Effect of Honey and Olive Oil on Total Blood Cholesterol Level in the Healthy Individuals

Abstract

Cholesterol is probably the best known steroid because of its association with atherosclerosis. Previous studies showed
association of olive oil use with reduced serum cholesterol levels. In addition, honey has been shown to have beneficial
effects on lipid profiles. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of olive oil and honey on total cholesterol
level in healthy Libyan individuals.
The study was conducted on 75 Libya volunteers aged 40-55 years divided into 3 groups including, 25 olive oil group,
25 honey group, and 25 olive oil and honey group. The total cholesterol level was measured before and after the
experiment and expressed as (mg/dL).
The chemical and physical properties of the olive oil used in this study found to be compatible with permitted limits
issued by the Libyan National Center of Standardization and Metrology. The results showed that olive oil and honey
significantly reduced total serum cholesterol (P <0.001) and (P<0.05) respectively. Furthermore, combination of olive
oil and honey significantly reduced total cholesterol (P <0.001) by 21%.
The utilization of olive oil and honey can lead to a significant decrease in the levels of total serum cholesterol in blood