Study shows why olive oil is great for your heart

[Devolz]

A recent study in the Circulation journal by the American Heart Association suggests that a simple ingredient on your kitchen countertop can significantly benefit your heart.

The one-year study carried out on 300 people with a high risk of cardiovascular complications showed that a Mediterranean diet can catalyze the effect that HDL has on the body.

HDL, defined as the good cholesterol in our body, can offset LDL—which is considered a bad cholesterol capable of causing heart disease. Doctors advise people to curb the intake of red meats, processed food and fried snacks that consist of LDL, because once the cholesterol accumulates on the walls of blood vessels, the chances of a cardiac arrest multiplies. Due to this, they believe that increasing the amount of HDL in the body is ideal.

In the investigation led by Montserrat Fito from the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute in Barcelona, participants were randomly selected to consume either a diet with a small portion of red meat and lots of vegetables and fruit or follow a Mediterranean diet that was either olive oil or nut oriented.

After comparing their blood cholesterol levels before and after the experiment, researchers discovered that participants who indulged in non-Mediterranean nutrition decreased their total LDL cholesterol; however, the people who followed the two Mediterranean diets improved the functioning of their HDL.

The section of people that complied with a Mediterranean diet of olive oil specifically had immensely better-working HDL. This improvement in HDL removed a greater level of LDL in their heart vessels and served as antioxidants that could cure inflammatory damage in the body that would have otherwise caused a stroke. Furthermore, the HDL could maintain the elasticity of the blood vessels, thereby reducing their sensitivity to damage.

Fito states, “Our hypothesis is that all the antioxidant compounds in olive oil bind to the HDL particle and preserve [it] from oxidative stress, and that maintains the HDL in better quality”,

Aside from an olive-oil based Mediterranean diet, experts also emphasize that exercise can also do the trick. But, because there are no drugs available to increase HDL levels, scientists are finding more and more natural ways to decrease chances of cardiac issues in heart patients.