7 Science-Backed Benefits of Avocado Oil + How To Find A High-Quality Option

Avocado oil is considered one of the healthiest cooking oils to use. But despite its growing popularity and availability on shelves, it’s important to choose your avocado oil wisely. So, what are the benefits of avocado oil and how can you find the best option at the store? Here’s what you need to know.

There are plenty of benefits of avocado oil that make it more nutritious than other cooking oils like seed oils. Here are some of the top perks:

Avocado oil has a high smoke point compared to other oils, says Nisha Chellam, MD, a functional medicine doctor with Parsley Health. The smoke point is 480 degrees Fahrenheit for unrefined avocado oil and 520 degrees for refined avocado oil. That’s significantly higher than extra-virgin olive oil (350 degrees) and vegetable oil (400 degrees).

In one 12-week study3, 163 people who had up to 175 grams of avocado (about one large 'cado) once a day found that those who ate the fruit had a more diverse range of gut bacteria compared to the control group. They also had lower amounts of bile acids in their feces, which can indicate that food is moving well through the stomach.

Avocado oil falls under the category of liquid plant oil that is low in saturated fat, which is what the American Heart Association7 recommends cooking with for heart health.

Avocado oil’s impact on cholesterol has been directly researched in several small studies. One crossover study8 in the Journal of Functional Foods had participants either eat a meal that featured 25 grams of butter or 25 grams of avocado oil. The participants had their blood drawn after each meal, and data showed that people who had avocado oil had lower levels of triglycerides, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and blood sugar compared with those who had butter. 

Avocado oil is rich in lutein9, an antioxidant that’s critical for good eye health that the body cannot make on its own. Having enough lutein in your diet may reduce your risk of developing cataracts10 and macular degeneration, which are more common as you age, Chellam says. Lutein is also a powerful antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals and filter blue light, making them a type of "internal sunglasses11."

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Dena Champion, an RD at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, agrees. “Refined avocado oil is great for baking,” she adds.

Avocado oil can generally be broken into two groups: refined and unrefined. “Unrefined avocado oil contains chlorophyll and carotenoids, which give it a light green color,” Champion says. “It has a mild flavor and aroma that most find pleasing.” This oil, in general, has more phytochemicals than refined oil, Champion says.

Depending on what you’re eating, though, you may prefer one over the other. “If you are baking cookies, you would not want the flavor of traditional avocado oil,” Champion points out. “Refined avocado oil also has a higher smoke point, which means you can heat it to very high temperatures before it burns.”

Avocado oil is just one of several healthy plant oils. For comparison’s sake, here’s how it stacks up to other popular oils.

“Avocado oil has a healthier nutrient profile than coconut oil,” Champion says. “Coconut oil is high in saturated fats, whereas avocado oil is high in unsaturated fats.” Coconut oil is also solid at room temperature which can make cooking with it slightly more challenging than avocado oil, Kris-Etherton says. 

“They’re both good for you, and it’s good to mix things up,” Kris-Etherton says.

Here are just a few ways to use avocado oil every day:

It’s important to store your avocado oil properly. The oil should be stored away from light, so it’s best to put it in a cupboard or pantry, Kris-Etherton says. Once it’s opened, you can usually get about eight months out of the bottle before it goes bad, although it may last slightly longer in the fridge, she adds.

It's also important to note that our macronutrient needs for fat should not be met with just oil. Champion says, “Dietary fat is important in a healthy diet, but plenty exists in whole foods such as nuts, seeds, and avocados.”

Kris-Etherton recommends doing your research to buy from a company that practices responsible production and processing methods. It’s also a good idea to buy avocado oil that’s stored in a dark glass bottle, which blocks light and helps prevent the oil from oxidizing or going bad before its expiration date.

But just because it's straightforward doesn't mean it's easy. It can be a very time-intensive process and can create a lot of food waste if you have no plans to use the rest of the fruit. “Think about a way of using the whole food,” Kris-Etherton advises. 

If avocado oil isn’t part of your daily life already, it’s worth adding to your rotation. This oil is packed with nutrients and has plenty of valuable uses in cooking and beyond. Keep it within reach in the kitchen, along with other nutrient-packed oils like olive oil, for a healthy base for your culinary creations.