Short Answer: Olive oil is good for high cholesterol. Because it has monounsaturated fats and antioxidants, and they can lower your LDL cholesterol and protect your blood vessels.
High cholesterol is a condition that affects your blood vessels and heart.
In high cholesterol, your body has too much of a fatty substance called cholesterol in your blood.
This can cause fatty deposits to build up in your arteries, narrowing them and reducing blood flow.
This can lead to various health problems, such as heart attack, stroke, angina, and peripheral artery disease.
One of the key factors in managing high cholesterol is diet.
What you consume can affect your cholesterol levels, which can impact your high cholesterol symptoms and overall health.
To effectively manage high cholesterol, you should consume unsaturated fat rich foods like nuts, seeds, avocados, and oily fish, and avoid saturated fat and trans fat rich foods like butter, cheese, red meat, and baked goods.
Now, olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives, the fruit of the olive tree.
People usually use it for cooking, salad dressing, or dipping bread.
Olive oil is good for high cholesterol because it contains healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants.
These can help lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase your HDL (good) cholesterol.
This can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.
One tablespoon of olive oil can give you about 14 grams of fat (21% of your daily needs), of which 10 grams are monounsaturated and 2 grams are polyunsaturated.
It also contains vitamin E and K, and some phytochemicals like oleocanthal and oleuropein.
Monounsaturated fats can lower your LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and improve your blood pressure and blood sugar.
Antioxidants can protect your blood vessels from inflammation and oxidative damage.
Furthermore, olive oil is a type of plant oil and plant oils are good for high cholesterol.
Because, they do not contain cholesterol or trans fats, unlike animal fats.
You can eat up to 2 tablespoons of olive oil per day safely.
More than that can cause weight gain and excess calories.
Also, you shouldn’t eat olive oil if you have gallstones or bile duct obstruction to prevent gallbladder attacks.
Because, olive oil can stimulate the release of bile from the gallbladder.
You can buy fresh olive oil in your local market or can order it online.
Always choose extra virgin olive oil, which is the highest quality and has the most antioxidants.
Because, lower quality olive oils may be mixed with other oils or refined, which can reduce their health benefits.
You can store olive oil in a cool, dark, and dry place for up to 2 years.
Finally, remember, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, stress management and essential medical care is key to managing high cholesterol effectively.
I always recommend my high cholesterol patients to follow a high cholesterol-friendly diet to improve their overall well-being, and enjoy a longer and healthier life.