Table of contents
Avocado oil comes from the flesh of the avocado ( Persea americana ), is mainly cold-pressed ( raw ) and also available in organic quality.
Use in the kitchen
Cold-pressed avocado oil tastes mild, buttery, nutty and has a greenish color. The greener the color, the less processed it is and the more chlorophyll it still contains. Like olive oil , it is a pulp oil made from avocados . For extra virgin and virgin avocado oil, the fruit must be of a certain quality and the temperature must not exceed 50 °C, so it can be described as raw. Extra virgin oil has a smoke point of around 250 °C, virgin oil at 200 °C. Avocado oil labeled pure can also be flavored with herbs or fruit. 1 Although the oil has good heat resistance, heating promotes the breakdown of bioactive compounds such as unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants, which is why it is preferable raw . 4
Due to its heat resistance and pleasant taste, avocado oil is used in both cold and warm cooking (e.g. for baking). Cold-pressed, fruity avocado oil goes well in salads (e.g. with tomatoes , spring onions , cucumbers ,lettuce , parsley ), dressings or marinades, such as in apple coleslaw with kale and goji berry dressing . In addition to dips ( guacamole , vegan mayonnaise), cold-pressed (raw) avocado oil also refines spreads (bruschetta). It is also used to make oils with flavors (e.g. herb or chili oil).
Its mild, aromatic taste means it can be used as a substitute for extra virgin olive oil when you want to avoid the sharp taste. It can be stirred into cooked pasta or noodle dishes. Avocado oil can also be used to give purees and soups a creamier consistency or to add a mild but flavorful source of fat to smoothies. Avocado oil adds a pleasant note to sweet dishes or desserts (such as apple bread or chocolate mousse).
In terms of health, whole avocados, nuts or seeds are preferable to using oils. The buttery consistency of avocados allows for a wide range of uses. If you use oils, make sure they have a good fatty acid ratio, such as linseed oil or cold-pressed rapeseed oil .
Vegan recipe for raw zucchini cream soup with avocado oil
Ingredients (for 4 people): 3 zucchini (raw, organic), 3 tbsp pine nuts (raw), 1 organic lemon , 1 tbsp agave syrup , 400-450 ml water (depending on desired creaminess), ½ bunch of fresh parsley , 2 tbsp avocado oil, salt .
Preparation: Wash the zucchini and chop into small pieces. Squeeze the lemon. Put all ingredients except the avocado oil into a high-performance blender and puree until smooth. Add the oil at the end. The recipe also works with other vegetables that can be eaten raw or with a whole avocado .
Vegan recipes with avocado oil can be found under the note: " Recipes that have the most of this ingredient ".
| Not only vegans or vegetarians should read this: Vegans often eat unhealthily. Avoidable nutritional mistakes . |
Purchasing - Storage
Cold-pressed avocado oil can be found all year round in supermarkets (such as Coop , Migros , Spar , Rewe , Edeka and Billa ), and in organic supermarkets (such as Denn's Biomarkt and Alnatura ) it is of course available in organic quality. At Aldi , Hofer, Lidl , Denner or Volg , avocado oil is rarely available or only available during selected promotions. The production, marketing and distribution of cold-pressed avocado oil only gained importance in the 21st century. 1
When buying avocado oil, make sure you choose a pure avocado oil (extra virgin or virgin), as this is also available as a mixture with other oils (pure). 1 In addition, a cold-pressed oil in organic quality is preferable. This is of higher quality.
The availability of avocado oil (raw) varies depending on the size of the store, catchment area, etc. Our recorded food prices for the DA-CH countries can be found above under the ingredient image - and by clicking on them you can see their development at various suppliers.
Cold-pressed oils (laws)
In Switzerland, an oil is considered cold-pressed if the oilseed was not heated, the pressing temperature did not exceed 50 °C and no problematic post-treatment was carried out. According to the Federal Department of Home Affairs ( EDI ) An edible oil is considered to be cold-pressed (or may contain synonyms such as (extra) virgin, unrefined, cold-pressed or natural) if it is obtained by pressing or centrifuging from previously unheated raw materials, the temperature during pressing did not exceed 50 °C and there was no refining, ie no neutralisation, no treatment with adsorbents, bleaching earth and no steaming .
