Oleic Acid Chemical Structure

Why Olive Oil is so Good?

The monounsaturated oleic acid is the major fatty acid of olive oil. Although oleic acid is found in other oils, olive oil contains a larger proportion of monounsaturated fatty acid than other oil.  The incidence  of heart disease is lower in the Mediterranean region where a lot of olive oil is consumed.

Why Olive Oil is Better?

FACTS: The relationship between heart disease and fatty acids also involves another factor: the ratio of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) to low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the ratio of  what we commonly call  “bad” and “good” cholesterol. It is the ratio of HDL to LDL, as well as the total cholesterol level, that is important in determining the risk of heart disease.  Although polyunsaturated triglycerides have the positive effect of reducing serum cholesterol levels, they also lower the HDL:LDL ratio, a negative effect.  Monounsaturated triglycerides like olive oil while not reducing serum cholesterol levels, increase the HDL:LDL ratio, a positive effect. The so-called tropical oils-coconut,palm, and palm kernel- which have high proportion of of these fatty acids, are particularly suspect in heart disease because they increase both serum cholesterol and LDL levels.

source “the Napoleons’ Buttons: 17  Molecules that Changed History” by Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson