Avocado Oil vs. Olive Oil: What’s the Difference, and Benefits?

Thanks to avocado oil’s high smoke point and impressive profile of fatty acids and vitamins, Nutiva Organic Avocado Oil promises to be a powerful addition to your routine.

Avocado Oil Benefits

Many culinary oils are great sources of fatty acids that increase HDL (good) cholesterol, especially oleic acid. 

As a body oil, the high monounsaturated fat ratio in avocado oil makes it a great choice as a skin moisturizer and as part of a hair mask formula. It’s a helpful ingredient as part of a conditioning treatment  and since it does a good job of absorbing into the scalp, you won’t have to worry about leaving any unwanted residue behind.

A sneaky benefit that’s too often overlooked? Along with soybean oil, avocado oil contains extracts called “unsaponifiables” which some studies have revealed to produce anti-inflammatory and pain relief.

What is a Smoke Point, and Why Does the Smoke Point of Avocado Oil
Matter?

When cooking at high heat, extra virgin olive oil wears out its welcome faster than would-be chefs might like. That’s due to its relatively low smoke point -- defined as the temperature at which a culinary oil goes from shimmering to smoking, releasing harmful free radicals.

Unrefined olive oils can reach this point at 375 degrees. Nutiva’s 100% Pure Organic Avocado Oil, meanwhile, will keep on shimmering right up to 500 degrees. That’s a serious contrast, and quite possibly the single biggest differentiator between these two products when all’s said and done.

So, can you use avocado oil for frying? The answer is simple: absolutely yes! The same goes for searing, sauteing, and grilling -- in this regard, avocado oil has a level of flex that olive oil can’t match.

Got a favorite avocado oil recipe? What’s your favorite way to use avocado oil into your lifestyle routine? We want to hear from you. Click here to send us a message.

To learn more about Nutiva’s culinary oils, click here.

Since Nutiva was formed in 1999, every product purchased has helped to raise over $5 million to advance sustainable agriculture and grow healthy communities. Find out more about how Nutiva is creating brighter futures.