A spate of recent worldwide studies reveal several cholesterol-healthy alternatives to olive oil.

Ingesting 15 milliliters a day of virgin coconut oil for eight weeks increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) “good cholesterol” levels in 32 young adults by an average of 5.72 milligrams/deciliter, researchers at Thailand’s Chiang Mai University found.

Walnut oil slashed heart disease risk in 100 Type 2 diabetes patients that swallowed capsules containing a total of 15 milliliters of walnut oil a week—the amount of oil obtained from 4 to 5 servings of the nuts. They experienced significant drops in total cholesterol, low-density (LDL) “bad cholesterol” and triglycerides after 90 days, reported Iranian researchers at the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences.

Camelina oil from the Camelina sativa plant, also called false flax, lowered LDL levels in 79 men with prediabetic symptoms, whereas diets high in either high- or low-fatty fish did not, according to the University of Eastern Finland. The men consumed 30 milliliters of the oil for 90 days.

This article appears in the June 2018 issue of Natural Awakenings.