Avocado oil vs olive oil: which is healthier?
There are no formal quality standards to regulate the production of avocado oil, which is the case for extra virgin, except for some strategies to produce a high-quality oil, but there are no processing or chemical controls like olive oil has.
The benefits of eating avocados as a source of healthy fats are well known, but cold-pressed avocado oil is a recent product: how does it compare to extra virgin olive oil? Just like EVOO, there are different types of avocado oil but refined oil is more common than cold-pressed oil, as it allows you to use bruised, overripe or insect-infested fruits. Let’s focus on unrefined, cold-pressed avocado oil, as it is more comparable to EVOOs.
“Extra virgin” avocado oil is obtained by ripening it from the plant for 1-3 weeks, removing the peel, mechanically pressing the pulp, gently blending the avocado paste and finally separating the oil by centrifuge. Because avocado is an excellent source of fiber and other minor nutrients, only about 9.5% of a whole Hass avocado can be used to make oil. Given the poor yield, 16 Hass avocados are required for a 250ml bottle of oil!
However, it is important to note that there are no formal quality standards to regulate the production of avocado oil, which is the case for extra virgin, except for some strategies to produce a high-quality oil, but there are no processing or chemical controls like olive oil has.
As a recent product, avocado oil does not have extensive literature on its composition and effects on human health. However, the two oils have a similar fatty acid profile: avocado oil is composed of about 70% monounsaturated fatty acids, 14% polyunsaturated fatty acids and 12% saturated fats. Unfortunately, no values are reported for bioactive compounds, suggesting that the analyses were done on refined avocado oil. If you use high-quality avocados, some fat-soluble polyphenols and antioxidants remain in the oil, but not as many and different or highly concentrated as EVOO, which also seems to be more heat-resistant. The lower performance of avocado oil could be due to a slightly higher polyunsaturated fatty acid content (~4% more) or could suggest significantly lower concentrations of bioactive compounds than EVOO. In any case, this oil has outperformed most refined oils that claim to be ideal for cooking.
The main downside of cooking with avocado oil is that it doesn’t add flavor to meals like EVOO does, which instead has a range of different flavors and aromas based on the variety of olives that can really transform the taste of a dish.
One of the main reasons why daily consumption of EVOO oil is recommended is that the supporting evidence is credible and numerous, while eating whole avocados in a balanced diet has shown many health benefits due to the combination of healthy fats, fiber, and bioactive compounds. So EVOO is still the number one choice.
https://olivewellnessinstitute.org/article/extra-virgin-olive-oil-vs-avocado-oil-which-is-healthier/