrupt the cell nucleus.

Benefits of avocado oil

It is often used to prevent heart, prostate, eye and skin diseases. Helps to control blood glucose and therefore to fight diabetes. It improves the immune system and helps in weight loss.

Thanks to its unsaturated fat content, avocado oil can help regulate cholesterol levels. It reduces LDL (bad) cholesterol and increases HDL (good) cholesterol.

As it is rich in beta-sitosterol, similar to the cholesterol molecule, it helps to reduce cholesterol absorption in the intestine, as well as acting on the cell membrane by reducing cholesterol absorption.

Due to its high vitamin E content, it can be considered a natural antioxidant. With its level of vitamin A, it helps prevent eye problems such as cataracts and night blindness.

Avocado oil can act as an important vascular interventor for the membrane exchange of cardiac and renal cells. It increases collagen synthesis and reduces inflammatory molecules in the blood. Helps increase the absorption of lycopene and beta-caronthene when used in salad dressings with foods rich in these substances (such as carrots and tomatoes).

In women, it causes anti-oestrogenic effects by reducing the binding of oestrogen receptors. This process prevents the undesirable effects of high levels of oestrogen in the body, such as fluid retention and weight gain.

In addition, in men it also acts positively by helping to reduce inflammation of the prostate. It prevents and assists in the treatment of prostate cancer by inhibiting an enzyme in the liver which reduces testosterone.

Contraindications

The only contraindication we have been able to find is that it is not recommended for pregnant women and nursing mothers. This is due to its beta-sitosterol content, as its effects on the development of babies are not known.

In addition, of course, excessive consumption of avocado oil, as with everything else, can lead to adverse health effects.

Where to buy avocado oil?

The use of avocado oil in cooking is becoming more and more common, which means that it can be found in any establishment or supermarket. However, in mentta we make it easier and we give you several options with the ease of buying online and you get it at home.

In La Tienda de Naturgreen we could not miss a product like this, and its avocado oil is ideal for dressing salads or flavouring your dishes thanks to its exquisite taste while you benefit from its multiple nutritional properties.

From Degustam we offer you the avocado oil from “La Tourangelle”, a 100% handmade and natural product, made with top quality avocados. Therefore, this delicious oil delights us with a spectacular emerald green colour and an exquisite fruity flavour.

In addition, this same shop offers you a special Chef Gourmet gift pack dedicated to the aficionados of haute cuisine which includes, among many other select and innovative products, this same avocado oil “La Tourangelle” 250ml.