Did you know that avocado oil could make you look fresh, improve your immunity and even aid in digestion? If you thought that was all, you will be stupefied at what other benefits this healthy oil can offer. Avocado is an incredibly healthy fruit and is loaded with tons of goodness, vitamins and nutrients. Its many health benefits are backed up by science too.

On that note, would you like to know what its benefits are? Give this post a read.

1. Lowers Blood Pressure:

Those who suffer from hypertension or high blood pressure can greatly benefit from avocado oil. According to a scientific study published in 2005, avocado oil is very effective in lowering and controlling blood pressure. In the study, some rats were sustained with an avocado oil rich diet. The avocado oil contains certain fatty acids, which regulate the fatty acid reaction in the kidneys. This results in a change in hormone levels, which ultimately helps in controlling blood pressure. The avocado oil also alters the fatty acid composition in the heart. As a result, regularly consuming avocado oil will help you keep your blood pressure under control.

2. Promotes Nutrient Absorption:

We consume lots of nutrients every day. However, they are of no use to us if these are not actually absorbed. Avocado oil helps in the absorption of carotenoids (1). Carotenoids need fatty acids to be transported into cells. But paradoxically, foods that are rich in carotenoids are also low in fatty acids. Now the fat present in avocado oil helps in transporting alpha carotene, beta-carotene and lutein that you may obtain from salads or vegetables. Hence, replace the extra virgin olive oil in your salad dressings with avocado oil for extra flavor and extra benefits.

3. Good For Teeth And Gums:

Teeth and gum problems are quite common these days, thanks to the excess sugar in our diets and the prolific manufacturing of sweet treats. Avocado oil and soybean oil, when used together as a home remedy, can really help with periodontal diseases. Avocado oil inhibits cytokine molecules that are responsible for inflammation. The teeth and gum tissues and the bone cells and ligament in the jaw – all of these show reduced inflammation on using avocado oil. It also prevents bone erosion that advanced periodontal diseases may cause.

4. Helps Treat Psoriasis:

Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes the skin to form a scaly, flaky and hide-like upper layer. It is as harmful to the skin as embarrassing. So, if you see psoriasis developing in any part of your skin, apply avocado oil. A mixture of vitamin B12 serum and avocado oil (which is rich in vitamin E), when used for 12 weeks, has proved to heal psoriasis completely, according to a 2001 study. On the other hand, if only vitamin E is used, the psoriasis shows signs of getting treated in the first four weeks, but after that the effects might wear off. So long term treatment of psoriasis with avocado oil is much more beneficial (2).

5. Helps Cure Arthritis:

A natural extract called avocado soyabean unsaponifiables (ASU), made of one part avocado oil and two parts soyabean oil, is found to act well against osteoarthritis, slowing its progression (3). It is extensively used in clinical trials of arthritis treatments. It works especially well in improving osteoarthritis in the knees and hips. It also reduces the need to use anti-inflammatory drugs and works much better than placebo.

6. It Is Heart Healthy:

Cold pressed oils produce the healthiest kind of oil, and when it’s avocado, it is even better for the heart. Cold pressed avocado oil is very low in acidity and oxidization, and very high in monounsaturated fatty acids. In fact, extra virgin avocado oil contains over 75% monounsaturated fatty acids – much higher than olive oil’s 67%. Saturated fat content also makes a difference – while olive oil contains 17% of saturated fat, avocado oil only has 13%. We all know that monounsaturated fatty acids are very good for our heart, whereas saturated fats are harmful. In both these factors, avocado oil trumps olive oil, which is considered the healthiest of cooking oils. Hence, avocado oil is better for lowering low density lipid cholesterol levels, which is the biggest reason for heart distress.

7. Rich In Vitamin E And Antioxidants:

The high levels of vitamin E in avocado are preserved in avocado oil when it is cold pressed. Vitamin E, of course, has various benefits. For one, it makes your skin more radiant, healthy and also reduces the signs of aging. Vitamin E also fights high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s disease and even certain types of cancer.

Avocado oil also contains a very important antioxidant called lutein. It is present around the macula of our eyes and is said to protect our eyes from UV radiation and high energy blue light. It also prevents macular degeneration with age, which is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly in the West (4). So, avocado oil is also good for middle-aged persons who don’t have good eyesight.

9. Aids In Weight Loss:

In spite of having 90% fat, avocado oil helps in weight loss (5). It contains monounsaturated fats, which can replace your saturated fat sources (which can cause weight gain and deteriorate heart health) to lead to weight loss. So if you are on a weight loss program, try replacing your olive oil or any other edible oil with avocado oil. Although avocado oil has a low smoke point, cook it quickly and at a low flame and you will get the healthiest food you can have.

10. Helps In Digestion:

Avocado oil helps in improving digestion (6). To make use of its benefits, start replacing your cooking oil with avocado oil. As expected, avocado oil is slightly fruitier in taste. So it works really well with salads and vegetable dishes. In addition to that, you can eat a teaspoon of cold pressed virgin avocado oil every day. This keeps your digestive tract in good condition and also prevents constipation.

