The incidence of coronary disease in Greece is very low. The hypothesis was that this could be due to the extensive consumption of olive oil. To ensure experimental conditions, Crete seemed the ideal choice. A thirty year study confirmed the hypothesis. The role of olive oil in the prevention of cardiovascular disease is indeed unique.
Heart disease is in direct proportion to the concentration of cholesterol in the blood.
Olive oil, due to its fatty acid composition, has a beneficial impact on controlling cholesterol levels. Fatty acids are substances found in fats and oils. Cholesterol though, which is synthesized in the liver, cannot move about the body by itself. So special vehicles, called lipoproteins, are provided for this purpose. LDL are large trucks that carry cholesterol to the cells.