Health Benefits Of Polyphenols In Olive Oil
Updated 10th December 2025
If you’re looking to eat your way to better health, infusing a Mediterranean Diet with olive oil rich in polyphenols offer a range of benefits from improving heart health to reducing the risk of cancer.
In this blog post, we’ll show you how to cook three delicious and nutritious polyphenol-rich meals. Read on to learn more!
Key Points at a Glance
• Extra virgin olive oil is naturally rich in polyphenols — plant compounds linked to heart, brain, gut, and immune health.
• Summer is the perfect season to boost your polyphenol intake with colourful salads, fresh herbs, and lightly cooked fish.
• Each recipe below uses Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil to maximise flavour and antioxidant benefits.
• All recipes are Mediterranean-inspired, quick to prepare, and ideal for warm-weather meals.
• Explore more ideas in our Recipes & Inspiration hub and learn about polyphenols in our Polyphenols Overview.
These simple highlights show why using Morocco Gold EVOO in fresh summer dishes is one of the easiest ways to increase your daily polyphenol intake.
Here are the three summer dishes you can make to boost your polyphenol intake:
Moroccan Red Cabbage and Carrot Salad
Ingredients
- 1/4 red cabbage, thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and grated
- 1 tablespoon golden raisins
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint
Dressing
- 1/4 cup of Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Pinch of ground cumin
- Dash of raw honey
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
Instructions
- Mix dressing ingredients together in a glass. Whisk until the dressing is emulsified. Set aside.
- Add all salad ingredients to a bowl. Pour on dressing. Toss. Serve immediately or let the salad ingredients marinade in the dressing for several hours.
Purple Cabbage Behl Salad
Here’s another heart-healthy salad which not only lights up your plate but brings the polyphenol power of extra virgin olive oil to your summer lunch.
Ingredients
- 4 cups thinly, sliced purple cabbage
- 1 medium Sweet potato, prebaked until slightly firm
- 1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes
- 2 Green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup Garlic infused oil or Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/3 cup Lemon juice You can use lime instead.
- 1 Jalapeno, chopped and seeded
- 1 Avocado Use for garnish at end.
- 1/3 cup Chopped cilantro
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- After sweet potatoes have cooled, peel and cut them into 1/2 inch cubes. Add thinly sliced cabbage and tomatoes in a medium bowl. Lightly mix in the lemon/lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Toss in the sweet potatoes and green onions.
- Add sliced avocado and cilantro to the top and garnish with other favorite toppings or serve them on the side.
Olive Oil Poached Salmon
As Mediterranean flavours go, salmon and extra virgin olive oil are a match made in heaven. This recipe is as tasty and healthy as it is colourful, so get stuck in now!
Ingredients
- 2 small lemons, thinly sliced
- 8 sprigs fresh basil, trimmed
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1tbsp capers, roughly chopped
- 4 salmon fillets
- 3 Cups Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Baby spinach, to serve
- Tomato, to serve
- Kalamata olives, to serve
- Red onion, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 130°C/110°C fan-forced. Place half the lemon slices over the base of an 8 cup-capacity ovenproof dish. Top with half the basil, half the garlic, half the peppercorns and half the capers. Place fish in dish. Top with remaining basil, garlic, peppercorns and capers. Pour oil over fish (oil should just cover fish).
- Bake fish for 40 to 45 minutes for medium or until cooked to your liking.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer fish to a plate. Flake. Serve with lemon slices and spinach mixture.
Polyphenols in Morocco Gold EVOO: Quick Reference
| Polyphenol | Main Benefit | How These Recipes Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Hydroxytyrosol | Powerful antioxidant supporting heart and cellular health | Used raw in dressings to preserve potency |
| Oleocanthal | Natural anti-inflammatory effects | Present in EVOO added after cooking or in fresh salads |
| Oleuropein | Supports cardiovascular and immune health | Enhanced when paired with lemon juice, herbs and vegetables |
| Tyrosol | Protects against oxidative stress | Stable during gentle heating, ideal for poaching salmon |
Final Thoughts:
As you can see, producing quick summer meals that are alive with flavour and health-boosting polyphenols doesn’t have to be complicated. For more inspiration on how Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil can be used in your cooking explore the rest of our recipes here.
Transform these recipes — and your everyday meals — with the rich flavour and naturally high polyphenol content of Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Perfect for salads, vegetables, seafood, and Mediterranean-style dishes.
FAQs: Cooking with EVOO and Polyphenols
2. Does cooking with extra virgin olive oil destroy the polyphenols?
Some heat-sensitive compounds can reduce with very high temperatures, but these recipes use low to moderate heat, or add the oil in dressings. That means many of the polyphenols are still present when the dish reaches your plate.
3. Is it better to use EVOO raw or cooked for health benefits?
Both can be helpful. Using EVOO raw in salads and dressings keeps delicate polyphenols at their highest, while gentle cooking – such as poaching salmon – still retains a good amount of beneficial compounds and provides a healthier cooking fat than many refined oils.
4. Are these recipes suitable for the Mediterranean Diet and heart health?
Yes. They are based around vegetables, herbs, fish and extra virgin olive oil – all key elements of a Mediterranean-style way of eating, which is often associated with heart and cardiovascular health when enjoyed as part of an overall balanced lifestyle.
5. Can I use another oil instead of Morocco Gold in these recipes?
You can follow the recipes with other oils, but you may lose some of the flavour and polyphenol content that comes from using a premium, high-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil such as Morocco Gold.
6. How often should I include EVOO recipes in my routine?
There’s no single rule for everyone, but many people enjoy extra virgin olive oil daily as part of a balanced diet – for example in salads, over vegetables, or in light cooking. If you have specific health concerns, it’s always best to speak to a healthcare professional.
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