High-Polyphenol Olive Oil and Cholesterol

Why cholesterol is less black-and-white than you think

Cholesterol has a bad reputation. The word alone evokes images of clogged arteries, warning conversations and rigid rules. And yet cholesterol itself is not the enemy. It is an essential building block, something your body actively produces and uses every day to keep cells flexible, hormones balanced and vital processes running.

The real question is not whether you have cholesterol, but how it behaves. And that is precisely where a daily shot of Green Machine becomes interesting.

Cholesterol is not a flaw in your body

Your body makes cholesterol because it needs it. Cholesterol forms the backbone of cell membranes, supports hormone production and plays a role in vitamin D synthesis. In your bloodstream, cholesterol never travels alone. It is transported inside particles called lipoproteins.

The most familiar ones are LDL and HDL.

LDL, often labelled “bad cholesterol”, acts as a delivery system. It transports cholesterol from the liver to tissues that need it. HDL works in the opposite direction, helping return excess cholesterol back to the liver. That is why HDL earned the label “good cholesterol”.

These labels are convenient, but incomplete. LDL is not inherently harmful, and HDL is not automatically protective. What truly matters is what happens to these particles once they are in circulation.

When LDL becomes problematic

LDL becomes a risk factor when it gets damaged. In an environment of oxidative stress, driven by chronic inflammation, smoking, ultra-processed food, metabolic imbalance or prolonged stress, LDL particles can oxidise.

Oxidised LDL behaves differently. It triggers inflammatory responses in the vessel wall and plays a central role in the cascade that can eventually lead to atherosclerosis. The issue is therefore not only how much LDL you have, but how vulnerable it is.

This is where high-polyphenol olive oil changes the conversation.

Polyphenols, plant intelligence your body recognises

Polyphenols are protective compounds that olive trees produce to defend themselves against stress, sun exposure and oxidation. In extra virgin olive oil, they are responsible for bitterness, pungency and that unmistakable peppery sensation at the back of the throat.

In Green Machine, these compounds are present at an exceptional level. The latest independent laboratory analysis of the 2025/2026 harvest shows a total polyphenol content of 1,378 mg/kg, compared to an industry average of around 180 mg/kg.

This is not a marginal difference. It is an entirely different category.

In addition, this harvest contains notably high levels of powerful phenols such as oleocanthal and oleacein, compounds that have been widely studied for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.

What a daily shot can set in motion

When you consume a daily portion of high-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil, something subtle but meaningful happens.

Polyphenols such as hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives help protect blood lipids from oxidative damage. This effect is so well established that the European Food Safety Authority allows an official health claim stating that olive oil polyphenols contribute to the protection of blood lipids against oxidative stress, provided the oil delivers sufficient quantities per daily serving.

With its current phenolic profile, a daily serving of Green Machine comfortably exceeds this threshold.

In practical terms, this means LDL particles are less prone to oxidation, more stable, and less likely to trigger inflammatory processes in the vessel wall.

This is not about aggressively “lowering cholesterol numbers”.
It is about making cholesterol behave in a less harmful way.

And what about HDL?

HDL is often praised, but here too nuance matters. It is not only the quantity of HDL that counts, but how well it functions.

Research suggests that extra virgin olive oil rich in polyphenols may support HDL functionality, particularly its role in transporting cholesterol away from tissues. In other words, polyphenols do not just protect the delivery system, they also help the clean-up crew do its job more efficiently.

Why cholesterol is often a lifestyle story, and sometimes not

For many people, an unfavourable cholesterol profile is closely linked to lifestyle. Limited movement, chronic stress, ultra-processed foods, insulin resistance and poor sleep create internal conditions where oxidation and inflammation flourish.

But lifestyle is not the full story. Some people maintain healthy habits and still show elevated LDL levels due to genetic factors, such as familial hypercholesterolaemia. In those cases, medical guidance is essential, and nutrition plays a supportive, not substitutive, role.

A daily shot of olive oil is therefore not a shortcut. It is a meaningful ritual within a broader framework of care.

Why Green Machine fits this story so well

Not all olive oils deliver this effect. The difference lies in polyphenol concentration, harvest timing, extraction precision and freshness.

The 2025/2026 Green Machine harvest combines extremely high polyphenols with excellent freshness markers: a low free acidity of 0.22%, a peroxide value of 5 meq O₂/kg, and a high oleic acid content of 75.49%, supporting both stability and nutritional quality. (Polyphenols Analysis)

That peppery kick in the throat? That is not coincidence. That is oleocanthal doing what it does best.

A small ritual with long-term intelligence

A daily shot of Green Machine will not “fix” cholesterol overnight. What it can do is offer your body a consistent supply of compounds it recognises as protective, compounds that help slow down, stabilise and soften processes that modern lifestyles tend to accelerate.

Not dramatic. Not loud.
Just deeply intelligent.

If you have elevated cholesterol levels or take medication, always discuss dietary changes with your physician. Green Machine is a conscious daily ritual, not a replacement for medical care.