Based on the latest researches, HDL experts suggests that a Mediterranean-style diet supplemented with either virgin olive oil or mixed nuts enhances the function of HDL cholesterol. In a subset of 296 patients have been sufferings over last few years due to heart disease according to PREDIMED study.
Cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC), the first step in reverse cholesterol transport, was significantly increased at 1 year. Compared with this nutritionist advised eating a Mediterranean diet rich in virgin olive oil (VOO) (P=0.018) or mixed nuts (P=0.013) rather than a reduced-fat diet.
Mediterranean-diet groups had a trend which improved antioxidant and endothelial functions of HDL and the changes are statistically as well as significantly but only for Mediterranean Virgin Olive Oil (VOO) group. Senior author Dr. Montserrat Fito (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute of Barcelona and CIBEROBN Institute, Spain) told heart wire from Medscape.
She noted the different results when the diets were relatively small because the control diet was a healthy one and smaller studies have also shown that antioxidant-rich foods like olive oil, tomatoes, and berries which increase the HDL function.
Focusing on a latest PREDIMED study it can show that Mediterranean diet could cut the risk of cardiovascular events by as much as 30%. Based on the research by Khera and other HDL experts, the prevailing belief is that HDL-C levels are a crude measure of the particles' function in the body.
Notably, HDL-C levels in the present analysis trended lower with all three diets, even as the Mediterranean diets significantly increased CEC, the best-established HDL functionality parameter.
There are numerous cases where PREDIMED investigators are able to show that the Mediterranean diet improved a circulating biomarker and it is impossible to tell that which of these changes were responsible for cutting the cardiovascular risk by 30%? Khera commented.
The investigators performed carefully and they are working in phenotyping of several HDL functional parameters and we might use a panel of such functional parameters when we are looking at new potential therapeutics to help predict which are most likely to have benefit in clinical trials.