An oil can be called gently steamed if the refining process was limited to steaming and did not exceed 130 °C . 25
In the EU and the USA, there does not appear to be a generally applicable temperature limit set by law for cold-pressed oils. In Germany, similar values apply to those in the EDI regulation in Switzerland. However, the guidelines in Germany do not specify a permissible maximum temperature for general cold pressing. They only refer to products whose labelling and composition are not conclusively set by law (eg not for olive oil or spreadable fats). 26
However, both the EU directives and the EDI regulation on edible oil provide for special rules for the labelling of olive oils. 25,27
The terms "raw food" and "raw" are not state-protected terms, such as "organic". Although the pressing temperatures in purely mechanical cold pressing do not usually exceed 40 °C, one should not naively assume that edible oils are raw food quality. There is a suspicion that the measuring method used does not indicate the temperature in the press cylinder, where the heating is highest. In addition, the pressing pressure, the pressing speed and the moisture content of the oilseed influence the pressing temperature. If the moisture content is too low, the temperature rises during pressing and can even exceed the maximum limit of 50 °C.
With water-cooled olive oil presses (so-called "water-cooled 37°" oil presses), it is probably not even possible to say with any certainty what the exact temperature is inside the press cylinder, because the entire press cylinder is surrounded by cooling sleeves. 13
Storage tips
Avocado oil's shelf life can be extended by storing it in a well-sealed container and protected from oxygen (air). Like other oils that contain unsaturated fatty acids, it reacts with oxygen, which is why opened oils spoil more quickly. Storage in a dark and cool place also increases its shelf life. 24 Cold-pressed avocado oil contains chlorophyll pigments, which give it its greenish color. However, these pigments break down when exposed to light, which has a negative effect on the stability of the oil. 2 Unopened avocado oil lasts for around 18 months, and opened oil lasts between 3 and 6 months, until it tastes rancid. Opened, cold-pressed avocado oil is best stored in the refrigerator. Rancid oil can be recognized by a change in color, taste or smell. If you see these signs, you should no longer use it.
Ingredients - Nutritional values - Calories
What nutritional values does avocado oil have? Avocado oil contains 884 kcal/100g, which comes to 88.4 kcal per portion (10 g). These come exclusively from fats. Carbohydrates and protein are not found. 12 g of 100 g are saturated fatty acids , which corresponds to 57.8% of the daily requirement. This is significantly higher than in other oils (e.g. linseed oil 1.2 g/100g). 3
Avocado oil has an average of 13 g of linoleic acid (omega-6 fatty acid) per 100 g, which covers 125% of the daily requirement. Safflower oil and unsalted, roasted pistachios provide a comparable amount. Avocado oil contains 0.96 g of alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3 fatty acid) per 100 g, which corresponds to 48% of the daily requirement. Pecans (raw) have a similar value at 0.99 g/100g, whereas linseed oil has much more of the anti-inflammatory fatty acid at 53 g/100g. 3
This results in an omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio (LA:ALA) of around 13:1 for avocado oil. Ideally, you should aim for a ratio of 1:1 or 2-4:1 through your diet to protect your health. 20 Avocado oil, which is used as a substitute for olive oil , actually has a slightly worse fatty acid ratio than olive oil, which at 12:1 is also not ideal. A better alternative with a more balanced LA:ALA ratio can be found in cold-pressed linseed oil 1:4, cold-pressed rapeseed oil 2:1 and hemp oil 4:1. 3
Avocado oil has 12 mg of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) per 100 g. This corresponds to 99% of the daily requirement. This content is comparable to cold-pressed olive oil (14 mg/100g). Hazelnut oil contains 47 mg/100g, almost four times as much vitamin E. 3
The vitamin K content per 100 g of avocado oil is 55 µg/100g, which is 73% of the daily requirement. Cold-pressed olive oil has a similar value at 60 µg/100g. At 112 µg/100g , Styrian pumpkin seed oil has about twice the amount of the fat-soluble vitamin. 3
Cold-pressed avocado oil contains various secondary plant substances. The content varies depending on the type of avocado used, the season and the processing conditions. It mainly contains sterols, chlorophyll, carotenoids and polyphenols. 4
The complete ingredients of avocado oil (raw), the coverage of the daily requirement and comparison values with other ingredients can be found in our nutrient tables. In the article Nutrients explained you will get a detailed insight into the topic.
