Effect of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on Biomarkers of Inflammation in HIV-Infected Patients: A Randomized, Crossover, Controlled Clinical Trial

Abstract

BackgroundPremature atherosclerosis in HIV-infected patients is associated with chronic infection by itself and adverse effects of antiretroviral treatment (ART). Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system because of its anti-inflammatory properties.The objective of this study was to determine whether the consumption of EVOO improves inflammation and atherosclerosis biomarkers in HIV-infected patients receiving ART.Material/MethodsThis randomized, crossover, controlled trial included 39 HIV-positive male participants who consumed 50 mL of EVOO or refined olive oil (ROO) daily. Four participants dropped out of the study. Leukocyte count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin-6, fibrinogen, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, malondialdehyde, glutathione-peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, oxidized LDL and von Willebrand factor were determined before the first and after each of the 2 intervention periods. Intervention and washout periods lasted for 20 and 14 days, respectively.ResultsIn participants with >90% compliance (N=30), hsCRP concentrations were lower after EVOO intervention (geometric mean [GM], 1.70 mg/L; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15–2.52) compared to ROO administration (GM, 2.92 mg/L; 95% CI, 1.95–4.37) (p=0.035). In participants using lopinavir/ritonavir, ESR and hsCRP concentrations decreased 62% and 151%, respectively, after EVOO administration. In the whole study population (N=35) we found no difference in analyzed biomarkers after EVOO administration.ConclusionsOur exploratory study suggests that EVOO consumption could lower hsCRP in patients on ART.

Effect of daily consumption of extra virgin olive oil on the lipid profile and microbiota of HIV-infected patients over 50 years of age

“…[18] Experience in HIV-infected patients is limited, although there has also been evidence of a decrease in CRP levels in patients who used older ART regimens that are no longer in use. [26]…”

“…The published experience on the effects of the use of EVOO in patients with HIV infection is very scarce, [26] suggesting a positive effect on inflammatory markers such as ultrasensitive C-reactive protein (CRP), so we aimed to observe the effects of daily EVOO intake in a group of patients with chronic HIV infection and long-term ART use, analyzing its effects on the lipid profile, inflammatory parameters, and intestinal microbiota.…”

Effects of Olive Oil Consumption on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients with Fibromyalgia

“…In agreement with our results, a study similar to ours that investigated the effects of the consumption of EVOO in comparison to ROO in HIV-infected patients reported no significant differences in several cardiovascular risk markers (IL-6, fibrinogen, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, ESR) after EVOO intake. Additionally, they did not find any difference after ROO consumption, except for a lower LDL-cholesterol level [30].…”

“…Several authors did not find significant changes in ESR after consumption of EVOO in comparison to ROO in HIV-infected patients. However, the same authors found that the EVOO intervention reduced ESR compared to baseline values in a subgroup of HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral treatment [30]. Although we failed to find significant improvements on other inflammatory parameters such as CRP or IL-6 after 3-week olive oil consumption in women with FM, results of the PREDIMED study showed that 3-month consumption of a Mediterranean diet supplemented with virgin olive oil reduced CRP and IL-6 levels in subjects at high risk for cardiovascular disease when compared with a low-fat diet [31,32].…”

Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil the Critical Ingredient Driving the Health Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet? A Narrative Review

“…Twenty RTCs examined the effect of EVOO on LDL-c [33,40,[45][46][47][48]50,[55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68]. Of these, nine included the total phenol content of the EVOO studied [33,41,42,50,53,54,61,62,68].…”