Cholesterol Research has provided proof that a Mediterranean style diet, including olive oil, is a healthy diet and that olive oil may reduce cholesterol levels. The American Heart Association found in researching the modern day diet that Greece and especially the island of Crete had the lowest mortality rate due to cardio-vascular illness. Finland and the United States had the highest mortality rate. The only notable difference between the countries was the type of fat ingested. In countries with high incidents of cardio-vascular disease, saturated fats were most often consumed.
Saturated fats are high in cholesterol.
Monounsaturates, on the other hand, contain no cholesterol. Fats and lipids are essential to a well balanced diet. They divide into saturates and unsaturates depending on whether they have simple or double bonds between their carbon groups. Fatty acids that have one double bond are monounsaturates. Polyunsaturates have several double bonds.