Which Is Better for Your Cholesterol?

Key Takeaways

• Olive oil, high in monounsaturated fats, improves HDL cholesterol, lowers LDL cholesterol, reduces inflammation, and supports heart health.
• Butter, high in saturated fats, raises both HDL and LDL cholesterol, but the increase in LDL outweighs the benefits, making it less heart-healthy.
• Extra virgin olive oil contains more antioxidants than regular olive oil, offering additional heart health benefits by reducing oxidative stress.

Butter and olive oil have differing effects on your levels of healthy and unhealthy cholesterol. Overall, olive oil is a better choice for managing cholesterol levels and heart health risks.

What Is Cholesterol?

The body naturally produces cholesterol and also obtains it from foods. Cholesterol is necessary to produce hormones and vitamin D, as well as assisting with digestion. There are three main types of cholesterol:

How Does Olive Oil Affect Cholesterol and Heart Health?

Both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the American Heart Association (AHA) endorse the use of olive oils in a heart-healthy diet:

• Monounsaturated fats: Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats have been shown to lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. Monounsaturated fats have been shown to improve HDL cholesterol, lower LDL cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and reduce inflammation.
• Mediterranean diet: As a key part of the Mediterranean diet, olive oil consumption has been shown in several studies to reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol more than other plant oils.
• Polyphenols: Olive oil also contains polyphenols, plant compounds with antioxidant properties that benefit heart health. One study demonstrated the powerful cardiovascular health benefits of olive oil. Participants with high LDL cholesterol took olive oil for four weeks; by the end of the study, their LDL cholesterol levels had decreased.

Extra virgin olive oil is higher in antioxidants than classic olive oil because it is cold-pressed rather than refined with heat. Both are excellent sources of monounsaturated fats with extra virgin olive oil has added benefits of extra antioxidants which helps neutralize free radicals and reduces oxidative stress all of which reduces heart disease risk.

How Does Butter Affect Cholesterol and Heart Health?

Butter is made from cream or milk, and contains mainly saturated fats: Research has shown that saturated fats elevate LDL cholesterol.

The saturated fats in butter elevate both HDL and LDL cholesterol levels. Research shows that the risk of butter increasing heart disease and mortality is small but not zero. On the whole, the rise in LDL outweighs the benefits of increases in HDL and is therefore recommended to be avoided, especially if you already have elevated LDL cholesterol levels.

For people with normal LDL cholesterol levels, recommendations are to use butter in small amounts, less 6% of total daily caloric intake. Using a traditional 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, which is less than 13 grams of total saturated fats a day. To put it in perspective, one tablespoon of butter has over 7 grams of saturated fat.

Which Should You Choose?

Olive oil, which is high in monounsaturated fats, is a much healthier alternative to butter, which is high in saturated fat. A diet higher in monounsaturated fats than saturated fats results in less muscle and lean tissue loss, greater fat and weight loss, higher post-meal HDL cholesterol, and an overall reduction in blood pressure.

A general dietary goal is for 20% to 25% of total daily calories to come from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and for less than 10% of daily calorie intake to come from saturated fats.

Dietary fats have different effects on cholesterol:

• Monounsaturated fats: Monounsaturated fat benefits include lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and reduced inflammation. Olive oil, as well as nuts like almonds, cashews, and pecans, are foods high in monounsaturated fats.
• Polyunsaturated fats: Polyunsaturated fats are important to include in a balanced diet. These fats lower LDL cholesterol, which decreases heart disease and stroke risk. Omega-6 and omega-3 are types of polyunsaturated fats and are found in foods like salmon, tuna, walnuts, and chia seeds.
• Saturated fats: Saturated fats can increase LDL cholesterol, which increases heart disease and stroke risk. These types of fats should be a small part of our diet. Foods that contain saturated fats are animal proteins like pork, ground beef, sausage, cream, and butter.
• Trans fats: Trans fats are found in hydrogenated foods, created when liquid oil is turned into a solid fat. They increase heart disease risk and are generally considered more harmful than saturated fats, so they should be eaten as little as possible. Processed foods made with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils or fast foods like french fries tend to contain trans fats.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. What is cholesterol?

2. North American Olive Oil Association. NAOOA celebrates American Heart Month with announcement of American Heart Association’s heart-check certification.

3. American Heart Association. Unhealthy fats: saturated and trans fats.

4. Heart Foundation. Fats, oils and heart health.

5. American Heart Association. Mediterranean diet with virgin olive oil may be recipe for ‘good’ cholesterol.

6. Kourek C, Makaris E, Magiatis P, et al. Effects of high-phenolic extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) on the lipid profile of patients with hyperlipidemia: a randomized clinical trial. Nutrients. 2025;17(15), 2543; doi:10.3390/nu17152543

7. Kim JH, Lee ME, Hwang SM, Lee JJ, Kwon YS. Association between dietary antioxidants and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in south korea: insights from a comprehensive cross-sectional analysis. JCM. 2024;13(20):6068. doi:10.3390/jcm13206068

8. Heart Foundation. 9 food and heart health myths, busted.

9. Engel S, Tholstrup T. Butter increased total and LDL cholesterol compared with olive oil but resulted in higher HDL cholesterol compared with a habitual diet. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;102(2):309-315. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.112227

10. American Heart Association. The skinny on fats.

11. U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central Food Details. Butter, without salt.

12. DiNicolantonio JJ, O’Keefe JH. Monounsaturated fat vs saturated fat: effects on cardio-metabolic health and obesity. Mo Med. 2022;119(1):69-73.

13. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Choose healthy fats.

14. American Diabetes Association. Fats.

By Pamela Assid Woughter, DNP, RN

Dr. Pamela Assid Woughter is a Doctor of Nursing Practice and Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality based in Colorado.

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