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High polyphenol olive oil
Polyphenols are the reason good olive oil catches in your throat, and the reason it is worth more than the oil beside it on the shelf. Here is what the number actually means, and how to judge it without a laboratory.
Polyphenols are natural antioxidant compounds in olives that survive into the oil when it is pressed without heat. They taste bitter and peppery. Oils above roughly 400 mg/kg are usually called high polyphenol; ordinary supermarket extra virgin often sits between 100 and 250.
What they are
Oleocanthal
Responsible for the peppery cough at the back of the throat.
Oleuropein
The bitterness of unripe green olives, strongest in early-harvest oils.
Hydroxytyrosol
A powerful antioxidant named in the European approved health claim.
What the numbers look like
| Refined or “light” olive oil | Near zero |
|---|---|
| Everyday supermarket extra virgin | 100–250 mg/kg |
| Good fresh extra virgin | 250–400 mg/kg |
| High polyphenol | 400–800+ mg/kg |
The throat test
Pour a small amount into a glass, warm it in your hand, and sip it. If it makes you cough, that is oleocanthal. Bitterness on the tongue and that peppery catch are the two most reliable indicators available without lab testing.
What raises the number, and what lowers it
Raises it
Early harvest, cold extraction, speed from tree to mill, and naturally robust varieties.
Lowers it
Time, light, heat and blending from multiple sources.
On the health claims
Polyphenols are genuinely interesting antioxidants, but olive oil does not treat, cure or prevent disease. Buy it because fresh oil tastes dramatically better and treat the health side as a welcome bonus.
Our number, published
16.96 mg CAE per 100ml
Roughly 185 mg/kg, which puts our current batch in the moderate band rather than the high-polyphenol one. We would rather publish the number than imply a bigger one.