Cholesterol Level In Olive Oil

Olive oil is one of the healthy oils, especially the extra virgin grade. It is high in calories but there is no cholesterol, in fact, it increases "good" cholesterol levels and provides several other health benefits, such as reducing your risk for heart disease and diabetes. Olive oil also contains polyphenols which are known to be strong antioxidants.

What it Is

Making olive oil begins by washing fresh olives to remove any chemicals or pesticides. They are then ground down to a paste which makes extracting oil easier and more complete. The next step is called malaxing, where the paste is stirred for up to 45 minutes. The addition of water may help increase the quantity of oil, but it will generally reduce the quality. Collecting the oil was originally done by presses but now it is commonly done by centrifuges that will separate the oil, olive pulp and water.

Varieties

Olive oil is currently produced in several countries including Italy, Spain, Greece and the United States. Olive oil comes in varying types or grades. The most expensive and finest grade is the extra virgin olive oil, which can also be called first press. Next is the virgin olive oil, also a first press but it has a higher acidity level. Pure olive oil and light olive oil are blends and have the least flavor and health benefits.

Nutrition and Fats Information

One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil provides 126 calories, 14 g of fat, 1.96 g of saturated fat, 10.78 g of mono-unsaturated fat, 1.26 g of polyunsaturated fat and 8.7 percent of your RDA for vitamin E. There is no cholesterol in olive oil.

Olive Oil and Cholesterol Levels

Olive oil is a rich source of monounsaturated fats that MayoClinic.com says can help reduce your risk of heart disease by reducing your low-density lipoproteins, LDLs. Extra virgin and virgin grade olive oils contain the most polyphenols, which are strong antioxidants that promote your heart health. According to a study published in the September 5, 2006 issue of "Annals of Internal Medicine," conducted by researchers from the Municipal Institute for Medical Research, Barcelona, Spain, extra virgin olive oil is able to increase high-density lipoproteins, HDLs and prevent oxidative damage.

Health Benefits

In the parts of the world where olive oil is consumed regularly, such as in the Mediterranean, people tend to live longer and do not have the same rate of occurrence of degenerative diseases such as atherosclerosis, arthritis or diabetes as do the people who consume other oils more frequently. Simply replacing other oils in your diet with extra virgin olive oil can reduce your risk of heart disease by almost 50 percent. Another possible benefit of olive oil is its ability to reduce inflammation. Research published in the September 1, 2005 issue of "Nature" and conducted by researchers at Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, showed that extra virgin olive oil had ibuprofen-like activity.