The randomized, double-blind, controlled crossover study, published in the European Journal of Nutrition (2004, vol 43, no 3), investigated the effects of three similar extra-virgin olive oils with increasing levels of polyphenol antioxidants in humans. Spanish researchers from the Institut Municipal d’Investigacio Medica in Barcelona, Spain, administered 3 similar olive oils with increasing phenolic antioxidants (from 0 to 150 milligrams per kilograms) to 30 healthy subjects, over three periods of 3 weeks, preceded by two-week washout periods. After each study period, the participant’s serum levels of HDL, LDL, and various cardiovascular risk factors were analyzed.
The researchers found that LDL oxidation decreased and HDL levels increased as the polyphenol content of the olive oil increased. The findings also revealed that these effects were associated with improved cardiovascular risk factors. “Our results support the hypothesis that virgin olive oil consumption could provide benefits in the prevention of oxidative processes,” the study authors conclude.
REFERENCES:
1. Marrugat J et al. Effects of differing phenolic content in dietary olive oils on lipids and LDL oxidation–a randomized controlled trial. Eur J Nutr. 2004 Jun;43(3):140-7
