Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

1

If saturated fat is good,

and the industrial seed oils are bad due to their oxidation,

then why are Avocados good since they turn brown in the air very quickly???

From what I understand, the turning-brown is oxidation.

If that's true, then how come Avocados are considered good?

(My butter doesn't turn brown in the air.)

Thanks for any insights on this, Mike

flag	asked Apr 5 2012 at 14:45 CaveMan_Mike 4,643●13●52

Some people do avioid avocados due to the PUFA/n6 content. Probably the same people who avoid eggs/bacon/chicken/pork for that reason. Mmmm - chicken with bacon and avocado - delish! – Dave S. Apr 5 2012 at 16:21

Beth-WeightMaven · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-05 14:58:34Z UTC

10

The browning of avocados is not due to its fat oxidizing ... it's due to an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase being exposed to oxygen. This is the same mechanism that causes other fruits (like apples or bananas) to brown too.

answered Apr 5 2012 at 14:58

Beth-WeightMaven
15.3k●1●11●55

awesome! enzymes sound much more appetizing than oxidated fats! Thanks! – CaveMan_Mike Apr 5 2012 at 15:44

greymouser · Answer 2 · 2012-04-05 15:03:19Z UTC

Checkout this Oil Comparison Chart. Not paleo-centric, but it will give you a good idea of where oils lay on the axes of healthy/unhealthy and for eating/for cooking.

Avocados are high in MUFAs (70% of FAs), and about an equal split of SFAs and PUFAs. Industrial seed and vegetable oils do tend to have higher PUFAs, and therefore do tend to spoil more readily that those high in SFAs.

The browning you are seeing is likely not because of fat oxidation.

EDIT: I think Beth nailed it wrt why avocados brown.

Hack my Avocado Oxidation please!

2 Answers