About Olive Oil

More Than Smoke Point: Comparing Olive Oil and Avocado Oils

6:36

For many shoppers, olive oil and avocado oil seem nearly interchangeable — with one key difference: avocado oil is said to handle higher heat. They share shelf space in the supermarket and are both positioned as natural, fruit-based alternatives to seed oils.

But how similar are they really?

Let’s start with where they overlap.

Both Are Fruit-Derived Oils

Unlike soybean, corn, or canola oil, both olive oil and avocado oil are extracted from the flesh of whole fruits.

They are not seed oils.

That distinction matters to many consumers who are seeking less industrially processed fats. Fruit-derived oils carry a perception of being closer to their natural source. In fact, it is generally much easier to obtain oil from a fruit than a seed. For that reason, olive and avocado oils are as a rule extracted mechanically – unlike the vast majority of seed oils in which the extraction process includes chemical solvents like hexane.

With avocados, although the oil is mechanically extracted, the fruit that is used for oil may be of low quality and already oxidized–i.e., not the same quality you would find in your produce section. Therefore before it can be sold, the oil must go through a refining process that involves chemicals and high heat that remove flavor and color. When purchasing avocado oil, check to see if the label says virgin, otherwise, it has been refined.

The opposite is true with olive oil. The process of making extra virgin olive oil depends on the availability of high quality fruit that has not oxidized prior to extraction. To be sold as extra virgin the olives generally must be milled within 48 hours of the harvest. Today, most olive oil is sold as extra virgin grade. The balance goes through a refining process similar to that used to refine avocado oil. Refined olive oil serves as the base for what is commonly sold as “olive oil” or “light tasting” olive oils (each type has a small amount of virgin olive oil added back for flavor and color).

Both Fit Modern Eating Patterns

Olive oil and avocado oil are embraced by a wide range of contemporary eating patterns, including keto, paleo, Whole30, and plant-forward diets. Both are valued for their monounsaturated fat content and their versatility in the kitchen.

Avocado oil, in particular, carries a strong wellness-forward image. Its rise coincided with the popularity of avocado toast, smoothie bowls, and social media-driven health culture. Whole avocados themselves have earned impressive nutritional credibility — they’re associated with fiber, potassium, satiety, and heart health. It’s natural, then, for consumers to extend that positive reputation to avocado oil. But the nutritional profile of avocado oil is not identical to the whole fruit that gives it its health halo.

Olive oil, by contrast, is sometimes perceived as the more traditional — even old-world — option. But that tradition reflects thousands of years of culinary use and decades of modern scientific research, especially in cardiovascular health.

Where the Differences Begin

Extra virgin olive oil is not just considered healthy — it is proven to be healthy in large-scale human clinical trials, both as a result of its fatty acid profile and with respect to extra virgin olvie oils, its micronutrient content. Avocado oil, which is also often described as heart-healthy based on its fatty acid profile, does not yet have the same level of outcome-based evidence behind it.

Over the past several decades, extra virgin olive oil has been studied in randomized controlled trials examining cardiovascular disease, inflammation, metabolic health, cancer, neurological diseases and more. It plays a central role in the Mediterranean dietary pattern — the most researched dietary pattern in the world.

No other culinary oil has been evaluated in as many large-scale human studies measuring actual disease outcomes.

Avocado oil contains monounsaturated fat, which is beneficial. But composition alone is not the same as clinical proof. To date, avocado oil has not been studied in long-term human trials demonstrating reductions in cardiovascular events or chronic disease risk.

And the distinction isn’t only scientific — it’s culinary.

Extra virgin olive oil contributes flavor, character, and complexity. Its peppery finish and subtle bitterness reflect the presence of naturally occurring polyphenols — micronutrients that have been widely studied for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Avocado oil, especially when refined, is intentionally neutral with far less micronutrient content.

In other words, olive oil brings both evidence and experience to the table: depth of research and depth of flavor.

Misconceptions Around Smoke Point

One of the primary reasons consumers reach for avocado oil is its higher-advertised smoke point. The assumption is simple: higher smoke point equals better performance under heat.

But research shows that smoke point is not a reliable indicator of how stable an oil actually is during cooking.

What matters more is oxidative stability — how resistant an oil is to breaking down and forming harmful compounds when exposed to heat. Oxidative stability depends on the extent to which the oil has been refined and its overall composition, including its fatty acid structure and the presence of natural antioxidants.

A 2018 study published in ACTA Scientific Nutritional Health tested common cooking oils under high heat and found that extra virgin olive oil was the most stable oil examined. It produced fewer degradation byproducts than oils with significantly higher smoke points — including avocado oil.

This finding challenges the common belief that smoke point alone determines cooking performance.

In practical terms, extra virgin olive oil performs exceptionally well in real-world cooking conditions, including sautéing, roasting, and pan-frying. Its natural antioxidant content helps it resist breakdown.

You don’t need to abandon olive oil for high-heat cooking. The science simply doesn’t support that fear.