Nowadays avocado fruit and its oil are most popular items for shoppers in grocery stores. Why? Because avocado has many benefits for our body such as:
- Rich in Oleic Acid, a Very Healthy Fat
- Reduces Cholesterol and Improves Heart Health
- High in Lutein, an Antioxidant That has Benefits for The Eyes
- Enhances the Absorption of Important Nutrients
- May Reduce Symptoms of Arthritis
- May Help Prevent Gum Disease
- Improves Skin and Enhances Wound Healing
- Neutralizes Free Radicals (Read more)
But according to new research from food science experts at the University of California, Davis, most of avocado oil sold in the U.S. is of poor quality, mislabeled or adulterated with other oils. This was the first extensive study about quality and purity of commercial avocado oil.
Study finds 82 percent of avocado oil not fresh or mixed with other oils
In three cases, bottles labeled as “pure” or “extra virgin” avocado oil contained near 100 percent soybean oil, an oil commonly used in processed foods that’s much less expensive to produce. It is unbelievable that some samples even did not contain any avocado oil. Unfortunately, there is no standards to determine if an avocado oil is of the quality and purity advertised, no one is regulating false or misleading labels.
Scientists in UC Davis analyzed several parameters on 22 avocado oils (domestic or imported) available in local stores or online. Virgin oil is supposed to be extracted from fresh fruit using only mechanical means, and refined oil is processed with heat or chemicals to remove any flaws. These are the summary of the results:
- Fifteen of the samples were oxidized before the expiration date.
- Six samples were mixed with large amounts of other oils, including sunflower, safflower and soybean oil.
- Only two brands produced samples that were pure and non-oxidized.
- Among the virgin grades, CalPure produced in California was pure and fresher than the other samples in the same grade.
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