If you have no idea, welcome to the club because until about fifteen minutes ago I had no idea either. I just knew that olive oil was supposed to be good for you and that you should be buying extra virgin or virgin olive oil if you want the best bang for your buck (the other types suck). So, why is it good for you?

Well, there are two aspects about olive oil that make it healthy for you to consume:

• High content of monounsaturated fatty acids, and,
• High content of antioxidants.

The oleic acid from the olives in olive oil offer good protection against heart disease because they help regulate the “bad” LDL cholesterol while raising the “good” HDL cholesterol. The first pressing, or extra virgin grade, is especially good because it has the highest concentration of antioxidants such as Vitamin E and phenols. Most of the fatty acids in olive oil are the omega-9 group, so it doesn’t affect omega-6 to omega-3 ratios.

It’s been shown that 25 milliliters of olive oil each day for a week reduces LDL cholesterol and increases antioxidant compounds in the blood.

So… that’s why it’s good for you, but 25 mL is enough (don’t chug it!).