Phenol-enriched olive oils improve HDL antioxidant content in hypercholesterolemic subjects. A randomized, double-blind, cross-over, controlled trial.

At present, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) function is thought to be more relevant than HDL cholesterol quantity. Consumption of olive oil phenolic compounds (PCs) has beneficial effects on HDL-related markers. Enriched food with complementary antioxidants could be a suitable option to obtain additional protective effects. Our aim was to ascertain whether virgin olive oils (VOOs) enriched with (a) their own PC (FVOO) and (b) their own PC plus complementary ones from thyme (FVOOT) could improve HDL status and function. Thirty-three hypercholesterolemic individuals ingested (25 ml/day, 3 weeks) (a) VOO (80 ppm), (b) FVOO (500 ppm) and (c) FVOOT (500 ppm) in a randomized, double-blind, controlled, crossover trial. A rise in HDL antioxidant compounds was observed after both functional olive oil interventions. Nevertheless, α-tocopherol, the main HDL antioxidant, was only augmented after FVOOT versus its baseline. In conclusion, long-term consumption of phenol-enriched olive oils induced a better HDL antioxidant content, the complementary phenol-enriched olive oil being the one which increased the main HDL antioxidant, α-tocopherol. Complementary phenol-enriched olive oil could be a useful dietary tool for improving HDL richness in antioxidants.