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Persea americana (fruit oil)

Avocado oil

Avocado oil has very little human research behind it: one small trial of a vitamin B12 cream containing avocado oil in psoriasis, and nothing we could find for hair or for the health claims made for cooking with it. It is a monounsaturated oil, so as a cooking oil it fits general advice to swap saturated fat for unsaturated fat, but that is not proof about avocado oil itself.

The one well-studied avocado product for joints, avocado-soybean unsaponifiables (ASU), is a purified extract sold as a supplement, not the oil, and should not be judged by the same rating.

Updated
10 October 2026
A halved avocado beside a small bottle of green avocado oil
At a glance
Last reviewed 10 October 2026
Evidence
Limited
Best for
Psoriasis (B12 cream)
Typical form & use
Oil in B12 cream, applied to skin
Onset
4+ weeks
Safety
Oil is unproven; ASU is a separate extract. No interactions in our data.
Check with your medications →

What it's used for

Evidence is rated per use. The same ingredient can be strong for one thing and traditional for another.

UseEvidenceWhat the research shows
Knee osteoarthritis (ASU extract, not the oil)Compare remedies for joints and inflammation →Moderate

ASU is the unsaponifiable (non-soap-forming) fraction of avocado and soybean oils, taken as 300 mg a day. A meta-analysis of four manufacturer-supported trials (664 people) found it eased pain and the Lequesne function score, with one extra responder for every six people treated (number needed to treat of six).

A 2019 meta-analysis found benefit in knee but not hip osteoarthritis, though the results varied a great deal between trials (I2 up to 92%) and a review of 20 supplements called the improvement statistically significant but of unclear clinical importance. A 3-year trial in hip osteoarthritis did not change joint space loss on average, and clinical outcomes did not differ.1,2,3,4

Plaque psoriasis (B12 cream containing avocado oil)Compare remedies for skin →Limited

In 13 people with plaque psoriasis, a vitamin B12 cream containing avocado oil applied to one side of the body matched the vitamin D drug calcipotriol on the other side after 12 weeks, though calcipotriol was faster in the first 8 weeks. It is a small trial with no placebo, and because the cream also contains vitamin B12 we cannot say the avocado oil did the work.5

Skin moisturiser and faceTraditional

Avocado oil is common in cosmetics, but we found no controlled human trial of the plain oil for dry skin, ageing or the face. Its skin reputation rests on tradition and on laboratory and animal work.6

HairCompare remedies for hair & nails →Traditional

We searched PubMed for human studies of avocado oil on hair growth, shine or breakage and found none. Its popularity for hair is based on tradition, not trials.6

Cooking oil for heart health and diabetesTraditional

Avocado oil is rich in monounsaturated fat. A 2021 review found that effects of avocado oil on cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease have been shown in laboratory and animal studies, but not in humans. The American Heart Association advises replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat, but that advice covers unsaturated fats in general, not avocado oil in particular.6,7,9

How much

Ranges below are what studies used and what supplements commonly contain. They are not a recommendation for you. Start at the low end.

ASU extract (studied dose)
300 mg a day1,3
This is the dose in the trials of the ASU supplement. It is a capsule extract, and is not achieved by using avocado oil.
ASU trial length
3 to 12 months; 3 years for structure1,3
The meta-analysis trials averaged 6 months (range 3 to 12). The reviewers suggested giving ASU a 3-month chance, and the hip structure trial ran 3 years.
Psoriasis cream trial
12 weeks5
The B12 cream containing avocado oil was assessed over 12 weeks. The abstract does not state how often it was applied or how much avocado oil it contained.
Timing · The trials do not say what time of day ASU was taken. For skin, the sources give no timing.With food? · No source we read gives food guidance for ASU or for the oil on skin.How long to trial · ASU authors suggested about 3 months to judge it for osteoarthritis. The psoriasis cream was assessed at 12 weeks. If joint pain is not settling, see your doctor rather than relying on a supplement.

