More research 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 at high risk of heart disease in the PREDIMED study, cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC), the first step in reverse cholesterol transport, was significantly increased at 1 year compared with baseline in those advised to eat a Mediterranean diet rich in virgin olive oil (VOO) (P=0.018) or mixed nuts (P=0.013) rather than a reduced-fat diet.
Source: MedScape
