With its smooth, buttery texture and clean taste avocado oil is perfect for cooking. Its high smoke point makes it safe and ideal for high heat cooking such as stir frying and grilling. It is high in monounsaturated fats (omega-9) and antioxidants which is essential in an oil that will remain stable during cooking. However, all of these great attributes go out the window once the oil is used. Unfortunately, reusing avocado oil, as well as any other oil, is a very common practice and can be very hazardous to your health.
Reusing Avocado Oil & its Effect on Health
Refined avocado oil has a proven smoke point upwards of 500 degrees F. It’s high smoke point allows the oil to keep all of its health benefits while cooking your favorite foods. Even with this in mind, reusing avocado oil is never a good idea. When an oil reaches its smoke point it begins to break down releasing free radicals and trans fatty acids. One of these free radicals, called 4-hydro-2-trans-nonenal or HNE, has been found in oil that is regularly reused. HNE, which is easily absorbed in your food, is a toxic substance that has been linked to liver disease, Alzheimer’s, an increased risk of stroke and elevated levels of LDL cholesterol. Ways to avoid this health hazard: use a thermometer while frying in avocado oil as to not exceed the smoke point and don’t reuse the oil!
When oils break down due to exposure to heat it is called oxidation. Oxidized oil is rancid oil and is harmful to your health. Avocado oil is among the most stable oils. The strong bonds that make up monounsaturated fats keep the oil from chemically changing during cooking.
The clean, mild taste of refined avocado oil that is ideal for cooking will also be compromised once the oil is used. It will never have the same clean tasting profile as it had originally. Even if the avocado oil is strained and properly stored after use it can hold on to the flavor of the food in which it was cooked leaving it undesirable for future use. Avocado oil has a buttery texture and good viscosity that coats the pan without having to use an excess amount. This causes the bottle to last longer, lessening the reasons to ever reuse your oil! No one should compromise their health in order to save a little money. Spend it on a new bottle of avocado oil rather than a doctor bill!