You may be wondering if you can use avocado oil for weight loss. Many people use butter for cooking, and it tastes amazing, but too much can be bad for your health. You can try margarine which is a bit healthier, but it isn’t great to cook with.
So, you’ve likely turned to oils, but even choosing an oil can be hard. There are so many oils to choose from, and it’s hard to determine which ones are actually healthy.
The good news is that avocado oil is one of the healthiest oils to cook with, and it may even help you lose weight.
Not convinced? That’s okay, I’m going to show you why avocado oil is so great. In this article I’ll discuss what recent studies say about using avocado oil for weight loss, as well as its benefits overall.
What Is Avocado Oil?
People have been using avocado oil for centuries because of its health benefits. It’s one of the healthiest oils to cook with, keeping your body healthy from the inside out. It even tastes good, adding a savory, nutty flavor to anything you cook.
The oil comes from the flesh of the avocado fruit. The fruit comes from the avocado tree which grows across Mexico. Most oils come from the seed of the fruit, but not avocado oil. The flesh of an avocado consists of about 63% fat, making the perfect composition for an oil. The avocado flesh is cold pressed to naturally extract the oil.
Avocado Oil Nutrition
To determine if avocado oil can help with weight loss, we first need to find out how healthy avocado oil is. To make this simple for you, I’ve included a breakdown of avocado oil’s basic nutrition:
Calories | 120 |
Fat | Total Fat: 14 grams Saturated Fat: 2 grams Monounsaturated Fat: 10 grams Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 grams |
Vitamin E | 23% of Daily Value |
Protein | 0 grams |
Carbohydrates | 0 grams |
Fiber | 0 grams |
Sugar | 0 grams |
Is Avocado Oil Good For Weight Loss?
Avocado oil. Weight loss. Can the two go hand-in-hand? Avocado oil contains lots of nutrients, but also lots of fat. So, avocado oil and weight loss can sometimes go together.
Avocado Oil Consists Of Healthy Monounsaturated Fats
Avocado oil consists of a lot of fat, but it’s mostly healthy fat. It contains a small amount of saturated and polyunsaturated fats. These are bad for your health. But, most of the fat content consists of monounsaturated fat.
Most of that monounsaturated fat consists of oleic acid. Oleic acid is good for your health. It lowers your risk of heart disease and decreases inflammation.
But, how does this help with weight loss?
You’ll Feel Fuller & Eat Less
Firstly, foods that are high in fat encourage you to eat less. They make you feel fuller, and they help you to stay full for longer.
Avocado Oil Improves Digestion
Plus, the vitamins and minerals that live inside avocado oil are wonderful for the gut. They help to improve digestion. This allows your body to process food quicker than it had before.
The fats themselves may also help you to burn fat in your body. Research shows that monounsaturated fats may encourage weight loss.
More Fat Turns To Energy During Exercise
Oleic acid is an Omega-9 fatty acid that lives in plant and animal oils. Oleic acid likely increases blood flow to the muscles when you exercise. Researchers also believe that it stimulates enzymes that transport fat. So, the enzymes transport more fat where it needs to go to become energy.
Avocado Oil Burns More Fat & Calories
It appears that the body burns monounsaturated fats at a higher rate than the other kinds of fats. Monounsaturated fats may increase the rate at which the body burns fat. So, they may also encourage your body to burn more calories after eating.
BUT! We Need More Research
Bear in mind that these aren’t solid claims, yet. Researchers need to study avocado oil more. They need to determine if what they’re seeing is consistent and accurate.
Still, studies have shown that those who eat avocados are more easily able to lose weight. One study had participants follow a reduced-calorie diet. They were also asked to eat an avocado everyday. Results showed that participant’s gut microbiota was altered. Plus, the avocado helped them to lose weight more quickly.
Other studies showed similar results. Avocado oil is slightly different than the fruit of the avocado. For example, if you eat an avocado, you’ll be getting fiber as well. Fiber supports faster weight loss.
There is no fiber in avocado oil, so you won’t get that extra boost from the fiber. Still, avocado oil is likely to help with weight loss even without the fiber.
Can You Eat Avocado Oil For Weight Gain?
We already know that you can use avocado oil to lose weight. But, some people need some help gaining weight, instead. Can avocado oil help with that?
Avocado oil is healthy and nutritious. But, it contains 120 calories in one tablespoon of oil. If you use too much of the oil, it can help you gain weight.
Those wanting to lose weight should use avocado oil in moderation. This isn’t a problem as you can get all the benefits of avocado oil from using one or two tablespoons a day.
But, if you’re looking to gain weight, you can incorporate a bit more of the oil into your diet.
What Are The Other Benefits Of Eating Avocado Oil For Weight Loss?
Besides losing weight, there are other reasons why avocado oil is good to consume. It is full of vitamins and nutrients that can support your whole body. It can keep your body healthy from the inside out, supporting your skin, hair, and organs.
Avocado Oil Helps Your Body Absorb Nutrients
Remember how monounsaturated fat helps your body to quickly burn fat and calories? Well, it can also help your body absorb nutrients. Avocado oil is rich in nutrients that can help keep your body healthy. The monounsaturated fats in the oil makes sure that you can absorb those nutrients.
Avocado Oil May Prevent Cancer
Plus, the oleic acid in avocado oil can lower your risk for developing certain kinds of cancers. Avocado oil also contains Omega-3 fatty acids which are anti-carcinogens. So, they can help slow the growth of cancer cells, particularly those of breast and colon cancer.
Avocado Oil Is Heart-Healthy
Avocado oil contains some saturated and polyunsaturated fats. But, it mostly consists of monounsaturated fats. As you know, monounsaturated fats are healthy and can lower your risk of heart disease.
It can also lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Avocado oil is rich in Vitamin E which fights free radicals to keep your blood vessels healthy. The oil is anti-inflammatory. This can prevent plaque build-up and damage to the walls of your arteries. It can also lower LDL-cholesterol levels.
Avocado Oil VS Olive Oil For Weight Loss
Avocado oil and olive oil are both healthy oils that you can use in your everyday cooking. Both oils are nearly identical in nutrition, so you can’t go wrong with either.
Below, I’ve included the nutrition information for olive oil. You’ll notice that the nutrition is exactly the same, other than the vitamin E content.
Olive oil is higher in vitamin E content. So, it’s likely to support your immune system better than avocado oil, but it won’t have any effect on your weight loss.
Either way, you can use avocado oil or olive oil for weight loss. They are both great choices, it’s up to your personal preferences.
Calories | 120 |
Fat | Total Fat: 14 grams Saturated Fat: 2 grams Monounsaturated Fat: 10 grams Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 grams |
Vitamin E | 23% of Daily Value |
Protein | 0 grams |
Carbohydrates | 0 grams |
Fiber | 0 grams |
Sugar | 0 grams |
Conclusion
So, should you go on an avocado oil diet?
Although avocado oil is rich in fat, it mostly consists of monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats are healthy fats. They can keep your heart healthy and your cholesterol levels down.
Trying to lose weight? Great! Current research shows that avocado oil is likely to help with weight loss. Monounsaturated fats may help you burn calories and fat quicker.
So, if you’re trying to lose weight, you might want to think about using avocado oil in your cooking. Even if you don’t lose weight, it’ll help keep your body healthy overall.
Discover other great benefits of using avocado oil for skin, hair, lips and face. Find more guides for making DIY beauty recipes with avocados here.
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