Which Olive Oils Have the Most Polyphenols?

(and should I care?)

Maybe you've seen advertisements trying to get you to spend $50 or more on a bottle of "high-polyphenol" olive oil, that claims to provide some pretty miraculous health benefits.

Is it worth it?

Extra virgin olive oils made from healthy olives harvested early in the season provide higher levels of polyphenols, which have been shown to be beneficial to human health. So, that much is true.

But here's what we don't know...

What's the right amount?

Too much of anything can be harmful (even water), and experts don't agree on the ideal polyphenol level in extra virgin olive oil.

In fact, it might be more beneficial to consume moderate amounts more often.

Read more about this here

Are you really getting what you pay for?

Unless you pay for a lab report, it's impossible to know the actual polyphenol totals in a bottle you buy.

If it sounds like a far-fetched claim, it probably is.

One ad swirling around the internet these days promotes a brand that promises "30 times the polyphenols in regular olive oil" (for around $200 per liter).

But, notice the ad says "30 times the polyphenols in regular olive oil," and not extra virgin olive oil. This is typical sleight-of-hand, deceptive marketing.

Regular (refined) olive oils have a fraction of the polyphenols in extra virgin olive oils.

Any extra virgin olive oil will provide a significant level of polyphenols, and you don't need to pay $200 for a liter.

(Or anywhere near that.)

Our advice is to find a nice bottle at a fair price and use it often.

Find our top picks here.

Learn more about olive oil quality at Olive Oil Times.