- Where do most avocados come from?
- What are avocado oil uses?
- Is avocado oil nutritious?
- Is avocado oil alkaline or acidic?
- Is avocado oil gluten free?
- Is avocado oil a common food allergen?
- Is avocado oil low fodmap?
- Is avocado oil sustainable?
- Is avocado oil vegan?
- Does avocado oil have human rights issues?
What are avocado oil benefits and side effects? Is avocado oil vegan? Is avocado oil gluten free? Acidic or alkaline? Is avocado oil low fodmap? Good for you? Healthy? Sustainable? Here are avocado oil pros and cons: all the info on avocado oil that every ethical consumer wants to know…
Food is something we consume every day and if you’re like me, you do all the research you can to make sure you don’t hurt yourself, the planet, animals or others when shopping. As an ethical consumer myself, I am giving you all the info I’ve found on avocado oil benefits and side effects.
You are going to learn all about avocado oil benefits and side effects. This will include avocado oil benefits for your health and potential risks, avocado oil water footprint and avocado oil carbon footprint, avocado oil sustainability, if avocado oil is vegan or impacts animals in other ways, and much more.
After learning if avocado oil is good or bad for you, the environment, animals and human rights, you will be prepared to make the best choices you can the next time you buy food.
This post is all about avocado oil benefits and side effects that every ethical consumer should know.
Avocado Oil Benefits And Side Effects
Health
Avocado oil benefits for health may include:
- improved eye health
- lower risk of age-related eye diseases
- relieved symptoms of osteoarthritis
- heart health
- increased HDL the “good” cholesterol
- reduced LDL the “bad” cholesterol
- lower blood pressure
- periodontal disease prevention, also called gum disease
- accelerated wound healing
- improved symptoms of psoriasis (topically)
- skin health
Avocado oil side effects may include:
- weight gain (when consumed excessively)
Additionally, avocado oil is…
- Alkaline 7.5 pH level once digested
- Gluten Free
- Not a common Food Allergen
- Low Fodmap
Environment
Water footprint: likely low, it takes 1,981 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of avocados / 237 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of avocados
Carbon footprint: likely low, 0.9 kg CO2e to produce 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds of fruits, a car driving equivalent of 2 miles or 3.25 kilometers
Destruction: low to high, avocados from Mexico are problematic since there is little environmental protection for the industry, reports show deforestation in the state of Michoacán, diverse forests have been destroyed to make way for avocado farms, many trees are intentionally burned down to bypass a Mexican law, allowing owners to change their land-use permit to agriculture instead of forest land if it was “lost to burning”, be sure to buy Non-GMO/organic, as toxic, chemical pesticides contaminate air, water, soil, etc.
Avocado oil is likely…
- Moderately Sustainable
- Avocados from Michoacán, Mexico are destructive unless certified as sustainable
Animals
Kills: none, avocado oil production does not require any animals
Harms: none, avocado oil production does not require any animals
Indirectly kills or harms: none, no animals are indirectly killed or harmed from avocado oil production as long as there are no toxic chemicals, be sure to buy Non-GMO/organic, as pesticides harm and kill wildlife and ecosystems by contaminating soil, water, air and plants that animals eat
Avocado oil is…
- Vegan
- Harmful to wildlife and ecosystems unless organic
Laborers
Health and safety: varies, overall, agriculture continues to be one of the most dangerous industries, farmworkers may be subject to dehydration, heat stroke, unprotected exposure to harmful, toxic chemicals and pesticides, unsafe machinery and clean drinking water may not always accessible
Living conditions: varies, laborers are often exploited, they may face tough working conditions including long hours in the sun and heat performing physically exhausting tasks, labor laws and rights may or may not be in place, even if worker protection exists, employer violations may go unreported, refugees and migrant workers are especially vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment, fearing consequences of job loss or deportation
Wages: varies, generally farmworkers earn meager wages, there are many cases of underpaid agricultural workers, wage theft and no overtime payment or benefits
Avocado oil has…
- Labor issues, human rights concerns
Where do most avocados come from?
Mexico is the top producer of avocados worldwide.
The world’s top avocado oil exporter is Germany, followed by Netherlands, Malaysia, USA, Indonesia, Spain, Sweden, Pakistan, India and Denmark.
What are avocado oil uses?
Avocado oil uses include making vinaigrettes, mayonnaise, salad dressings, dips, and more.
Is avocado oil nutritious?
Avocado oil is high in oleic acid, a very healthy fat.
Is avocado oil alkaline or acidic?
Avocado oil is alkaline.
What is the pH level of avocado oil?
Avocado oil has a 7.5 pH level, once digested.
When you eat food, it breaks down to an ash residue that can be neutral, acidic or alkaline. Minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, zinc, silver, copper and iron produce an alkaline ash; whereas sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine and iodine, which are in meat, coffee, dairy and alcohol, leave an acid ash.
