title: Extra virgin olive oil use is associated with improved post-prandial blood glucose and LDL cholesterol in healthy subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a key component of the Mediterranean diet and seems to account for the protective effect against cardiovascular disease. However, the underlying mechanism is still elusive.
  
  
  METHODS
  We tested the effect of EVOO, added to Mediterranean-type meal, on post-prandial glycemic and lipid profile.
  
  
  METHODS
  Post-prandial glycemic and lipid profile were investigated in 25 healthy subjects who were randomly allocated in a cross-over design to a Mediterranean-type meal added with or without 10 g EVOO (first study), or Mediterranean-type meal with EVOO (10 g) or corn oil (10 g; second study). Glycemic profile, which included glucose, insulin, dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 (DPP-4) protein and activity, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), and lipid profile, which included, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (LDL-C), oxidized LDL (ox-LDL), triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (HDL-C), were analyzed before and 2 h after the meal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the first study, 2 h after meal, subjects who assumed a meal with EVOO had significantly lower blood glucose (P<0.001), DPP-4 protein (P<0.001) and activity (P<0.001), LDL-C (P<0.001) and ox-LDL (P<0.001) and higher insulin (P<0.05), GLP-1 (P<0.001) and GIP (P<0.05) compared with those without EVOO. The second study showed that compared with corn oil, EVOO improved both glycemic and lipid profile. Thus, a significantly smaller increase of glucose (P<0.05), DPP4 protein (P<0.001) and activity (P<0.05) and higher increase of insulin (P<0.001) and GLP-1 (P<0.001) were observed. Furthermore, compared with corn oil, EVOO showed a significantly less increase of LDL-C (P<0.05) and ox-LDL (P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report for the first time that EVOO improves post-prandial glucose and LDL-C, an effect that may account for the antiatherosclerotic effect of the Mediterranean diet.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Violi
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Loffredo
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pignatelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Angelico
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bartimoccia
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nocella
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cangemi
authors.affiliation: AFC Patrimonio Servizi e furniture UO ristorazioni, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petruccioli
authors.affiliation: Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Latina, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Monticolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.identifier: 0000000163575213
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pastori
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy [2] Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Latina, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carnevale