organic extra virgin olive oil and heart disease

You may think that a lower number of fat grams on a nutrition label signify a healthier food. The question, rather, is not how much fat, but of what kind. Some fat is not only good for you, but also necessary to maintaining a healthy heart. These are referred to as essential fatty acids, such as monounsaturated fat, and they play a huge role in the proper function of numerous inner body processes.

how much should you consume?

Don’t worry, you don’t have to eat a fancy Italian meal every day to get the oil you need. Studies show that consuming about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, an FDA approved ingredient for preventing heart disease, daily show an increase of antioxidants in the bloodstream and a lower level of “bad” cholesterol—the type that leads to heart disease. Antioxidants prevent aging and also lead to a healthy heart.

extra virgin

You may have noticed that we said “extra virgin” olive oil. This simply means that the oil is subject to only the initial pressing and thus retains its purity, containing more polyphenols—a broad category of antioxidants. This allows you to control the Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which carries cholesterol in the blood. If too much LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the walls of the arteries feeding the heart and brain. By controlling LDL cholesterol levels while raising high density levels (HDL) levels olive oil serves as an FDA approved ingredient for preventing heart disease.