Olive Oil vs Avocado Oil: Which Is Better?

Olive oil versus avocado oil, which do you mostly use? So they can actually both be healthy if you use them properly. And we're going to talk through all of that in this video today,

I'm Ashley Oswald. I'm a functional medicine dietitian and the founder of Oswald Digestive Clinic, where we help people improve and eliminate bothersome gut issues like gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and more. And if you or somebody you know wants to become a client at our clinic, just schedule an appointment on our website to get started.

So let's dive right in and talk about olive versus avocado oil. And at the end of this blog, I'm also going to share with you some good brands, because there's a lot of adulteration in these oils. Like we're going to talk about in this blog.

So to start, they both have a variety of beneficial properties in them. Olive oil is much better for lower heat cooking because if you cook it too high, you can actually damage the oil and it no longer be healthy. And then avocado oil has a really high smoke point, meaning that you can heat it up to like 550 degrees Fahrenheit, and it's not going to get damaged.

So I suggest using olive oil on cold foods and then avocado oil for heating - avocado oil also has a pretty neutral taste profile, so it can work well with a lot of different meals. And when I say smoke point, I mean just the heat that you can heat an oil to before it gets damaged.

So there are Google charts online about all the different oils and what different smoke points different oils have. Olive oil is about 400 degrees Fahrenheit and different types of olive oil do have slightly different smoke points. And then avocado as mentioned about 520-550 degrees Fahrenheit.

So to the topic of adulteration. Adulteration, basically means that what's in the bottle is not what the label says it is. This is a huge problem in the avocado and olive oil industries, unfortunately.

It is probably because of increased demand, lack of enforceable standards, and then just companies wanting to make a cheaper product because avocados have gotten expensive due to the increase in demand.

UC-Davis did a study that reported that at least 82% of avocado oil products on the market, in one-way shape, or form were adulterated. So it maybe had oil in it that was not what the label suggested, or it was rancid, uh, well before the expiration date. And the most common oils that get added to these products are soybean and canola because they're cheap.

And even in some products that said pure and extra virgin, they were found to be a hundred percent soybean oil.

So unfortunate, but what should you do?

Let me give you some good brands so that you don't fall into this trap. The way that we know about what brands are good, and what brands aren't is that there are actually third-party testing companies and pulling this information from consumer labs, which is a third-party testing company that so thankful for them because they actually go to the shelves in stores, pull products, test it, and then run full reports on what the results showed.

So I paid to be able to access the information and I'm happy to pay because they're doing such important work. So we can hold companies accountable.

So for avocado oil, the brands that they found to be good, clean unadulterated include Chosen Foods, Marianne's avocado oil, and CalPure brands. So those are the three for avocado oil.

And then the two for olive oil included the California brand and Lucini. There is some for the olive oil on the report that came back with uncertain results. They had come back with positive results and other reports like the Kirkland and their Trader Joe's, but the results were uncertain.

So I don't have much to say about that beyond it was uncertain. So California, olive ranch, extra Virgin olive oil, and then Lucini Italian, organic, extra Virgin olive oil. Now, some other tips I want to share with you that can help you not be fooled, and it'll just help you have the best quality oil for the longest amount of time possible.

So to keep the oil of good quality, you'll want to store it away from heat away from light. That's often why these oils are kept in brown bottles to keep the light out and then use up before the expiration. So if you don't use these oils that much, which I think then you should use them more because they're really nutrition rich.

But, anyway, I digress. So if you don't use them that often just buy a smaller amount and then also know what the flavor profile should taste like. Like avocado oil, it should be like this authentic and fresh and, grassy buttery, a little bit like mushrooms sort of flavor.

And if you're starting to taste too much of like canola or smelling like a soybean canola oil, trust that instinct because if it's not one of those brands I listed, there's a really high chance that it probably was adulterated based on the research we have.

I have a video about oils and fats and I actually talked through the questions; what does Virgin mean? What does extra-virgin mean? Refined? which ones are healthy, and which ones are not healthy? so it's packed with value. And if you liked this topic, I really think you're going to like that one as well.

Also, if you're looking to improve your gut health and if you're struggling with some of the symptoms I shared at the beginning, like the gas and bloating, diarrhea, and constipation, you just want relief. And you want to know some of the information and tools that can help you get relief from those symptoms. You can start by downloading our Free Guide: 5 Ways to Improve Gut Health.

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You can check the below video and I hope this was helpful to you. Thanks for watching!

Hope you all have a great rest of your day, see you at the next one!

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