Avocado oil vs olive oil: nearly all the evidence is for olive oil

A meta-analysis of 51 randomized trials in 4334 adults found olive oil did not significantly change fasting glucose or HbA1c overall (glucose -0.04 mg/dL, 95% CI -0.1 to 0.02). In the dose-response analysis, 25 to 50 g a day improved insulin resistance, with high heterogeneity between trials. We found no human trial comparing avocado oil with olive oil. On paper the two are close. Both are essentially all fat. Avocado oil lists 11.56 g saturated fat per 3.5 oz (100 g) in USDA data and olive oil 14.3 g in UK tables, two different databases with one record each and no grade given for the olive oil. A tablespoon of olive oil weighs 14 g and carries 126 calories.

How much is actually in it

• UK tables list olive oil at 899 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g), with 73 g monounsaturated, 8.2 g polyunsaturated and 14.3 g saturated fat and 5.1 mg vitamin E. — CoFID 2021 record 17-038, Oil, olive (n = -) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: energy 899 calories, fat 99.9 g, MUFA 73.00 g, PUFA 8.20 g, SFA 14.30 g, vitamin E 5.10 mg
• USDA reference data list avocado oil as 100 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), of which 11.56 g is saturated, slightly less than olive oil in UK tables. — USDA SR Legacy, FDC 173573 Oil, avocado (n = 1 food record) Evidence E source
  Fat 100 g, saturated fat 11.56 g per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What a real portion looks like

• A US tablespoon of olive oil weighs 14 g and carries 126 calories. — USDA FNDDS food code 82104000, Olive oil (fdc_id 2710186) (n = -) Evidence E source
  900 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g); 1 tablespoon 14 g = 126 calories; 1 cup 224 g

What your body absorbs

• In 16 adults eating the same salad, 0.99 oz (28 g) of olive oil raised total carotenoid absorption by 55.2% compared with coconut oil. — 16 adults, randomized crossover, single salad meals with 28 g test fat, plasma sampled for 10 h (n = 16) Evidence B source
  Positive iAUC 1-10 h: total carotenoids +55.2%, alpha-carotene +110.8%, lycopene +45.8% with olive vs coconut oil; emulsified fat +40.0%

What cooking and storage change

• A systematic review of 23 studies found no support for the idea that frying in vegetable oils generally raises heart disease risk. — 23 publications on vegetable oil and fried food intake and chronic disease (n = 23 studies) Evidence C source
  No consistent CVD risk from frying

What it does to your health

• A meta-analysis of 51 RCTs with 4334 adults found olive oil did not significantly change fasting glucose or HbA1c overall, though 25-50 g a day improved insulin resistance. — 51 randomized trials, 4334 adults (n = 4334) Evidence A source
  Glucose WMD -0.04 mg/dL (95% CI -0.1 to 0.02); HbA1c WMD 0.02% (-0.01 to 0.06); HOMA-IR -0.09 (-0.25 to 0.06); nonlinear benefit at 25-50 g/day
• A meta-analysis of RCTs comparing olive oil with other oils found no change in body fat distribution, with only small, inconsistent shifts in fat mass. — randomized trials in adults comparing olive oil with other oils, 52 articles (n = 52 articles) Evidence A source
  Capsules: adipose mass +0.62 lb (95% CI -0.6 to 1.8; metric: 0.28 kg, -0.27 to 0.83); culinary use: -0.71 lb (-2 to 0.57; metric: -0.32 kg, -0.90 to 0.26)
• Across 21 trials, a Mediterranean diet with extra olive oil gave the same blood lipids as one with extra nuts, while nuts lowered systolic pressure slightly more. — 21 randomized trials (25 effect sizes) in adults at cardiovascular risk (n = 21 trials) Evidence A source
  No significant difference in lipids or diastolic BP; systolic BP slightly higher with olive oil than nuts (p < 0.001)
• Pooled cohorts and RCTs link the highest olive oil intake to 13-22% lower diabetes risk. — 10 studies (4 cohorts, 6 RCTs), over 500,000 people, about 20,000 with diabetes (n = 10 studies) Evidence C source
  Cohorts RR 0.87 (95% CI 0.83-0.92); RCTs RR 0.78 (0.70-0.88); extra virgin RR 0.75 (0.65-0.87)

What people believe that the data does not support

• The EU authorizes one olive oil claim, that olive oil polyphenols help protect blood lipids from oxidative stress. — EU health claim, olive oil polyphenols (n = -) Evidence E source
  Status Authorised
• The EU refused the general claim that olive oil promotes heart health, and has no claims at all for avocado oil. — EU health claim application, olive oil (n = -) Evidence E source
  Status Non-authorized; 8 of 9 olive oil claims refused; avocado oil 0 claims
• The US FDA allows a qualified claim that about 1.5 tablespoons (20 g) a day of high-oleic oils such as olive oil may reduce heart disease risk when they replace saturated fat. — US labeling, oils with at least 70% oleic acid (n = -) Evidence E source
  Qualified claim, supportive but not conclusive evidence

Who this works differently for

• In 656 older adults at high risk, more virgin olive oil was linked to better cognitive scores over 2 years, while more common (refined) olive oil was linked to faster decline. — 656 adults aged 55-75 with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome, 2-year follow-up (n = 656) Evidence C source
  Direction only in abstract: virgin olive oil associated with improved cognition; common olive oil with accelerated decline