Health effects
Avocado oil reduces triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, which can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. This effect is attributed to the fatty acid composition, which in avocado and avocado oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) . Secondary plant substances such as phytosterol also play a role. 5,7 The intake of phytosterol is also associated with cancer prevention. 7 Avocado oil appears to be generally helpful in the treatment of chronic diseases such as hypercholesterolemia, high blood pressure, diabetes and fatty liver disease due to the bioactive components it contains (polyphenols, carotenoids, oleic acid/MUFA, linoleic acid/PUFA, etc.). The carotenoid lutein (a secondary plant substance) in avocado oil is considered to protect against prostate cancer and eye diseases. 6 In addition, the secondary plant substances and tocopherol (vitamin E) have an antioxidant character. Unsaponifiable components of the oil are said to have an anti-inflammatory effect against processes that are associated with cancer. 5
How healthy is avocado oil? Avocado oil is a good source of the fatty acids linoleic acid and oleic acid, but an increased consumption of omega-6 fatty acids (linoleic acid) is suspected of promoting inflammation in the body, among other things. In addition, unlike LA or ALA, oleic acid is not essential because our body produces it itself, so it does not necessarily have to be consumed with food. 21, 22 Avocado oil also contains a certain amount of omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid). When it comes to oils, nuts and seeds, make sure they have a high content of alpha-linolenic acid (e.g. linseed oil , walnuts , etc.). This is because our body only synthesizes DHA and EPA from these. This also achieves the desired LA:ALA ratio of almost 1:1. 21 Some of the positive health effects described are attributed to the secondary plant substances in the oil. However, these are found in much greater quantities in fruit, vegetables, pulses and grain products. 23
When it comes to fat sources, unprocessed foods such as nuts or seeds are preferable to oils. Some authors reject oil altogether and cite nuts and seeds for the fat requirement. Doctors Dean Ornish, T. Colin Campbell, John A. McDougall, Michael Klaper, Caldwell Esselstyn, Michael Greger, Joel Fuhrman, and Neal D. Barnard claim that high animal fat and protein diets, such as the standard American diet, are detrimental to health. Details can be found in the article: " Vegans often eat unhealthily. Avoidable nutritional errors. "
Dangers - Intolerances - Side effects
The main allergy that occurs with avocado fruit is the so-called "latex fruit syndrome". 1 This is a cross-reaction between latex allergy sufferers and proteins in certain foods such as avocados , bananas or chestnuts . 19 However, it is unlikely that these allergic reactions also occur with avocado oil. When producing the oil, care is taken to separate the proteins from the oil, as these may contain enzymes that reduce the quality of the oil. This means that the allergen is not contained in the oil. 1
Folk medicine - naturopathy
The leaves of the avocado tree are part of traditional medicine. Research shows an antioxidant effect due to various antioxidants such as flavonoids. 15
Ecological footprint - animal welfare
The average CO 2 footprint of an avocado is 0.6 kg CO 2 eq/kg (for the destination country Germany). 8 This value varies depending on the country of origin, which is why avocados from Peru have 0.8 kg CO 2 eq/kg. 9 In comparison, peanuts (with shell) have a CO 2 footprint of 0.8 kg CO 2 eq/kg and processed peanut butter 2 kg CO 2 eq/kg. 9 The ecological footprint of avocado oil also changes depending on the country of production, transport route, further processing and packaging. Rapeseed oil (in the disposable glass bottle) also has a higher CO 2 footprint of 3.3 kg CO 2 eq/kg. We do not have exact figures for avocado oil. Research is being carried out into new techniques that make the production of native avocado oil more climate-friendly and retain its nutritional properties. 10
The water footprint of the avocado is 1981 liters per kg. 11 Avocado cultivation takes place in subtropical, tropical and Mediterranean climates, where water consumption is generally high and avocado trees cannot grow on a commercial scale without additional irrigation. Freshwater resources are thus overused in many parts of the world, which has negative consequences for humanity (e.g. "water stress") and food production. 12 We do not have exact figures for the water footprint of avocado oil. However, a comparison of the water requirements of rapeseed (2271 l/kg) and rapeseed oil (4301 l/kg) shows that consumption increases significantly during oil processing. 11
In addition to the ecological aspects, socio-economic effects play a major role in avocado cultivation. In Mexico, avocados are considered "green gold", which is why illegal cultivation is on the rise, which is leading to more and more uncontrolled deforestation. 12 Given the ecological and socio-economic background, other oils produced from regionally and seasonally grown products are preferable.
