The Benefits of Polyphenols in Olive Oil

As set out in the European Regulation on authorised health claims for foods, the main benefits of polyphenols in olive oil are that they help protect blood lipids from oxidative damage.

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

This claim may only be used for olive oil which contains at least 5 mg of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives (e.g. oleuropein complex and tyrosol) per 20 g 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 20 g of olive oil.

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

It is also worth noting that the same Extra Virgin Olive Oil will have a different polyphenol concentration with each harvest — that is, 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 20 g, which is roughly one and a half tablespoons of raw oil. If the oil is used for cooking, these concentrations decrease and may even drop to zero.

I hope this article has been useful and has given you a clearer picture of the benefits of polyphenols in olive oil and how to make the most of them.

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