Olive oil has been the crown jewel of the praised Mediterranean diet for centuries. It's the equivalent to a culinary Swiss Army knife––useful for sautéing, dipping, baking, frying, drizzling, and of course the daily olive oil shot. Olive Oil is an excellent addition to any dish as well as any healthy diet. It's natural antioxidants and healthy fats make it a very useful recipe sidekick. But can it also be useful in one's regular diet for lowering cholesterol? The short answer YES! Read onto to learn more about olive oil's cholesterol lowering powers. 

What is Cholesterol?

Before we can talk about lowering cholesterol, it's important to understand what cholesterol is and how it affects the body. Cholesterol as a whole gets a bad wrap, but not all cholesterol is bad cholesterol. In moderation, cholesterol is useful in helping your body make hormones and digest fatty foods. The cholesterol that doctors are telling you to lower it most likely LDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol in heavy quantities can clog arteries and increase risk of heart attacks. 

What Does the Science Say?

Olive oil's health benefits lie in its fat profile, specifically its plethora of monounsaturated fats. These monounsaturated fats help to reduce LDL cholesterol, and increase HDL cholesterol. Several studies have shown that replacing saturated fats (lard, vegetable oil, peanut oil, etc) with olive oil can have a direct impact on increasing LDL cholesterol. The PREDIMED study, found that people who consumed olive oil regularly had lower cholesterol and a reduced risk of cardiovascular events. Excellent news for Mediterranean diet enthusiasts! 

Which Olive Oil Should I Use?

When it comes to olive oil, not all are pressed the same. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO for short) is the least processed form of olive oil. This means that it's packed with the highest levels of antioxidants and healthy fats. If you want to start to incorporate an oil into your diet that will not only taste amazing, but help with lowering cholesterol we recommend EVOO.

They call it liquid gold for a reason. 

Pro Tips for Incorporating Olive Oil:

Swap butter for olive oil: Don't get us wrong, we love butter, but we do highly recommend giving Sizzle a try in some of those classic butter use-cases for a tasty new experience! 

Dress your salads: We like to use Drizzle on everything, but it shows itself as a particular shining star upon a hearty salad! 

Roast veggies: Drizzle Sizzle over veggies before roasting to give them that crispy, caramelized finish (and your heart a high five)!