Going alkaline easier than ever with this: Acidic and Alkaline Foods List
Is avocado oil gluten free?
Yes, avocado oil is naturally gluten free. Avocado oil does not contain gluten.
While celiac disease may not be as rampant as many marketing trends lead us to believe, you may have a gluten sensitivity…
Celiac and gluten sensitivity symptoms are similar and may include:
- recurring abdominal pain
- chronic diarrhea
- constipation
- tingling
- numbness in hands and feet
- chronic fatigue
- joint pain
- unexplained infertility
- low bone density (osteopenia or osteoporosis)
There are hundreds of potential symptoms, many of which are also symptoms of other conditions.
Going gluten-free easier than ever with this: Gluten and Gluten Free Foods List
Is avocado oil a common food allergen?
No, avocado oil is not a common food allergen. Some people may experience allergic reactions to avocado oil but it is relatively rare by comparison.
A group of the eight major allergenic foods, AKA the Big-8, include:
- milk
- eggs
- fish
- crustacean shellfish
- tree nuts
- peanuts
- wheat
- soybeans
Severe food allergies can be life threatening. Following ingestion of a food allergen, a person with food allergies can experience a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.
Persons may still be allergic to and have serious reactions to foods other than the eight foods identified by the law.
Be aware of common dietary restrictions and food allergens with this: The Big 8 Most Common Food Allergens List
Is avocado oil low fodmap?
Yes, avocado oil is low fodmap, a food you can eat if on a low fodmap diet.
A low FODMAP diet may help those with bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, stomach pain, and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).
It’s all about knowing your body. Observe what works and what doesn’t. You body might even react negatively to a low-FODMAP food simply due to intolerance. Everyone is different! Be mindful and patient. Take time to get to know what’s best for your physical health and overall wellbeing.
Is avocado oil sustainable?
Avocados from Mexico are problematic since there is little environmental protection for the industry. Reports show deforestation in the state of Michoacán and diverse forests have been destroyed to make way for avocado farms. Many trees are intentionally burned down to bypass a Mexican law, allowing owners to change their land-use permit to agriculture instead of forest land if it was “lost to burning”.
A 2018 Oxford University study – which is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the damage farming does to the planet – found that ‘avoiding meat and dairy is the single biggest way to reduce your impact on Earth’ as animal farming provides just 18% of calories but takes up 83% of our farmland.
Consuming animal products and byproducts is not environmentally friendly and is one of the worst things for the Earth. Not only is meat production wasteful, it causes enormous amounts of pollution. The industry is one of the biggest causes of climate change.
Read more about ‘What Makes Food Sustainable Or Unsustainable?’
Is avocado oil vegan?
Yes, avocado oil is vegan. Avocado oil is an oil from the avocado fruit and not an animal product or byproduct, therefore making it a vegan food.
Animals of factory farming are suffering. They live in horrific conditions that often include confinement, physical abuse and unnatural environments…so much so that they need to receive antibiotics to keep from getting ill or spreading disease. Growth hormones allow all kinds of animals to become fatter faster and live short lives.
Because we cannot see for ourselves how these animals live and what they endure does not mean it isn’t happening. The meat, poultry and dairy industries do everything they can to distance us from knowing how our food comes to be in order to keep us in the dark about what we support each time we buy animal derived products and byproducts.
Go vegan for animals!
It’s the best way to help animals and it’s not as difficult as you may think. Speak for animals with your actions, for they cannot speak at all.
Going vegan is easier than ever, at a glance with this: Vegan and Non Vegan Foods List
Does avocado oil have human rights issues?
At this time are concerns with avocado production! It’s important to stay aware of human rights concerns and worker exploitation that may come with specific brands. Be sure to buy fair trade avocado oil.
Did you know the single largest employer in the world is agriculture? The labor involved behind each and every product cannot go unrecognized.
Some known problems include workplace health and safety, child labor, gender inequality, inadequate pay, wage theft and exploitation. Workers can even experience harassment, humiliation and violence and unfair employers often fail to provide laborers with access to shade, drinking water, restrooms and breaks. Consequently, laborers can face nausea, dizziness, heat exhaustion, dehydration and heat stroke -the leading cause of farmworker death!
Such mistreatment is like modern day slavery. Workers are often afraid to report issues because they fear it will result in losing their jobs or deportation.
Fair trade organizations fight to ensure better social, environmental and economic standards.
We can improve people’s lives with foods we eat every day simply by buying products that are certified fair trade.
Be sure to read up on this list of ‘Foods You Should Always Buy Fair Trade‘
This post was all about avocado oil benefits and side effects.
Sources:
World economic forum: Avocado: the ‘green gold’ causing environment havoc
Avocado Oil: Characteristics, Properties, and Applications
