how does olive oil help in reducing cholesterol levels?

There are so many  oils that have now arrived in the market when it comes cooking. Out of all these oils, olive oil has become quite the popular one amongst a lot of households. Olive oil also provides tons of health benefits to its consumers and one of them is their effect on reducing cholesterol levels. Read on to know how exactly it helps.

There is a reason as to why olive oil has suddenly gained immense popularity when compared to other. Cooking oils. You see, olive oil has a ton of benefits which it provides our body with. However, this only happens when the oil is consumed on a regular basis. Out of these health benefits, lowering cholesterol levels in the body is merely one of the few. This Is essentially due to the fact that using olive oil for cooking can prove to be a brilliant thing to use as it is a low cholesterol cooking oil. What the oil does is that it helps increase the level of good cholesterol and decreases the level of bad cholesterol in the body.

That is the main aim of the olive oil; to reduce the cholesterol levels in the body. However, it is always a good thing to know what exactly is it that the oil is fighting to contain!

What is cholesterol?

Our daily diet contains certain nutrients present to help make it a balanced one. These nutrients also contain substances called lipids or fats. Even these are essential. The right quantity of these lipids need to be present in one's diet, otherwise high levels of fats present in the body will end up causing a lot of serious cardiovascular issues.

The main reason for rise in cholesterol essentially is the change in the lipids or fat levels in the blood as they end up lining the walls of the arteries. Upon the increase in the accumulation of the lipids, blockage of the arteries happens, which further leads to heart issues. This is bad cholesterol or LDL. On the other hand, HDL or good cholesterol is beneficial for health.

Why high cholesterol levels are bad

Cholesterol levels that are higher than 240 are considered unhealthy and dangerous. High cholesterol levels can lead one to develop issues like heart complications, angina and even strokes, just to name a few.

Where does olive oil come into the picture?

One of the features of olive oil that benefits the consumer and helps reduce cholesterol levels to a great extent, thanks to the monounsaturated fats present in it. Monounsaturated fats are exceptionally helpful in reducing the bad cholesterol levels in the blood and increasing the levels of good cholesterol levels as a result.

Foods like meat and dairy which are high in saturated fats are one of the main culprits that lead to an increase in cholesterol levels. In order to have the cake and eat it too, consuming these products in moderation is the safest bet. Using olive cooking oil and a cholesterol free oil like extra virgin olive oil on a daily basis, helps one maintain healthy cholesterol levels with very little effort.

Extra virgin olive oil is definitely the best thing you can opt for if you are someone who thrives on salads and the likes. You see, upon comparison with ordinary olive oil, extra virgin olive oil happens to contain more monounsaturated fats. Thus, among other healthy oils like coconut oil, canola oil, et al, extra virgin olive oil emerges as a worthy winner.

Since extra virgin olive oil is directly extracted from the olives without the use of any heat the process ends up being more natural and the olives in turn do not end up losing any of their nutrients. Polyphenols, a crucial component of extra virgin olive oil, happen to be extremely beneficial for our health as they keep away many diseases like cancer and the likes. Apart from this, the polyphenols have anti-ageing properties thus making you feel and look younger too! And of all that was not enough, then polyphenols have also been known to be notorious when it comes to helping the body fight cardiovascular issues.

Including extra virgin olive oil in your daily diet can truly provide amazing benefits to your body especially when it comes to increasing good cholesterol and reducing the levels of bad cholesterol. The basic mechanism of this is by helping the body move the bad cholesterol from the arteries towards the liver, from where it is eliminated.