The results of this systematic review indicate that the dietary supplementation with red yeast rice , bergamot , artichoke , and virgin olive oil has promising effects on the increase of HDL-C serum levels .
The artichoke leaf extract and virgin olive oil appear to be particularly interesting , while bergamot extract needs further research and the effect of red yeast rice seems to be limited to patients with previous myocardial infa rct ion .
Various MediterrAsian diet products or natural extracts may represent a potential intervention treatment to raise HDL-C in dyslipidemic subjects
Background .
High HDL-cholesterol ( HDL-C ) values are negatively correlated with cardiovascular diseases .
This review analyses the effect of the supplementation with various Mediterranean diet products ( artichoke , bergamot , and olive oil ) and Asian diet products ( red yeast rice ) on the  HDL-C value in dyslipidemic subjects .
Moderate fish-oil supplementation reverses low-platelet, long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid status and reduces plasma triacylglycerol concentrations in British Indo-Asians.
BACKGROUND The mechanisms involved in the increased mortality from coronary artery disease in British Indo-Asians are not well understood . OBJECTIVES This study aim ed to investigate whether British Indo-Asian Sikhs have higher plasma triacylglycerol concentrations , lower platelet phospholipid levels , and lower dietary intakes of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFAs ) than do age- and weight-matched Europeans and whether moderate dietary fish-oil intake can reverse these differences . DESIGN A r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , parallel , fish-oil intervention study was performed . After a 2-wk run-in period , 44 Europeans and 40 Indo-Asian Sikhs were r and omly assigned to receive either 4.0 g fish oil [ 1.5 g eicosapentaenoic acid ( EPA ) and 1.0 g docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA ) ] or 4.0 g olive oil ( control ) daily for 12 wk . RESULTS At baseline , the Indo-Asians had significantly higher plasma triacylglycerol , small dense LDL , apolipoprotein B , and dietary and platelet phospholipid n-6 PUFA values and significantly lower long-chain n-3 PUFAs ( EPA and DHA ) than did the Europeans . A significant decrease in plasma triacylglycerol , plasma apolipoprotein B-48 , and platelet phospholipid arachidonic acid concentrations and a significant increase in plasma HDL concentrations and platelet phospholipid EPA and DHA levels were observed after fish-oil supplementation . No significant effect of ethnicity on the responses to fish-oil supplementation was observed . CONCLUSIONS Moderate fish-oil supplementation contributes to a reversal of lipid abnormalities and low n-3 PUFA levels in Indo-Asians and should be considered as an important , yet simple , dietary manipulation to reduce CAD risk in Indo-Asians with an atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype
The results of this systematic review indicate that the dietary supplementation with red yeast rice , bergamot , artichoke , and virgin olive oil has promising effects on the increase of HDL-C serum levels .
The artichoke leaf extract and virgin olive oil appear to be particularly interesting , while bergamot extract needs further research and the effect of red yeast rice seems to be limited to patients with previous myocardial infa rct ion .
Various MediterrAsian diet products or natural extracts may represent a potential intervention treatment to raise HDL-C in dyslipidemic subjects
Background .
High HDL-cholesterol ( HDL-C ) values are negatively correlated with cardiovascular diseases .
This review analyses the effect of the supplementation with various Mediterranean diet products ( artichoke , bergamot , and olive oil ) and Asian diet products ( red yeast rice ) on the  HDL-C value in dyslipidemic subjects .