Is Olive Oil High in Cholesterol?
Olive oil, while high in fat, is not high in cholesterol. In fact, studies show that olive oil actually helps reduce cholesterol, and doctors suggest incorporating this highly beneficial oil into everyone's diet.
Monounsaturated Fat
Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fat, a type of fat that is good for you. Especially beneficial if eaten in moderation, monounsaturated fats can be used to replace trans fats (which are the bad kind of fats) in your diet. Olive oil is also especially high in antioxidants.
Cholesterol-Lowering Abilities
Cholesterol is made of is high-density lipoprotein (HDL), a type of cholesterol that protects the heart from disease, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), a type of cholesterol that can build up in arteries. Because of it's combination of monounsaturated fat and antioxidants, olive oil helps lower your LDL levels while keeping your HDL unchanged. In addition, consuming a healthy amount of olive oil each day could potentially lower your chance of having a heart attack and stroke.
Adding Olive Oil to Your Diet
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 2 tablespoons of olive oil daily is enough for you to reap its benefits. Simple ways to incorporate this oil into your diet is to eat olive oil-based salad dressings and to cook your meat and vegetables with it. Additionally, olive oil is an important part of the widely popular and heart-healthy Mediterranean Diet, which incorporates healthy fats (from foods like fish and olive oil), as well as fruits and vegetables that originated from countries near the Mediterranean Sea.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil is created from the first pressing of the olives. It is less processed and contains even more antioxidants than regular olive oil. According to the Mayo Clinic, some research implies that extra virgin olive oil is more effective at lowering cholesterol than regular olive oil.
Light Olive Oil
The Mayo Clinic recommends against olive oils marketed as "light." Light olive oil is simply lighter in color---meaning it is more processed---and does not contain less fat or calories.
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