Olive Oil is the backbone of the Mediterranean diet, and one of the healthiest food products available to us. Olive oil is healthy because it combines good fats, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds, all of which support your heart, brain, and long-term health.

For centuries, olive oil has been a daily staple—and a form of natural medicine—throughout the Mediterranean. Today, modern research supports what those cultures long understood: regular olive oil consumption is associated with significantly better long-term health, especially when it replaces butter and other saturated fats common in the American diet.

Large population studies show that people who consume about ½ tablespoon of olive oil per day have a 19% lower risk of premature death from any cause compared to those who rarely consume it. At the same intake level, olive oil consumption is associated with a 15–21% lower risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.

Olive oil’s benefits extend beyond heart health. Research has found that higher olive oil consumption is associated with a 17% lower risk of death from cancer compared to low consumption. Populations that regularly consume olive oil—particularly as part of a Mediterranean-style diet—also show lower rates of breast, colorectal, and digestive tract cancers.

These protective effects are largely attributed to olive oil’s high concentration of polyphenols, powerful plant compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress are known contributors to cancer development, and olive oil’s polyphenols help neutralize these processes at the cellular level. 

Unlike butter, which is high in saturated fat, olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats that improve cholesterol balance by lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol while supporting HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Extra-virgin olive oil also improves blood vessel function and reduces systemic inflammation—factors linked not only to heart disease, but also to cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative conditions.

In practical terms, replacing just one tablespoon of butter per day with olive oil is associated with a 5–7% reduction in cardiovascular disease risk, without changing total calories or eating habits. Similar replacement patterns are linked to reduced inflammation and improved metabolic health.

You don’t need to overhaul your diet to see benefits. Using 1–2 tablespoons of olive oil per day—for cooking, salad dressings, or finishing vegetables—is enough to make a measurable difference when used consistently and in place of solid animal fats.

For Americans accustomed to butter, olive oil represents one of the simplest, most effective food swaps available. Backed by decades of research, it supports heart health, helps lower cancer risk, and promotes longevity—not as a supplement or trend, but as a daily, time-tested food.

What Is Important When Choosing an Olive Oil?
  • Look for Extra Virgin. This is the healthiest, with the best flavor, and made without chemicals or heat. It isn’t just a saying. There are real qualities that define an oil as extra virgin, virgin, or just oil.
  • The label must have a harvest date. You want to consume oil made in the last 1-2 years, although we really recommend the most recent harvest. Extra virgin oil is made from oils harvested in October and November. If your oil doesn’t have a harvest date, it was most likely made in December and January, when the olives have turned a dark color and are basically rotting fruit. These olives produce the most oil, but definitely do not produce extra virgin olive oil.
  • The place of origin should be clear. Avoid mixed oils. The more specific the better.
  • Olive oil with high polyphenols and low acidity are the healthiest for you. Polyphenols fight inflammation, are high in antioxidants, and support heart and brain health.
  • NO PLASTIC EVER. Olive Oil should be stored in dark glass, or stainless steel canisters. We are looking at you Graza! A label might be trendy and cute, but any oil that lives in plastic is not healthy. Plastic breaks down the healthy compounds in olive oil at a rapid rate.
USES: sauteing, sizzling, roasting, frying, baking, drizzling, as a health shot, and more