The nutrition health literature is full of reports about the health benefits of drinking green tea. The polyphenols in green tea are known to contribute to cardiovascular health. Olive oil which is used in the Mediterranean diet is known to contribute to preventing cardiovascular disease. In a recent study olive oil and green tea polyphenols were used in lab tests to study the heart healthy effects of olive oil versus the effects of combining olive oil with green tea polyphenols. Earlier research had shown that consuming extra-virgin olive oil raised the level of the beneficial high-density lipoprotein (HDL) which benefits cardiovascular health by removing potentially harmful cholesterol from the bloodstream. Olive oil is known to produce a second heart healthy effect which is the reduction of lipid peroxidation.
In the study olive oil increased the removal of cholesterol by more than 40%. When the extra-virgin olive oil was combined with the green tea polyphenols the cholesterol removal was increased by more than 135% compared with a placebo. In terms of reducing atheriosclerosis, olive oil by itself reduced the size of the atherioschlerotic lesions by more than 10% and the dynamic combo of olive oil and green tea polyphenols achieved a 20% reduction.