far less Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Nonetheless, it's important to be aware that all 3 diets (like our average human diet at the U.S.) were high in dietary cholesterol, and sure enough, all three types of monkeys had LDL levels that were raised. It is not surprising, then, that on autopsy the investigators discovered atherosclerotic plaques in all three groups of monkeys Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

What is surprising is that the one group that had significantly less atherosclerosis compared to the other two was the team with the lowest levels, undoubtedly, of HDL cholesterol. It was the polyunsaturated-fat-rich group.

Mono Vs Saturated fats | Equally Damaging
What's even more astonishing is the monounsaturated-fat-rich diet and saturated-fat-rich diet were equally damaging.

"The purpose here is, we have got to look past blood lipids. We've got to analyze Just What happens to our arteries," claims Kimberly Gomer, MS, RD, LDN, Director of Nutrition at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami, Florida.

As this very important long-term study on monkeys demonstrates,"better" blood lipids do not automatically lead to better blood vessels. Though the monkeys around the mono-fat-rich diet had reduced LDLs and higher HDLs compared to monkeys over the sat-fat-rich dietthey ended up using the same quantity of harm to their blood vessels.

In a review, Dr. Rudel warned that the science supporting claims that monounsaturated fats are heart-healthy is feeble, based mostly on population studies, perhaps not controlled trials. Moreover, these claims"are questioned by the proven detrimental effects on atherosclerosis in animal models." (2)

Is olive oil better than butter? Yes, foods rich in monounsaturated fats like olive oil might be better than foods full of saturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, but just because something is"better" does not mean it's very good for you.