11. Detox:

Fruit oils are generally considered appropriate for detoxifying our body. In our body, whenever we consume more fat or carbohydrate than needed for our muscles and organs to work, the excess is stored as fat. Avocado oil helps in mobilizing this fat. As it is monounsaturated fat, it also does not get converted to fat cells and deposits. To detoxify, use avocado oil whenever you can in frying, sautéing, cooking and even in baking.

12. Gives Healthy Skin:

Avocado oil is very beneficial for skin. It helps in maintaining collagen, which is the elastic tissue that keeps the suppleness of our skin intact, making it young (7). As a result, wrinkles and lines are reduced if you apply avocado oil every night before going to bed. It has lots of vitamin E, which is good for our skin. So eczema, psoriasis are treated with avocado oil. It is also a very good moisturizer. If you have dry skin, apply a thin coat of avocado oil on your face and hands. This should hydrate your skin and restore its healthy glow within a few days.

After a bath, mix avocado oil and olive oil and apply this on your body like a lotion. Avocado peel contains a lot of pure oil. You can scrub your face with this peel gently. Keep it on overnight and feel the difference within a few applications. It contains sterolin, which softens your skin and also prevents the appearances of age spots. The antioxidants and vitamin also prevent aging of skin due to free radicals. Free radicals are formed by the sun’s harmful rays incident on our skin. These can lead to melanoma in the long run. So, avocado oil also acts as a very good sunscreen. Before going out, rub avocado oil all over the exposed parts of your body.

13. Has Anti-Cancerous Properties:

Avocado oil protects liver and also prevents oral cancer cells from spreading. It also prevents androgen dependent and independent prostrate cancer cells from growing. However, it is not recommended for treating breast cancer. It has been found that following a diet rich in avocado oil increased occurrence of breast tumors and cancer in rats. So be cautious, and in this respect at least, consult your doctor before taking avocado oil.

14. Is A Natural Conditioner:

Avocado oil contains a medley of vitamins, which help in keeping your hair healthy. A dose of avocado oil is the same as cutting open a vitamin E capsule (8) and rubbing its contents onto your hair. Be sure to wash your hair well before you massage your scalp with avocado oil. It boosts hair growth as well.

To use avocado oil for hair treatment, you can make your own shampoo with avocado oil, lavender essential oil and castile natural soap. Mix these together and wash your hair every two days for lush attractive hair. You can also spritz an emulsion of avocado oil and water on to your hair for instant conditioning.

15. Boosts Immunity:

Vitamin E present in avocado oil serves various immune functions like protecting cell membranes, producing antibodies and preventing cystic fibrosis.

Ways To Use Avocado Oil:

For skin benefits, you can do the following:

1. Facial Mask:

Mash a whole avocado, and add a tablespoon of avocado oil in it. After washing your face thoroughly, apply this pulpy mixture all over your face. Let it sit for fifteen minutes. After that, remove the mask with a wet towel gently. This will prevent the oils from being removed. If you feel your face sticky, wait for an hour for the oils to be absorbed before rinsing with cold water.

2. Moisturizer:

Mix equal parts of avocado oil and castor oil. Rub this all over your face and hands. This will reduce age spots and hydrate your skin as well.

3. Bath:

Mix avocado oil with a few drops of essential oil. Shake it well in a bottle. Every time you draw a bath, drop a cap full of this oil into the water. It will be one soothing and skin nourishing bath.

To nourish your hair with avocado oil, you can do the following:

4. Shampoo:

Mix a cup of castile coap, a cup of Aloe Vera pulp, three tablespoons of avocado oil, a tablespoon of glycerin and stir them together. Use generous amount of this shampoo (depends on your hair) and massage on to your scalp and all over your hair. Rinse well and keep doing this for a month. In fact, this is a very nourishing shampoo, and if it suits you, you can replace your chemical filled shampoo with this one altogether.

5. Conditioner:

Mix equal parts of avocado oil with coconut oil. Add a few drops of your favorite fragrance (orange or lavender essential oil work best) and mix them together with half the amount of water. Keep them in a spray bottle and shake it well before applying. Just spray onto your hair and comb. Your hair will feel soft and silky all day long.

In your diet, you can basically use avocado for all purposes that any other edible oil can serve. Here are two salad dressing recipes made with avocado oil:

1. Avocado Oil Dressing:

Take ½ cup of avocado oil, juice of 1 large lemon and ¼ cup apple cider vinegar. Take two finely chopped cloves of lemon and 1 teaspoon of grated ginger. Mix these ingredients together to get a delicious salad dressing.

2. Strawberry Avocado Vinaigrette:

Blend some strawberries, honey, red wine vinegar and fresh lemon juice in a blender. This should make a fairly liquid paste. To this, add avocado oil while whisking until a runny emulsion is formed. Stir in a pinch of salt flakes for added flavor.

Caution:

Like all oils, this oil too has some side effects. For one, if you are allergic to avocado, you better not take avocado oil externally or internally. It may cause formation of collagen in the liver too. So if you are taking supplements or the oil itself, it is best to consult your doctor first.

Now that you know avocado oil is replete with benefits that can only do your health plenty good, it is time you bring the oil home! You will be pleasantly surprised at how energetic and healthy you will feel on regular consumption of this oil!

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by Maanasi Radhakrishnan via STYLECRAZE