How people take it

ASU capsules (extract)300 mg a day (trial dose)A separate product made from avocado and soybean oils, studied for knee osteoarthritis. It is not the same as avocado oil from a bottle.
Avocado oil (skin or hair)Not establishedNo controlled human trials of the plain oil on skin or hair were found.
B12 cream containing avocado oilUsed for 12 weeks in one trialThe form tested in psoriasis. It contains vitamin B12 as well as the oil.
Cooking oilNo recommended amountA monounsaturated oil. The evidence behind health advice on fats is for unsaturated fat in general.

Safety

Who should avoid
  • Latex allergy — avocado is among the fruits that most often cross-react with latex
  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding — we found no safety data on ASU or the oil
  • Osteoarthritis treated by your doctor — discuss ASU before adding it
  • Expecting ASU results from avocado oil — they are different products
Known interactions
No interactions in our data. Absence of a flag is not clearance.

Questions people ask

Is avocado oil good for hair?

We found no human trial of avocado oil for hair growth, shine or breakage. Its use on hair is traditional, and the evidence is rated traditional.

What are the benefits of avocado oil?

The human evidence is thin. The only trial we found tested a vitamin B12 cream containing avocado oil in 13 people with psoriasis, with results similar to calcipotriol at 12 weeks.

As a cooking oil it is monounsaturated, which fits advice to replace saturated fat, but a 2021 review found its cancer, diabetes and heart effects shown in laboratory and animal work, not in people.

Is avocado oil good for your skin or face?

It may act as a moisturiser like other plant oils, but we found no controlled trial of the plain oil on skin or face. The only trial with avocado oil used a vitamin B12 cream for psoriasis, with only 13 participants.

Does avocado help osteoarthritis?

The evidence is for avocado-soybean unsaponifiables (ASU), a 300 mg-a-day extract, not for avocado oil or the fruit.

Two meta-analyses found it eased knee osteoarthritis pain, but the trials varied a lot, were mostly manufacturer-supported, and a review of 20 supplements found the gains of unclear clinical importance. It did not clearly help hip osteoarthritis.

Make it yourself

DIY guides that use avocado oil, with quantities, safety notes and an honest word on what they do.

A small glass jar of green-gold homemade avocado oil beside a halved avocado on a bright kitchen counter
How to Make Avocado Oil at Home (and the Real Yield)Moderate · 60 min hands-on

Sources (9)

  1. Meta-analysis Christensen R, Bartels EM, Astrup A, Bliddal H. Symptomatic efficacy of avocado-soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) in osteoarthritis (OA) patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2008.
  2. Meta-analysis Simental-Mendia M, Sanchez-Garcia A, Acosta-Olivo CA, et al. Efficacy and safety of avocado-soybean unsaponifiables for the treatment of hip and knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials. Int J Rheum Dis. 2019.
  3. Randomised trial Maheu E, Cadet C, Marty M, et al. Randomised, controlled trial of avocado-soybean unsaponifiable (Piascledine) effect on structure modification in hip osteoarthritis: the ERADIAS study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2014.
  4. Systematic review Liu X, Machado GC, Eyles JP, Ravi V, Hunter DJ. Dietary supplements for treating osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2018.
  5. Randomised trial Stucker M, Memmel U, Hoffmann M, Hartung J, Altmeyer P. Vitamin B(12) cream containing avocado oil in the therapy of plaque psoriasis. Dermatology. 2001.
  6. Review Cervantes-Paz B, Yahia EM. Avocado oil: Production and market demand, bioactive components, implications in health, and tendencies and potential uses. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2021.
  7. Clinical guidance Sacks FM, Lichtenstein AH, Wu JHY, et al. Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2017.
  8. Review Gromek W, Koldej N, Switala S, Majsiak E, Kurowski M. Revisiting Latex-Fruit Syndrome after 30 Years of Research: A Comprehensive Literature Review and Description of Two Cases. J Clin Med. 2024.
  9. Review Drakpa D, Paul T, Chakrabarty S, Jigdrel K, Mukherjee P, Gupta J. Avocado Oil: Recent Advances in Its Anti-diabetic Potential. Curr Med Sci. 2025.

Reader notes

Experiences and questions from readers, read by an editor before they appear. They are personal accounts, not evidence, and are not medical advice.

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Last reviewed 10 October 2026 · Next review April 2027 · How we rate evidence