Health Facts About Olive Oil

Manufacturers freshly press olive oil from the fruit, unlike other vegetable oils that are not completely natural. Lovers of olive oil often remark about the fresh taste that brings them vitamins and valuable health benefits. Olive oil contains plenty of monounsaturated fatty acids, the good kind of fat as opposed to unhealthy saturated and trans fats. The antioxidants in olive oil protect against the destructive effects of oxidation and disease.

Cholesterol Function

The healthy monounsaturated fats in olive oil make an excellent replacement for saturated and trans fats, MayoClinic.com notes. Saturated and trans fats increase the risk of heart disease by increasing low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels. LDL, known as the bad cholesterol, accumulates on the artery walls to narrow the vessels and lead to heart disease. The monunsaturated fats in olive oil can lower the risk of heart disease by reducing the bad effects of LDL cholesterol. Olive oil also raises levels of high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol, thought to pick up excess cholesterol in the arteries and move it to the liver before it leaves the body.

Diet

Olive oil plays a prime role in the popular Mediterranean diet thought to promote health and reduce the risks of heart disease and some cancers for people in the geographical areas where the diet originated. Using olive oil in cooking or as seasoning for salads provides plenty of antioxidants to help lower LDL cholesterol, according to Diet-to-Go. Use olive oil in the kitchen to sauté vegetables, add to a marinade or mix with vinegar for a healthy and delicious salad. Olive oil also works as a healthy substitute for butter.

Digestion

Tasters of olive oil find it pleasant to the stomach. It can relieve the effects of ulcers and gastritis, Healing Daily states. It has natural properties that activate the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones and may lower the risk of gallstone formation. Lab studies show olive oil lowers the risk of colon cancer in rats, according the February 2000 issue of Gut, an International Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Prevention

Other studies have shown that the monounsaturated fats in olive oil can dramatically reduce LDL cholesterol, raise good HDL cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, improve lipid levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Researchers found cholesterol improvements when replacing carbohydrates with monounsaturated fats. Clinical trials of people replacing carbohydrate-rich diets with monounsaturated and other unsaturated fats improved body functioning to reduce the risk of heart disease.

First Pressing

Choose extra-virgin olive oil, the first pressing that is less processed. It contains higher levels of polyphenols, the powerful antioxidants that fight off excess cholesterol, than other olive oils. Olive oil also has plenty of vitamin E benefits. The FDA recommends consuming about 2 tablespoons of olive oil a day.