title: An epidemiological and an experimental study on the effect of olive oil on total serum and HDL cholesterol in healthy volunteers.
abstract: We have studied the effects of olive oil on serum lipids in a dietary experiment with 48 healthy adult Dutch volunteers and in 76 boys 8-10 years of age from rural Crete. The dietary trial was carried out with normolipidaemic subjects, and it compared the effects of an olive-oil-rich and a carbohydrate-rich, high-fibre diet on serum lipids. Replacement of 12% of energy (en%) from saturated fatty acids by either monounsaturates or complex carbohydrates caused the same fall in serum total cholesterol of 0.45 mmol 1(-1). HDL cholesterol levels fell by 0.19 mmol 1(-1) on the carbohydrate-rich diet, but remained virtually unchanged on the olive-oil-rich diet. This was in agreement with our hypothesis that the total amount of fat in the diet is a determinant of HDL cholesterol. The diet of the Cretan boys contained 10 en% saturated fat, but 27 en% monounsaturated fat due to the liberal use of olive oil. Serum-lipid levels of the Cretan boys were not different from those of their counterparts from western European Countries. The mean body mass index of the Cretan boys was about 2 kg m-2 higher than those of boys in the other countries, which might have confounded comparisons. Whatever the explanation, the present-day lifestyle and diet in Crete do not produce a particularly favourable HDL to LDL cholesterol ratio in the blood, even though olive oil intake is high.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Nutrition, Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Mensink
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Katan
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D000069463:Olive Oil; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D000069463:Olive Oil; D010938:Plant Oils; D002784:Cholesterol