Phenols in olive have been linked to a variety of health benefits including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties, and chemoprotective activity in clinical trials.
Moreover, olive oil phenolic compounds have been shown in clinical trials to improve lipid profile, improve endothelial function, modify the hemostasis, and have antithrombotic properties in humans
A new clinical trial tested the benefits of olive oil enriched with polyphenols for improving HDL cholesterol in cardiovascular patients.
Results of this clinical trial were published in the journal of Molecular Nutrition and Food Research.
Read here about a clinical trial that used a polyphenol from oranges to improve HDL by 23%
Here are the study details:
Study design: Randomized, double-blind, crossover, controlled trial
33 volunteers with high cholesterol (total cholesterol (TC) > 200 mg/dL); (19 men), aged 35–80.
Three different olive oil products were tested:
- Olive oil with low polyphenols
- Olive oil enriched with its own polyphenols
- Olive oil enriched with polyphenols from the herb Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
Read here about other natural ways to improve cholesterol.
Here are the details on how they made the different olive oil products
VOO with a low phenolic content (80 ppm) was used as a control condition and as a matrix of enrichment to prepare two FVOOs (500 ppm). FVOO (500 ppm) was enriched with its own PCs by addition of a phenol extract obtained from freeze-dried olive cake. FVOOT (500 ppm) was enriched with its own PC and complemented with thyme phenolics using a phenol extract obtained from a mixture of freeze-dried olive cake and dried thyme. Hence, FVOOT contained 50% of olive PC and 50% of thyme phenolics (Fig. 1).
Here are the main results:
HDL cholesterol increased 5.74% with olive oil enriched with thyme polyphenols
Here are some comments by the authors:
Furthermore, the enrichment of VOOs with hydroxytyrosol derivatives combined with complementary phenols from aromatic herbs, such as thyme used for oil flavoring, might be a good strategy to provide the optimum balance among the different kinds of OOPC such as flavonoids, monoterpenes, and phenolic acids
If you like to cook with olive oil you can read here about how to make herb infused olive oil.
and here is another comment by the authors
In conclusion, for the first time, the additional benefits achieved with complementary phenol-enriched OO consumption on the HDL functional profile in hypercholesterolemic volunteers have been demonstrated with the highest degree of evidence. Moreover, such benefits can be obtained without increasing the individual’s fat intake. These findings suggest that FVOOT could be a useful dietary tool in the management of high cardiovascular risk patients.
Take away message:
This study along with others provide evidence that olive oil enriched with polyphenols can improve lipid markers including improving HDL. HDL, the protective type of cholesterol, tends to be very difficult to increase because drugs typically only target LOL (The “bad” cholesterol). Exercise is a great step and now adding more polyphenols from olive oil and thyme could be another good choice to help raise HDL.
Read here about how to make olive oil infused with Thyme. Another strategy to increase HDL is through the use of hesperidin, a polyphenol from oranges.
Also, here’s a list of articles for improving cholesterol naturally.
Reference:
Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. 2015; Volume 59 (Issue 9): Pages 1758-70
His research on plant medicine has led to more than 45 publications and abstracts.This research has been presented at international meetings in the USA, France, Turkey, Peru, Israel, Austria, and Italy.
Categories: Antioxidant, Cholesterol, Clinical Trials, Food, Good fats (PUFAs, omega-3), Heart