The bottom line

Two more meta-analyses of trials mark the limits of olive oil. Across 52 trial articles, olive oil did not alter body fat distribution against other oils, and culinary use moved fat mass by -0.71 lb (95% CI -2 to 0.57; metric: -0.32 kg, -0.90 to 0.26). Across 21 trials in adults at cardiovascular risk, a Mediterranean diet with extra olive oil gave the same blood lipids as one with extra nuts, and systolic pressure came out slightly higher with the olive oil. Those were standardized differences drawn largely from PREDIMED sub-studies. The diabetes link is partly observational. Pooled cohorts link the highest intake to 13 percent lower diabetes risk (RR 0.87, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.92) and trials, mostly PREDIMED, to 22 percent lower. Grade may matter. In 656 adults aged 55 to 75 with metabolic syndrome, more virgin olive oil went with better cognitive scores over 2 years and more common olive oil with faster decline. That is an association from food questionnaires, with no effect sizes in the abstract. In 16 adults eating the same salad, 0.99 oz (28 g) of olive oil raised carotenoid absorption by 55.2 percent over coconut oil, and that trial did not include avocado oil. A 2015 review of 23 mostly observational studies found no support for the idea that frying in vegetable oils generally raises heart disease risk. Avocado oil was not studied there, and we found no study on how it behaves under heat. The EU authorizes one olive oil claim, that its polyphenols help protect blood lipids from oxidative stress, and refused 8 of 9 others, including "promotes your heart health". It has no claims at all for avocado oil. The US FDA allows a qualified claim that about 1.5 tablespoons (20 g) a day of high-oleic oils may reduce heart disease risk when they replace saturated fat, on supportive but not conclusive evidence. Avocado oil was not among the oils petitioned. We found no study on allergy, medicines or other limits for either oil, so this page has no safety section.

Sources

1. avolv-daily-r2-01 · reference dataset
   CoFID 2021 17-038 Oil, olive: Energy (kcal) 899; Fat (g) 99.9; Mono FA /100g food (g) 73.00; Poly FA /100g food (g) 8.20; Satd FA /100g fd (g) 14.30; Vitamin E (mg) 5.10
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England / OGL v3.0 · checked 2026-09-29
2. avolv-daily-r2-02 · reference dataset
   SR Legacy FDC 173573 Oil, avocado: Total lipid (fat) 100 g/100 g · Fatty acids, total saturated 11.56 g/100 g
   USDA SR Legacy 2018, FDC 173573 Oil, avocado · checked 2026-09-29
3. avolv-daily-r2-03 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 82104000 Olive oil (fdc_id 2710186): Energy 900 kcal per 100 g; 1 tablespoon 14 g (126.0 kcal); 1 cup 224 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023 · checked 2026-09-29
4. avolv-daily-r2-04 · RCT, crossover, acute
   Sixteen subjects consumed salad with 4 test fats in random order, and plasma triglyceride and carotenoid (lutein, zeaxanthin, α-carotene, β-carotene, and lycopene) concentrations were determined hourly for 10 h following the consumption. ... Similarly, the positive iAUC1-10h of TC, α-carotene, and lycopene were 55.2%, 110.8%, and 45.8%, respectively, higher with olive oil than with coconut oil.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
5. avolv-daily-r2-09 · systematic review
   Based on the results of the studies included in the present systematic review, we conclude that (1) the myth that frying foods is generally associated with a higher risk of CVD is not supported by the available evidence; (2) virgin olive oil significantly reduces the risk of CVD clinical events, based on the results of a large randomised trial that included as part of the intervention the recommendation to use high amounts of virgin olive oil, also for frying foods
   Br J Nutr, 2015 · checked 2026-09-29
6. avolv-daily-r2-05 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   We found the consumption of olive oil was not associated with statistically significant changes in blood glucose (WMD = -0.04 mg dL-1; 95% CI, -0.1 to 0.02; P = .18; I2 = 27.05%) ... However, a daily dose of 25-50 g significantly improves the HOMA-IR parameter, suggesting a potential benefit for diabetes management.
   Nutr Rev, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
7. avolv-daily-r2-06 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   The results indicate that the consumption of olive oil does not seem to alter the distribution of body fat, despite a small indication that supplementation in capsules can increase adipose mass (Mean Difference = 0.28 kg, 95% CI [-0.27, 0.83]; between-groups difference p = 0.59)
   Food Funct, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
8. avolv-daily-r2-07 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   The findings indicated that the MED diet supplemented with olive oil has no significant effect on lipid indices and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) when contrasted with the MED diet supplemented with mixed nuts. However, the olive oil group had slightly higher systolic blood pressure levels than the mixed nuts group, with a significant p-value of <0.001.
   Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
9. avolv-daily-r2-08 · meta-analysis, mixed designs
   A 13% (RR = 0.87, 95%CI = 0.83 - 0.92, P < 0.01) decreased risk of diabetes was shown in Cohort study and 22% (RR = 0.78, 95%CI = 0.70 - 0.88, P < 0.01) decreased risk in RCT study for the highest vs. lowest olive oil consumption.
   J Health Popul Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
10. avolv-daily-r2-11 · EU claims register entry
    POL-HC-6431 Olive oil polyphenols Olive oil polyphenols contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress Authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6431, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
11. avolv-daily-r2-12 · EU claims register entry
    POL-HC-7679 Olive Oil Olive Oil promotes your heart health Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-7679, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
12. avolv-daily-r2-13 · FDA qualified health claim
    Supportive but not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that daily consumption of about 1½ tablespoons (20 grams) of oils containing high levels of oleic acid, when replaced for fats and oils higher in saturated fat, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
    FDA, qualified health claim petition for oleic acid and coronary heart disease, 2018 · checked 2026-09-29
13. avolv-daily-r2-10 · prospective cohort
    Results from the multivariable linear regression models showed that higher consumption of virgin olive oil was associated with improved cognitive function over a 2-y follow-up, and a more diverse gut microbiota overall structure at baseline. Conversely, increased consumption of common olive oil is linked to lower alpha diversity of the microbial communities, and accelerated cognitive decline.
    Microbiome, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29