Avocado oil for hair benefits, cooking and more…Avocados and avocado oil took a long time to take off. Initially, the products were named guacamole and guacamole oil, respectively, but these terms were soon perceived as derogatory. There is some controversy around the origin of the term avocado. It is said that the word “avocado” comes from the Aztec word for testicle because the popularity of the fruit hindered its marketing. To address this issue, farmers changed the title to avocado and even petitioned dictionary publishers to update their entries. It was a smart move on their part to call it “avocado toast.” The other item doesn’t sound as delicious.
Is Avocado Oil Good For You?
During the ’80s, low-fat diets were promoted as one of the best ways to lose weight and avocados were avoided because of their fat content. Sadly, after it was discovered that different fats have different effects on the body, avocados received a bad reputation again because they were considered high in unhealthy saturated fats. The Primal and keto movements have boosted avocado production and consumption, and avocados are thought of as a healthy foodstuff that fits into a wholesome lifestyle.
Avocado Oil for hair Benefits and for Skin
Avocado oil is naturally rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids, and it has been known for decades as a component of skin care products. Demand for natural products has increased, and avocado oil is an increasingly prevalent ingredient in cosmetic products of all kinds.
There’s not a tremendous amount of research on avocado oil for hair benefits and for skin, but a few studies show its potential as a worthy skin ingredient:
You can try it out as a base in homemade facial masks. Add three tablespoons of avocado oil and 1 tablespoon of a light oil, such as MCT oil, to a small bottle. Add one drop of essential oil such as frankincense or rose. Shake to mix, and apply one drop at a time to your skin.
Avocado Oil Nutrition
Primal Kitchen & Acirc; Avocado Oil contains 120 calories and 14 grams of fat per tablespoon. It is a relatively small source of sodium, carbohydrates, and protein.
Fatty Acid Composition of Avocado Oil
One of the main avocado oil benefits is its fatty acid composition.
Saturated and monounsaturated fats are stable fats that your body can use; polyunsaturated fats tend to oxidize easily.6
If you’re curious about the fatty acid composition of other culinary oils, you can find them in this article.
Avocado Oil vs Olive Oil
Avocado oil and olive oil have several common aspects, but they can be useful for cooking in different environments.
Monounsaturated fat
Avocado oil and olive oil are both high in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat, which has been shown to be beneficial to the immune system and lowers blood pressure. Both may be beneficial to blood-lipid profiles.
Antioxidant Content
Both avocado oil and olive oil contain a variety of antioxidants. High quality, extra-virgin avocado oil contains lutein, a carotenoid that may improve eye and skin health. Olive oil contains vitamin E, beta carotene, lutein, and many other nutrients with a wide range of benefits. 13 Avocado oil’s benefits are contingent on how much lutein is in the avocado. The amount of lutein in avocado oil varies according to avocado quality, processing methods, and many other factors.
Smoke Point
Both olive oil and avocado oil make excellent salad and cooking oils when they come straight from the bottle. The distinction comes in when you heat the oils. Avocado oil burns at over 500 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas extra virgin olive oil only reaches high temperatures of around 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Both oils have uses, as long as you use them properly.
Avocado Oil: Regular or Extra Virgin?
There are some important differences between avocado and extra virgin avocado oil.
Taste
Avocado oil has a neutral taste. It has rich, buttery, and earthy or mushroom-like flavors.
Point of smoke
Both have similarly high smoke points, but avocado oil has a slightly higher smoke point than extra virgin avocado oil. Both work well for cooking, baking, frying, grilling, and more.
Uses
Because avocado oil has a mild taste and works well in cooking, it is a common cooking oil that works well with many recipes. However, its rich flavor is best showcased as a finishing oil or a dressing for simple salads.
Avocado oil uses
Cooking
Avocado oil can be used in place of any other neutral-tasting culinary oil.
You can also use avocado oil uncooked, such as in homemade salad dressings or drizzled as a finishing oil. The rich, buttery flavor of avocado oil complements these applications well.
As researchers warned of the harmful consequences of oxidized oils, people began to focus on which oils could be heated, and just how hot they could become without being damaged. Many healthy fats are delicate and oxidize rapidly. Some oils should not be heated, and should always be bottled or refrigerated immediately.
Avocado oil has unique properties in that it contains primarily monounsaturated fats that are stable when heated over 500 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s ideal for the stovetop, as cooking above 350 degrees can cause other oils to smoke.
Frying
Because avocado oil can be heated to such a high degree without damage, it is excellent for use as a frying oil. As long as the temperature does not exceed 520 degrees, you are all set.
Avocado Oil for Hair Benefits
Those with curly hair may often use avocado oil like they would other hair products or pomade to fix frizz, tame flyaways, and create smoother, more manageable hair. You should try it if you have time to style your hair afterward and if it doesn’t work with your hairstyle.
Avocados naturally contain biotin. Because biotin deficiency is associated with hair loss, people have applied avocado oil-based scalp treatments to stimulate hair growth. This hasn’t been researched yet, but you may want to try it. Monitor your hair for changes, and you can mix it with other ingredients such as coconut oil or shea butter for a moisturizing hair mask or hot oil treatment.
There isn’t any measurable biotin in avocado oil so if the avocado mask is improving the condition of one’s skin, this is not because the oil contains biotin. The oil likely has other beneficial properties which is why avocado oil for hair benefits works so well.
How to Choose the Right Avocado Oil
A lot of avocado oil on the shelves may be either rancid (highly oxidized), or adulterated (cut with lower quality, less expensive oils like soybean). It’s up to you to do your homework and find a reliable brand so that the oil inside the bottle matches what it says on the outside.
From the tree to the bottle: the Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil process
Avocado oil for hair benefits; What to Look For
To make sure you get high-quality avocado oil, look for these characteristics:
Shop Primal Kitchen and Avedro Oil.
Signs Your Avocado Oil Might Be Off
Don’t be reluctant to contact avocado oil producers and ask about their production processes.
How to Buy and Store Avocado Oil for Hair Benefits
Again, make sure the expiration date is intact before buying, and be certain to use the bottle within that time. Look for avocado oil in dark glass containers, as light will degrade the oil more quickly. You can store avocado oil in a dark cabinet or pantry, away from sunlight and heat.
References:
https://www.agriculturejournals.cz/publicFiles/150092.pdf
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0738081X08000126
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15814269/