Both olive oil and avocado oil contain similar levels of healthy versus unhealthy fats, but when it comes to their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant levels, olive oil may be slightly better for you. Just make sure you're buying the cold-pressed, unrefined, extra-virgin kind.
Both olive oil and avocado oil are considered good fats and are an excellent source of monounsaturated fatty acids, which can help improve heart health. On the other hand, olive oil is slightly more nutritious on the whole because it contains more potassium, calcium, iron and vitamins.
Avocado oil (AO) has antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects.
“Avocado oil has a higher smoke point than olive oil which is better suited for cooking at high temperature,” Michalczyk says. For this reason, if you're using an oil to sauté, roast or bake with, she recommends going for avocado oil instead of olive oil.
Nutritional Profile
Both avocado oil and olive oil are considered healthy oils, but they differ slightly in terms of their nutritional composition. Avocado oil contains a higher proportion of monounsaturated fats, particularly oleic acid, which is known for its heart-healthy benefits.
Avocado oil is an excellent substitute for olive oil, especially when cooking or baking. Avocado oil is a healthy oil and has a rich, sweet flavor that can add depth and complexity to your recipes and has a similar smoke point to olive oil (over 500 degrees F).
These potent molecules mean that even a little bit of the right olive oil consumed daily can protect from cardiovascular disease and reduce existing damage to the heart and arteries. This is why cardiologists recommend switching to high-phenolic olive oil.
The Bottom Line
Hands down, avocado oil is a healthier option for regular use than coconut oil due to its fat profile and antioxidant properties. Fenn agrees: "We have solid scientific data that supports minimizing saturated fat in the diet to reduce your risk of heart disease and Alzheimer's.
Avocado oil may help lower cholesterol levels and improve heart health. One study showed that avocado oil helped reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglyceride levels while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol in people with high cholesterol.
To help combat inflammation, choose oils that higher in monounsaturated fat or omega-3 polyunsaturated fat. Good choices for anti-inflammatory oils include olive oil, avocado oil and flaxseed oil.
Flaxseed oil is the best oil source of omega-3 fatty acids, which help to reduce inflammation, lower "bad" cholesterol (LDL cholesterol), prevent blood clotting and benefit overall health.
Avocado oil and olive oil are very similar nutritionally, but olive oil contains slightly more healthy fatty acids and vitamin E. Avocado oil is better for high-heat cooking, though, since it has a higher smoke point.
Avocado oil is a heart-healthy oil, high in oleic acid, which is an unsaturated fat. It contains vitamin E and also helps the body absorb other fat-soluble vitamins. Avocado oil is a good source of monounsaturated fat which has been linked to reducing LDL cholesterol and increasing HDL cholesterol.
Avocado oil contains large quantities of Omega-9 and Omega-3 fatty acids and is particularly high in oleic acid. Unsaturated fatty acids like these have been shown to lower bad cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. This makes avocado oil the healthiest choice when frying.
The oils which should be avoided for cooking are oils like soybean, corn, canola, sunflower, and safflower. These oils have unstable fats and will decimate the nutritional properties of your food. Oh, and they'll give you a big fat health risk in the meantime.
Extra-virgin avocado oil is made from pure, cold-pressed avocados. It has a light, nutty flavor and slightly green color. It's also the most expensive type of avocado oil. Refined avocado oil is made from pure, cold-pressed avocados, but it's then refined to remove any impurities.
Heart-healthy oils like canola, corn, olive, peanut, and sunflower oils contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. They help to lower harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and raise healthy high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
Avocado oil is a great choice. It's unrefined like extra virgin olive oil, but it has a higher smoking point, which means it can be used to cook at higher heat and is great for stir-frys. It doesn't have much flavor, which makes it a good option for cooking.
It's been shown to lower blood pressure and contains plant-based compounds that offer anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties known to reduce the disease process, including heart disease.
As a general rule of thumb, between one and two tablespoons a day is a good amount of olive oil to consume. This goes for both olive oil that you drink for health benefits and also olive oil that you consume with food as part of your regular cooking process.
While a spoonful of olive oil might not change your life on day 1, consistent consumption of EVOO is proven to provide a multitude of long-term health benefits, such as better cardiovascular health, a reduced risk for cancer, Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.