Study

Olive Oil: Benefits on the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease Bijaraniya Kuldeep1, Binawara Bijendra Kumar2, Agarwal Garima3, Choudhary Urmila4 1,4 Tutor, Department of Physiology, R.N.T. Medical College, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India 2Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, S.P. Medical College, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India 3Tutor, Department of Physiology, Pacific Dental College, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

Abstract

Olive oil is known to improve several cardiovascular risk factors. Olive oil has been associated with reduced level of plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, possibly due to its high monounsaturated (MUFA) lipid profile. Sixty subjects were recruited and were divided into two groups control group (30) and study group (30). Subjects asked to replace their soybean oil (PUFA rich oil) with olive oil except the control group. The study was conducted for 12 weeks. The subjects were allowed to take their routine diet. They were told to take 20 ml of olive oil per day. The levels of total Cholesterol, HDL-Cholesterol, LDL-Cholesterol and triglycerides were assayed at base line and after three months. Blood pressure and heart rate were also evaluated. Twelve weeks of consumption of olive oil significantly lowered the triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low density lipoproteins (bad cholesterol). Reduction was more profound in study group than in controls. While systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly reduced in study group meanwhile, high density lipoproteins (good cholesterol) increased in both groups.