Why Certain Extra Virgin Olive Oils Are Especially Good For You
Phenolic compounds and our health
Some extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) contain a high quantity of phenolic compounds (also called polyphenols). Recent scientific research has proven that polyphenols are extremely beneficial to our health, therefore virgin olive oils of high quality are well-sought after. If you want this added nutritional value, look for early harvest extra virgin olive oils made from unripe olives, and be sure your EVOO has been produced and stored with great care to preserve its healthy compounds. Polyphenols have been deemed so important that there is an official EU health claim about some of them.
The EU Health Claim regarding Olive Oil Polyphenols
According to the Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 of 16 May 2012, which was approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Olive oil polyphenols contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress. This claim may be used only 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. Furthermore, It applies to extra virgin olive oils containing the phenolic compounds oleacein and oleocanthal
The daily consumption of 20g of an extra virgin olive oil may protect the body from a variety of oxidative stress related diseases such as:
- stroke
- cancer
- diabetes
- Alzheimer’s
- Parkinson’s
- atherosclerosis
- rheumatoid arthritis
- cardiovascular diseases
At GourmetGroceries.com you can find a wide variety of premium high phenolic olive oils.
