Quote from R. Raskolnikov:
Don't ask me, ask SCIENCE 
Olive Oil contains natural chemical compounds which are very good for your heart, and its better to eat olive oil than to not. Similar to why Salmon, which is a very high fatty fish, is excellent for your heart too.
I did ask, here is what SCIENCE had to say:
Foods rich in monounsaturated fats
like olive oil are healthier than those
full of saturated fat and trans fats but
just because it's healthier doesn't
mean that it is good for you.
When scientists fed monounsaturated
fats to monkeys in isolated controlled
studies for five years, the monkeys
developed extensive plaque build-up
and coronary artery disease.
-Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology,
1995; 15: 2101.
GIVE BEEF (AND OLIVE OIL) DA BOOT!!