A study of conventional and organic avocado plantations in Mexico concluded that there is no significant difference in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions between the two production methods. Although organic plantations rely more on renewable energy, they are still dependent on fossil fuels, machinery, etc. However, if you take into account not only the use of pesticides but also the annual water consumption, the organic system performs significantly better. (Organic water consumption per year: 1019 m 3 /ha/year vs. conventional water consumption per year: 5307 m 3 /ha). 16
Worldwide occurrence - cultivation
The avocado tree ( Persea americana Mil.) originally comes from Central America. Today it is cultivated in subtropical, tropical and Mediterranean climates, where the avocado is considered a "high input" crop. 1,12 There are three varieties of the avocado tree ( Persea americana ) - Mexican, Guatemalan and West Indian. Years of cultivation and crossing of the three types led to the development of a large number of avocado varieties. The variety influences the fatty acid composition. 7
Mexico is the world's largest producer of avocados, followed by Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Peru. The most widely grown variety is Hass (from the Guatemalan variety) and accounts for 90% of total production in many small and large growing areas. Hass and Fuerte (a cross between the Guatemalan and Mexican varieties) are also used for industrial avocado oil production because they contain about 30% oil. 7 Other important varieties are Ryan, Pinkerton and Edranol. 1
Cultivation - Harvest
An avocado tree reaches a height of 10 to 12 m and bears its first fruits after at least 4 years. However, these do not ripen completely on the tree, which is why they are stored after harvest to ripen. The tree is relatively sensitive to frost and is evergreen. 15,18 You can find out more about avocado cultivation under the ingredient avocado .
Industrial production
Avocado oil is basically made from the fruit that the trade rejects. This is a big difference to other oils such as olive oil, where the plants are grown primarily for oil production. The amount of avocado oil produced is relatively small compared to other oils at around 2000 t/year and is growing only slowly, as avocado oil production has so far been a secondary branch of the trade in fresh avocados. 1,7
The oil is generated from the flesh of the avocado using various processes. These include solvent extraction , aqueous extraction and cold pressing . 5 Cold-pressed avocado oil was first produced, led by New Zealand, and was commercialized in 2000. 1 In cold pressing, the avocados are washed, peeled and pitted. They are then processed into a pulp and filled into a malaxer (kneading machine). The mashing causes the oil to dissolve from the flesh, which is then separated. The temperature should not exceed 50 °C during this process. The oil is separated using a decanter centrifuge and then a vertical centrifuge. 5,14
Cold-pressed avocado oil is usually bottled without refining in order to preserve its properties, taste and color. However, there are exceptions. 1 Avocado oil used in the pharmaceutical industry, on the other hand, must be refined. Ethylene gas is often used to ensure uniform ripening of the avocados. A higher oil yield can be achieved by thermal or mechanical treatment of the fruit before the extraction process or by using enzymes. 5,7
Further information
Avocado oil is obtained from the fruit of the avocado tree ( Persea americana ). The avocado is a plant species from the laurel family (Lauraceae) and is botanically a berry. 17 To be used as a culinary oil, the fruit must still be of relatively high quality. If this is not the case, an oil is produced for cosmetic use. 1
What is the fatty acid ratio of avocado vs. avocado oil? The avocado has 1.7 g of linoleic acid (omega-6 fatty acid) per 100 g. The proportion of alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3 fatty acid) in the avocado is 0.11 g/100 g. In the avocado, the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is slightly worse at 15:1 than in the avocado oil at 13:1. 3
Alternative names
Avocado oil is called avocado oil in English. The drug names are Avocado oleum, native: Avocado oleum virginale, refined: Avocado oleum raffinatum. Synonymous names are Avocado pulp oil or Alligator pear oil.
Other uses
In the cosmetics industry, avocado oil is used in skin and hair care. Soaps, shampoos and muscle oils and massage creams are produced and avocado oil is currently being studied for its effect on wound healing. 7
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