Extra Virgin Olive Oil Diet

Extra virgin olive oil adds to a heart-healthy diet by providing you with monounsaturated fat, a healthy type of fat. You can easily substitute olive oil for unhealthy fats in your meals to help improve your cholesterol levels. The monounsaturated fat in extra virgin olive oil lowers harmful cholesterol in the bloodstream to reduce your risk of heart disease.

Olive Oil Processing

Virgin olive oils come from the olive and are produced in a way so the oil remains unaltered, making it an essentially natural product, according to the Olive Oil Source. Extra virgin olive oil maintains the highest quality because it goes through the least processing. Production consists mainly of washing, decanting and filtering to retain its natural attributes. Virgin olive oil goes through slightly more processing. Standard olive oils undergo more processing than extra virgin or virgin olive oils. Extra virgin olive oil provides you with the healthiest benefits.

Substitutions

Olive oil still contains high amounts of calories, so use it in moderation. Replace butter and other additives high in saturated fat with olive oil during food preparation or cooking. Spread a small amount on your bread or top your baked potatoes and salads with a little bit of olive oil. Use it on your sandwiches instead of high-fat mayonnaise or other condiments.

Mediterranean Diet

People who practice the Mediterranean diet often dip their bread in olive oil, the primary source of fat in the diet, MayoClinic.com notes. The Mediterranean diet has become popular worldwide because of the low rate of heart disease among people consuming the diet. The foundation of the diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes, seeds, herbs and olive oil. Dieters eat fish about twice a week. They eat poultry in moderation and rarely eat meat. The diet discourages saturated and trans fat.

Unhealthy Fats

Saturated fat, found in animal protein, raises LDL cholesterol. LDL forms plaque on the inner walls of the arteries that interfere with blood flow to the heart, leading to heart disease. Trans fat, found in many commercially baked products and fried foods in restaurants, not only raises LDL, but also lowers healthy HDL cholesterol. HDL helps clear away excess cholesterol in the bloodstream and carries it to the liver for disposal.

Monounsaturated Fat

The monounsaturated fat in olive oil helps lower LDL cholesterol and may normalize blood clotting. Monounsaturated fat may also raise protective HDL levels to improve your overall cholesterol, the Harvard School of Public Health explains. The FDA states that consuming 2 tbsp. of olive oil a day may reduce the risk of heart disease because of the monounsaturated fat in the product.