9 High Phenolic Olive Oils for Health
Olive oil lovers know that this precious “liquid gold” not only adds a dash of flavor to dishes but also provides a health-boosting dose of polyphenols. High phenolic olive oils are having their moment as awareness of their medicinal properties grows.
Healthy olive oil
High phenolic oils are extra virgin olive oils pressed from olive varietals known to be particularly high in polyphenols, which have been scientifically proven to fight disease-causing free radicals and protect from cell damage. These olives are harvested earlier than usual and pressed while they’re still green to preserve their phenolic content. Polyphenol levels of olive oil are measured in a lab via a chemical analysis and can vary from a minimum of 250 up to 3000mg/kg. These numbers can vary widely from year to year as each harvest yields different results.
Those unfamiliar with high phenolic olive oils should be warned that they can really pack a punch! These are robust oils with a particularly high pungency which means you’re bound to feel the peppery burn they leave in your throat. This is thanks to all their powerful polyphenols, of course.
Ready to try a high phenolic extra virgin olive oil and enjoy its health benefits? We’ve asked experts to recommend a few that are favorites with their customers.
Oleoestepa Egregio
Pressed from a blend of Hojiblanca and Picual olives, Oleoestepa Egregio is an extra virgin olive oil and phenolic powerhouse, packing in a polyphenol count of 780mg/kg.
This organic olive oil evokes aromas of grass, tomato vine, and green leaf, and flavors of artichoke and green wood on the palate. Its delicate balance of bitterness and pepperiness pairs perfectly with green salads and grilled vegetables.
Hailing from southern Spain’s hilly Andalusia region, Oleoestepa was founded in 1986 when 4,000 olive growers and 16 oil mills came together in the Estepa and Puente Genil districts of Seville and Cordoba with the joint mission to create exceptional olive oils. Today the cooperative is comprised of 7,000 olive growing families.
Quattrociocchi Superbo
Moraiolo is one of the Italian olive varieties known for their high phenolic content. Produced from this cultivar, a bottle of extra virgin Quattrociocchi Superbo is chock full of health-boosting polyphenols at 734mg/kg. Needless to say, this organic olive oil has an intense flavor with bitter and pungent notes, which is balanced out with a delightful fruitiness. Grass and artichoke are its dominating aromas complemented by hints of fresh herbs such as basil, mint and sage.
The Quattrociocchi family’s groves ribbon the hills of Alatri in Ciociaria, in the heart of the Lazio region of central Italy. The family has been producing high quality olive oil here since 1888.
Theodosia
Koroneiki is another olive varietal known to be high in polyphenols, in particular oleocanthal, a powerful anti-inflammatory. Olea Homeopathica’s Theodosia extra virgin olive oil, pressed from this special Greek olive, is harvested from groves growing in the Malavra region of the northeastern corner of the island of Crete.
This medium robust olive oil has a polyphenol count of 580 with flavor notes that evoke green apple, almond, chamomile, artichoke, and endive. A drizzling of Theodosia on salads and wild greens, goat cheese, fried eggs, smoked salmon and grilled fish and vegetables enhances their natural flavors.
The producer’s name hints at their holistic approach to olive growing which involves the use of homeopathic remedies to activate the soil and nourish trees.
Olio Piro
Made of a blend of Leccino, Moraiolo, and Frantoio olives as well as the rare Olivastra Seggianese cultivar, Olio Piro is a bold and peppery extra virgin olive oil with a superb combination of fruitiness, bitterness and pungency – all the qualities you look for in a high quality olive oil.
When it comes to polyphenol content, it checks in at 650mg/kg, but this olive oil is also high in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that boosts the immune system.
Piro’s olives are harvested from groves lining the hilly Maremma region in southern Tuscany. Once pressed, the olive oil goes through a proprietary double filtration milling system made of a triple filter. The result is a high phenolic olive oil with less of a bitter bite. Read more about Piro.
Laconiko
Described as an “ultra” high phenolic extra virgin olive oil, award-winning ZOI is an anti-oxidant bomb loaded with 1799 mg/kg of polyphenols. It also packs in a powerful anti-inflammatory punch, with an oleocanthal count of 946 mg/kg. The recommended dosage is one to two teaspoons each morning for medicinal purposes.
Made from Kalamon olives, these are harvested already in September from sea-facing groves full of herbal plants and wildflowers tended by brothers Dino and Diamantis Pierrakos. This is the heart of the Laconia region, the producer’s namesake, tucked between the Taygetos and Parnonas mountains in the southeasternmost tip of Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula.
Guglielmi Le Monocultivar Ogliarola
With a phenolic content of 514 mg/kg, this medium fruity extra virgin olive oil with a slightly bitter and spicy bite evokes aromas of almonds and floral notes on the palate that pair well with bitter greens or fresh fruit. It also perfectly complements dishes of meat and shellfish.
This high phenolic olive oil is pressed from Ogliarola olives, a variety hailing from Puglia, in Italy’s deep south. Producer Olio Guglielmi is a family-run business dedicated to the art of producing high quality olive oil for over six decades.
Castillo de Canena Reserve Picual
Spain’s Picual is another olive cultivar rich in polyphenols. Castillo de Canena Family Reserve’s Picual is a robust yet fruity extra virgin olive oil with grassy notes. It pairs well with green salads and platters of grilled vegetables thanks to its notes of artichoke, tomato vine, apples, almonds, as well as herbs such as thyme, and basil. You can also add it to vinaigrettes and marinades, or drizzle it on soups, gazpacho, pasta, cheese, and grilled meat dishes to add a burst of flavor.
The Castillo de Canena family has been producing high quality olive oil since 1780 in the olive growing region of Jaén, Andalusia. The family has an eye on biodiversity and regenerative agriculture, an approach that encompasses the entire ecosystem, from their olive trees to local flora and fauna, including bird species. Read more about Catillo de Canena.
Pruneti Moraiolo
Pressed from Moraiolo olives, a whiff of this robust extra virgin olive oil brings to mind aromas of almonds, green herbs, and dry fruit, while its spicy notes of black pepper and chili tickle the palate. It works its magic when drizzled on salads of bitter greens and roasted or grilled vegetables. The latest batch of this organic olive oil has a polyphenol content measured at 433mg/kg.
Producers Paolo and Gionni Pruneti cultivate over 30,000 olive trees on 90 hectares of land deep in Chianti Classico, Tuscany. The Pruneti family has been making high quality olive oil for three generations, with the brothers now continuing this long tradition.
Olive Truck Tuscan
Olive Truck’s Tuscan is produced from a blend of Frantoio, Leccino, and Pendolino – all Italian varietals cultivated in the fertile soil nurtured by the unique microclimate of Sonoma County, California. This medium intensity extra virgin packs in 507mg/kg of healthful polyphenols and has nuances of green fruit, green apple, artichoke, eucalyptus, and green banana.
Olive Truck is a unique producer utilizing a fully mobile mill which is parked in their groves during the harvesting process. Olives are pressed immediately after being plucked from the trees, with up to 500 kg (1100 pounds) processed per hour, ensuring the freshest oil possible.