The Secret to Lowering Your LDL Cholesterol (Living Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

I significantly lowered my total cholesterol level and LDL cholesterol level by 30 points (238 to 208) over the course of several months solely by taking one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil a day. I kept my diet constant, and did not increase my level of exercise activity.

The extra virgin olive oil is rich in antioxidants (polyphenols to be specific) that prevent the oxidation of bad LDL cholesterol while promoting healthly HDL cholesterol levels. It lowers the bad cholesterol while keeping the level of good cholesterol up. As a result, it offers tremendous protection against heart disease. Naturally, my HDL to LDL cholesterol ratio improved.

Here is the secret though -any extra virgin olive oil will not do. The key is to use "living" olive oil which is processed close to room temperature as possible. "Living" olive oil contains higher levels of antioxidants (or polyphenols). Find more AnswerMarks on organic "living" olive oil here including where to purchase.

The olive oil can be taken straight up, or my favorite method of ingestion is to mince some raw garlic, add the olive oil, and then sop it up with french bread.

Here is the link to a CBS News article if you would like more details. For those more scientifically inclined, here is the link to the abstract that the article references.

Finally, you may also be interested in other cholesterol lowering methods such as losing weight, or exercising. However, other dietary foods you may want to consider are to use oatmeal or flax seed (even better - add the flax seed to your oatmeal in the morning). They both are significant sources of soluble fiber (and also promote regularity). Foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids have also been shown to increase HDL (good cholesterol) levels.

Let me know how it goes!