Polyphenols are a group of natural plant compounds found in most vegetables.
For example, polyphenols are present in tea (flavonoids), beer, red wine (tannins), chocolate, and olive oils (tyrosols).
Health Benefits of Polyphenols
In general, polyphenols offer powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
In olive oils, they protect fatty acids from oxidation.
This helps prevent cholesterol from oxidizing in the bloodstream, which inhibits the formation of arterial plaque in blood vessels.
There is also growing evidence regarding the anti-tumor properties of polyphenols.
Check our latest polyphenol analysis results.
Key Factors Influencing Polyphenol Levels in Olive Oil
The amount of polyphenols can vary significantly between different olive oils.
Their levels in olives peak just before the veraison—the stage when green olives begin turning purple. Therefore, early-harvest green olive oils contain a much higher concentration of polyphenols.
The olive tree variety also plays a crucial role. Some varieties naturally produce higher levels of polyphenols than others. For instance, olives from the Picual variety tend to yield significantly more polyphenols than the Arbequina variety.
How Can Consumers Spot High-Polyphenol Olive Oil?
Shoppers can look for several key indicators to identify a high-polyphenol oil:
- Look for "Extra Virgin": The olive oil must be Extra Virgin. The refining process used for regular olive oils strips away most of the natural polyphenols.
- Check for Early Harvest: Early-harvest oils retain the most nutrients. Color can be a helpful guide: generally, the greener the oil, the higher the polyphenol content. Late-harvest oils tend to look more golden.
- Taste for Bitterness and Pungency: High-quality virgin olive oil should have a distinct bitter taste and leave a slight pepperiness or catch in the back of the throat. Polyphenols give the oil its bitter flavor due to oleuropein, a compound exclusive to olive oil. The throat-stinging pungency comes from oleocanthal, another unique polyphenol with strong anti-inflammatory effects that acts as a natural counterpart to ibuprofen.
- Verify the Harvest Date: Always look for the specific harvest year. Olive oil should be consumed fresh from the latest harvest because polyphenols oxidize and lose their health benefits over time. High-quality extra virgin olive oils prominently display this date on the label.
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Read the Label: The easiest clue is explicit label transparency. However, polyphenol profiling is still an emerging field. Testing methods vary, and many commercial producers do not test their oils or focus on producing high-polyphenol profiles.
Fortunately, the International Olive Council (IOC) has approved an official analysis method. Additionally, the European Union (EU) includes olive oil polyphenols on its authorized list of health claims.
The official health claim permitted for high-polyphenol olive oils states:
"Olive oil polyphenols contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress."
This claim is legally permitted only for olive oils containing a concentration of polyphenols exceeding 5 mg per 20 grams of olive oil (250 mg/kg).
Therefore, we establish that an oil must reach at least 250 mg/kg to be considered a certified "high-polyphenol olive oil."
To put this into perspective, 20 grams is roughly 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil. According to European Commission regulations, this amount represents the minimum daily intake required to experience these certified health benefits
Polyphenols in Las Valdesas Olive Oils
We have been analyzing the polyphenol concentrations in our estate-grown olive oils for years.
We have achieved values as high as 500 mg/kg in several of our varieties, and every single one of our oils comfortably exceeds the 250 mg/kg threshold.
Because these lab tests are conducted immediately after milling, and polyphenol levels naturally decrease over a 12-month period, we do not guarantee that these exact peak levels remain completely unchanged through the very end of the year.
To ensure complete transparency, we publish our fresh lab results at the start of every harvest season. To see the exact polyphenol count for our current stock, you can review our official harvest analysis reports.