Conclusions
The OLIVAUS study examined the effect of OO polyphenols on HDL-cholesterol efflux capacity and serum lipids in healthy Australian adults. No significant differences between the two OO treatment arms were observed in any of the examined outcomes. A non-significant mean increase in serum HDL-cholesterol efflux capacity was observed within both the LPOO and extra virgin HPOO treatment arms after consumption of the two kinds of OO for 3 weeks each. Furthermore, a significant increase in circulating HDL-cholesterol was observed within both treatment arms. However, the non-significant findings of our study indicate that additional studies of longer duration are warranted to further understand the effect of OO polyphenols of different content and/or profile on mechanisms of cholesterol efflux via different pathways, especially in a multi-ethnic population with different food cultures.