The benefits of polyphenols in olive oil

As established by the European Regulation on authorised health claims made on foods, the main benefits of polyphenols in olive oil are that they contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative damage.

However, not all extra virgin olive oils are rich in polyphenols. According to this same regulation:

This claim may be used only for olive oil which contains at least 5mg of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives (e.g. oleuropein complex and tyrosol) per 20g of olive oil. In order to bear the claim, information shall be given to the consumer that the beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 20g of olive oil.

In other words, not all Extra Virgin Olive Oils are rich in polyphenols. To determine polyphenol content, analysis must be carried out in a specialist laboratory, and under this regulation the minimum content resulting from the analysis must be 250mg/kg.

It is also worth noting that the same Extra Virgin Olive Oil will have a different polyphenol concentration in each harvest — meaning the values obtained in one harvest will differ from those of the following year's harvest, as this concentration depends on many factors.

Finally, the minimum recommended daily intake to obtain these polyphenol benefits from Olive Oil is 20g, which is roughly equivalent to one and a half tablespoons of raw oil. If the oil is used for cooking, these concentrations decrease or may even drop to zero.

I hope this article has been useful and has helped clarify the benefits of polyphenols in Olive Oil and how to obtain them.

I'd love to read your thoughts in the comments!