Why The Polyphenols In Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) Make It So Special
Updated October 10th 2022
Summary
- Polyphenols are the organic compounds that are the by-products of plant synthesis and are known as phytochemicals. Polyphenols are regarded for their health promoting properties.
- Why use polyphenol rich extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)? It really depends on your objectives; to use it for everyday culinary use, to meet your overall health and wellness objectives or for specific medical conditions or all of these.
- The European Health Authority has approved health claims for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- Polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil are a known anti-inflammatory.
- How to take your extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) : a ‘shot’ of extra virgin olive oil in the morning can help deliver the health benefits. There are some further health benefits from taking your extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) at bedtime.
What Are Phenolic Compounds?
For clarity, the term phenolic compound has become interchangeable with the term polyphenols. These are the organic compounds that are the by-products of plant synthesis and are known as phytochemicals. Polyphenols are regarded for their health promoting properties and occur in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes, tea and wine. However, one of the best sources is in high quality extra virgin olive oil like Morocco Gold.
Phenolic compounds are found in significant concentrations in certain olive varieties like the Picholine Marocaine, the only type of olive used for Morocco Gold, when harvested at a very specific time of the year. These extra virgin olive oils are also sometimes referred to as early harvest. Agricultural methods, weather patterns, soil, drainage, harvest time and milling process, storage, and bottling methods affect the polyphenol content of the oil.
Polyphenols are the organic compounds that are the by-products of plant synthesis and are known as phytochemicals. Polyphenols are regarded for their health promoting properties.
Why use polyphenol rich extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)? It really depends on your objectives; to use it for everyday culinary use, to meet your overall health and wellness objectives or for specific medical conditions or all of these.
The European Health Authority has approved health claims for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil are a known anti-inflammatory.
How to take your extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) : a ‘shot’ of extra virgin olive oil in the morning can help deliver the health benefits. There are some further health benefits from taking your extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) at bedtime.
A key to achieving this balance is the generations of experience of our olive growers, the care and attention they pay to their crop throughout the whole growing season, and the dedication and attention to detail paid during the harvesting process.
Agricultural methods, weather patterns, soil, drainage, harvest time and milling process, storage, and bottling methods also affect the polyphenol content of the oil.
Why Use Polyphenol Rich Extra Vigin Olive Oil?
It really depends on your objectives; to use it for everyday culinary use, to meet your overall health and wellness objectives or for specific medical conditions or all of these.
European Health Authority Has Approved Health Claims For Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The European Union Health Claim Labelling Regulation 432–2012 states that olive oils with polyphenols of 250 mg/kg or more can claim:
Olive oil polyphenols contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress. 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 gms of olive oil (1 tablespoon is around 14 gms.)
However, it is also very specific about which polyphenols this applies to. It specifically states that this must include hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives, oleuropein and tyrosol. So long as these polyphenols are present, the beneficial effects can be obtained with a daily intake of around 20mg of olive oil.
At this level of polyphenol, 1 tablespoon will have around 7.1 mg/kg (250 / 35). So, to get the health benefits, you would need to take around 3 tablespoons per day. The level of polyphenols present in Morocco Gold is significantly higher than this recommendation at around 644 mg/kg.
Research has shown that the benefits of taking high phenolic olive oil is dose dependent. The higher the concentration of phenolic compounds, the greater the potential health benefit. The upper limit has not been established in research, so it is up to the individual to monitor the body responses to high phenolic olive oil. And, if under medical treatment, to tell the doctor that you are adding this to your daily regimen. High phenolic olive oil is a known blood thinner and doctors recommend it is not consumed ten days prior to and post-surgery.
Most human research trials showing the effectiveness of high phenolic extra virgin olive oil on such illnesses as Alzheimer’s and Leukemia have used olive oils well above the regulatory 250 mg/kg level. Research also indicates that high phenolic extra virgin olive oil may be a very effective natural blood thinner like ibuprofen, but without the nasty side effects.
The health benefits of olive oil with high phenolic content have been shown in research to have an immediate effect. This is why you should consult your doctor if you are under medical care as phenolic compounds are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and also have a blood thinning effect. Doctors recommend cessation of taking high phenolic olive oil ten days prior to and post-surgery. Also in some cases, prescription medication was lowered after introducing high phenolic olive oil to the daily diet
“The health benefits of olive oil are 99 percent related to the presence of the phenolic compounds, not the oil itself.”
Nasir Malik, Research plant physiologist at the U.S. Agriculture Department.
Polyphenols In Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) Are A Known Anti-Inflammatory
Polyphenols are known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In vitro trials and an increasing number of human trials are studying the potential benefits of high phenolic olive oil in alleviating symptoms and potential therapeutic effect for Alzheimer’s, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Type II Diabetes, Leukemia and many cancers as well as other autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases that are prevalent in today’s culture.
