Avocado oil, pressed from the fruit of the avocado, is one of the few plant oils, along with olive oil, that is not obtained from a seed. Avocado oil is unusually tolerant of high heat, making it a good oil for cooking. Avocado oil contains high concentrations of unsaturated fats and vitamin E. Avocado oil offers a variety of purported health benefits, some of which have been scientifically studied.
Mouthwash Ingredient
Avocado oil may an ingredient in your next bottle of mouthwash. Authors of a study published in the June 2010 issue of the journal "Revue de Stomatologie et de Chirurgie Maxillo-Faciale." Natural extracts from some plants provide antiseptic and immune-boosting effects that offer an alternative to synthetic mouthwash ingredients. Other plants or plant extracts on the list of useful mouthwash ingredients include manuka oil, propolis oil, grapefruit seed extract, pycnogenol, aloe vera, coenzyme Q10 and green tea. Analgesic and healing properties are also benefits of these compounds, and technology that allows for time-released effects may make longer-lasting mouthwash products possible.
Gum Disease
Avocado oil may prevent periodontal disease by decreasing inflammation in the gums, according to a study published in the December 2001 issue of the "Journal of Periodontology." In the tissue culture study, low doses of avocado oil were more effective than high doses at inhibiting tissue-degrading enzymes. Soy oil also tested well as a natural product for use in treating gum disease in this study.
Heart Healthy
A study published in the February 2003 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" found that avocado oil is comparable to olive oil as a heart-healthy dietary oil. In the study on laboratory animals, researchers compared the atherogenic effects of avocado oil with coconut, olive and corn oil. The oils comprised 14 percent of the animals' diets for 90 days. Coconut proved to be the most atherosclerosis-promoting oil of the group. High density lipoprotein, or HDL, the good form of cholesterol, was highest in the avocado and corn oil groups.
Weight Management
Avocado oil does not promote weight gain even though it is composed of 90 percent fat, according to a study published in the January 2005 issue of the journal "Nutrition." The study found that when avocados were included in a weight loss diet, body mass and body fat percentage decreased significantly. In the study, 55 participants, the majority female, ate 200 g per day of avocado, containing 30.6 g of fat, in place of 30 g of other dietary fats, such as margarine or oil, for one week. The researchers noted that cholesterol levels and blood pressure were not affected by the avocado consumption or weight loss in the study.
References
- "Revue de Stomatologie et de Chirurgie Maxillo-Faciale"; "Revue de Stomatologie et de Chirurgie Maxillo-Faciale.""Revue de Stomatologie et de Chirurgie Maxillo-Faciale."; [Mouthwash Solutions with Microencapsuled Natural Extracts: Efficiency for Dental Plaque and Gingivitis]; Vervelle a, et al.; June 2010
- "Nutrition"; Substitution of High Monounsaturated Fatty Acid Avocado for Mixed Dietary Fats during an Energy Restricted Diet: Effects on Weight Loss, Serum Lipids, Fibrinogen, and Vascular Function; Pieterse Z, et al.; January 2005
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; Cholesterol Vehicle in Experimental Atherosclerosis 24: Avocado Oil; Kritchevsky D, et al.; February2003
- "Journal of. Periodontology"; Effect of Avocado and Soybean Unsaponifiables on Gelatinase a (MMP-Two), Stromelysin One (MMP-Three), and Tissue Inhibitors of Matrix Metalloproteinase (TIMP-One and TIMP-Two) Secretion by Human Fibroblasts in Culture; Kut Lasserre C, et al.; December 2001
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