- Consumer demand is rising for all things avocado, including oil made from the fruit. Avocado oil is a great source of vitamins, minerals and the type of fats associated with reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. But according to new research from food science experts at the University of California, Davis, the vast majority of avocado oil sold in the U.S. is of poor quality, mislabeled or adulterated with other oils.
- Thelema (Wikipedia)
Thelema (/θəˈliːmə/) is a Western esoteric and occult social or spiritual philosophy, as well as a new religious movement that was founded in the early 1900s by Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), an English writer, mystic, occultist, and ceremonial magician. Central to Thelema is the idea of discovering and following one’s True Will, a unique purpose and calling that goes beyond ordinary desires. Crowley’s system begins with The Book of the Law, a text he said was dictated to him by an entity named Aiwass. This foundational work lays out key principles, including the central axiom “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law”. This principle emphasizes personal freedom and the pursuit of one’s true path, while being guided by love and finding one’s authentic purpose.
- First report on quality and purity evaluations of avocado oil sold in the US (sciencedirect.com)
The demand for avocado oil has increased significantly as consumers resonate with its potential health benefits, however, due to the lack of enforceable standards, consumers are unprotected from fraud (i.e., economic motivated adulteration). This study analyzed avocado oils currently on the market in the US to evaluate their quality (e.g., free fatty acidity, peroxide value, UV absorbances, vitamin E) and purity (e.g., fatty acids, sterols, triacylglycerols). Our results showed that the majority of commercial samples were oxidized before reaching the expiration date listed on the bottle. In addition, adulteration with soybean oil at levels near 100% was confirmed in two “extra virgin” and one “refined” sample. These findings demonstrate there is an urgent need to develop standards for avocado oil not only to ensure the consumers receive high quality and authentic products but to establish a level playing field to support the continuing growth of global avocado oil industry.