The presence of polyphenols is indicated by the peppery effect on the back of the throat sometimes causing a cough reflex and by the bitterness on the tongue. For people accustomed to purchasing extra virgin olive oils awarded for flavour and aromatic character or a mellow olive oil, these characteristics of pepperiness and bitterness are often mistaken as a flaw in the olive oil when in fact they are hallmarks of high quality.
Storage and transportation are key factors in the optimum integrity of polyphenol rich extra virgin olive oil. It has been found that the phenolic content tends to have a preservative affect and drops very little in the space of a year if the olive oil has been properly stored in tanks, sealed and kept below 16 degrees Celsius prior to bottling.
How To Take Your Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) To Obtain The Health Benefits
Whether you are an avid follower of The Mediterranean Diet or not, you may have heard the news that a shot of olive oil a day can keep the doctor away. Is it a myth, or is there hard evidence proving that two tablespoons of olive oil a day can reduce the risk of various life-threatening conditions, including heart disease and high LDL cholesterol?
Mostly everyone who has ever read about a diet or has looked up healthy food recipes is familiar with extra virgin olive oil, one of the best sources of monounsaturated fatty acids around. But the benefits of extra virgin olive oil like Morocco Gold are much more than just protecting the heart from disease risk. The demand for high-quality extra virgin olive oil has increased in the last few years, thanks to growth in the health- conscious populace of the world.
But did you know that drinking a shot of extra virgin olive oil first thing in the morning has a lot of health benefits too? Due to the numerous health benefits of extra virgin olive oil, it is typically used in cooking, but eating or drinking it raw is even healthier. A lot of health experts recommend drinking extra virgin olive oil in the morning, here’s why:
Benefits Of Drinking Olive Oil In The Morning
A healthy and nutritious breakfast, like a plant- based or Mediterranean diet, can help increase your chances of living a long and healthy life, according to a recent article from wellandgood.com
Based on the findings of author Dan Buettner, whose pioneering research on longevity hotspots or ‘blue zones’ lifts the lid on how we can potentially extend our life quality and duration, the article recommends a breakfast of foods that reduce blood pressure and cholesterol as one of 4 key choices.
The Mediterranean diet, which includes an emphasis on healthy ‘monounsaturated fats’ found in foods such as extra virgin olive oil, is known to help prevent a wide range of diseases such as cardiovascular disease or stroke.
Also listed in the article, entitled 4 Morning Habits of the Longest-Living People in the World, are:
- Finding your ‘ikigai’ (the Japanese concept of what drives you to get up and out of bed in the morning).
- Enjoying, a cup of morning coffee – ideally with a plant-based milk alternative and natural sweetener.
- Say something nice to the first person you see. Self- explanatory this one, but Buettner starts each morning by literally complimenting others.
- A shot of olive oil in the morning
If you like the sound of Buettner’s teachings and want to incorporate a Mediterranean start to your day, one of the best ways to do so is by drinking a shot of extra virgin olive oil first thing in the morning. This is a quick and easy way to boost your daily intake of antioxidants and healthy fats.
Taking Extra Virgin Olive Oil At Bedtime: Some Further Health Benefits
Those who suffer from sleep deprivation may benefit from the following medicinal qualities in a high-quality extra virgin olive oil. What can 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil do to get rid of insomnia?
Olive oil can help you fall asleep and sleep better in one of a few ways. First, a high-quality extra virgin olive oil can help you relax by reducing everyday inflammation that could be a potential cause for excitement.
If you work all day or even just work out in a fitness complex often, you may be experiencing some form of inflammation. Inflammation is a major cause of increased heart rate. A high-quality extra virgin olive oil can reduce the effects of inflammation, thereby calming the pace of the heart.
Pre-sleep extra virgin olive oil treatment is being suggested to those with insomnia who would like to be able to fall asleep as well as improve the quality of the given rest throughout the night. The anti-inflammatory health benefit is possible once good olive oil is taken consistently before retiring at night. Unlike some kinds of vitamins, this anti-inflammatory effect of the olive oil will not at all take long to commence functionality and promote sleep health realignment.
Secondly, extra virgin olive oil helps as a natural remedy by bringing balance to blood sugar levels that are above the average. With a high blood sugar count being a form of vasoconstriction and heart rate excitation, olive oil helping resolve this challenge is a major player in helping one fall asleep and stay asleep for a healthy amount of time.
Thirdly, the polyphenols in a high-quality extra virgin olive oil as a sleep remedy help remove a nasty molecule in your body called free radicals that can ricochet around inside your body and harm good cells. Polyphenols are a potent antioxidant, one that can work to neutralize free radicals, protecting the body from their harmful effects whilst you sleep.
Taking olive oil at bedtime can in fact, help induce relaxation as it cleanses the body of free radicals. This calming characteristic takes effect immediately. The process of ridding the body of free radicals is tiring, so, in essence, the natural consumption of a high-quality extra virgin olive oil can help you feel tired and calm.
