What makes extra virgin olive oil one of the most studied foods by modern science? The answer lies in its unique composition: a combination of monounsaturated fatty acids, polyphenols and bioactive compounds that act synergistically on the body. Extra virgin olive oil and health form a pairing backed today by decades of clinical and epidemiological research, from large multicentre trials to systematic reviews published in the most rigorous scientific journals.
Article Contents
- What EVOO is and why not all olive oils are equal
- EVOO polyphenols: the engine behind its properties
- EVOO benefits for cardiovascular health
- EVOO, the Mediterranean diet and longevity
- Antioxidant properties and systemic anti-inflammatory action
- EVOO and metabolic health: type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome
- Neuroprotection: EVOO against cognitive decline
- Anticancer potential and gut health
- Olive varieties and polyphenol content
- How to incorporate EVOO into the daily diet
- How to choose and store a quality EVOO
- Frequently asked questions
Contenidos / Contents
What EVOO is and why not all olive oils are equal
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the highest quality category within olive oils. It is obtained exclusively by mechanical means, which preserves its antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins and other bioactive compounds. This process, free from thermal or chemical treatments, is precisely what sets it apart from refined oil.
Refined oil undergoes industrial treatments that degrade these beneficial components. The consequence is direct: only virgin olive oils, not refined ones, are associated with lower total mortality, and these benefits cannot be extrapolated to refined oils, even when they share a similar caloric profile.
Its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids, especially oleic acid, together with its rich composition of bioactive compounds, gives it antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular-protective properties. Understanding this distinction is the first step to taking full advantage of everything science has documented about this food.
Reviewed with scientific evidence criteria by the Treurer editorial team, with the advice of professionals in the fields of nutrition and olive growing.
EVOO polyphenols: the engine behind its properties
Few families of molecules have generated as much interest in nutritional research as EVOO polyphenols. Extra virgin olive oil contains high concentrations of polyphenols —such as hydroxytyrosol and oleocanthal— with neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. It is not a single compound, but a set of molecules that act in a coordinated manner.
Hydroxytyrosol: the benchmark antioxidant
Polyphenols act as antioxidants that protect cells from oxidative damage, while also reducing systemic inflammation, a key risk factor for the progression of coronary artery disease. Hydroxytyrosol is one of the most potent in this regard, and its presence in EVOO is directly linked to the control of vascular inflammation.
Scientific research has shown that the daily consumption of hydroxytyrosol, a small but very potent phenolic antioxidant compound present in EVOO, prevents vascular problems arising from diabetic disease. An intake of 0.5 mg to 2.5 mg of hydroxytyrosol per day —present in the recommended 3–4 daily tablespoons of EVOO— would be sufficient to reduce vascular inflammation associated with diabetes.
Oleocanthal: EVOO’s natural anti-inflammatory
Oleocanthal is responsible for the bitter and pungent taste of extra virgin olive oil, and has anti-inflammatory properties similar to those of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen. This compound, exclusive to quality EVOO, has accumulated a growing body of scientific evidence.
Recent research has revealed that oleocanthal significantly inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and reduces the expression of inflammatory genes, counteracts oxidative stress and increases cellular phagocytic activity. Its action also extends to the neurological sphere, as detailed further below.
EVOO benefits for cardiovascular health
Cardiovascular health is the area where the scientific evidence on EVOO is most solid and extensive. The relationship between the consumption of extra virgin olive oil and cardiovascular health has been consolidated through evidence gathered by world-leading universities and large clinical trials involving thousands of participants.
The PREDIMED study: the most robust evidence
One of the most representative studies is PREDIMED (Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea), conducted in Spain with 7,447 participants. The results showed that a diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil reduced the relative risk of major cardiovascular events —heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death— by 30% compared to a low-fat diet.
Furthermore, analysis of the PREDIMED study showed that the greater the polyphenol contribution from EVOO, the greater the health benefits. This finding reinforces the importance of choosing a high-quality oil with elevated concentrations of phenolic compounds.
Cholesterol and blood pressure control
EVOO helps to lower LDL levels in the body thanks to its antioxidant content, such as polyphenols, which protect LDL particles from oxidation. LDL cholesterol is responsible for the accumulation of plaque in the arteries, which can lead to atherosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes. LDL oxidation is a crucial step in the development of cardiovascular disease, so protection against this process is a significant benefit of EVOO.
Various studies have shown that regular consumption of extra virgin olive oil can help control blood pressure, as the polyphenols present have vasodilatory properties that contribute to the relaxation and expansion of blood vessels, facilitating blood flow.
EVOO, the Mediterranean diet and longevity
Olive oil, especially in its extra virgin form, is an essential component of the Mediterranean diet, widely associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease and mortality. This dietary pattern prioritises EVOO as the main source of fat, which contributes significantly to cardiovascular health by offering antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective properties.
According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the regular inclusion of extra virgin olive oil in the diet helps reduce the risk of heart disease and associated mortality. This statement is supported by studies published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which show that those who incorporate this oil into their diet have lower rates of mortality from cardiovascular causes compared to those who opt for other fat sources.
Extra virgin olive oil is not just a culinary fat, but a functional food with proven effects on cardiovascular health, metabolic health, brain health and longevity. This characterisation, increasingly accepted in the scientific literature, places EVOO in a different category from any other vegetable oil.
Antioxidant properties and systemic anti-inflammatory action
Polyphenols are substances known for their anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic power, which exert a cardioprotective effect against arteriosclerosis, a process of narrowing and hardening of the arteries. Arteriosclerosis is responsible for a large number of cardiovascular diseases, including arterial hypertension.
Low-grade chronic inflammation is now recognised as an underlying factor in diseases as diverse as obesity, metabolic syndrome and autoimmune conditions. Even a single meal with EVOO produces a more favourable inflammatory response than with sunflower oil. This acute effect, observable after a single intake, illustrates the potency of its bioactive compounds.
EVOO and metabolic health: type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome
Diets rich in EVOO have proven to be an invaluable ally in the prevention and management of chronic diseases such as insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Research in this field has advanced considerably in recent years.
A 24-week randomised clinical trial evaluated the effects of extra virgin olive oil, rich in phenolic compounds, on the glycaemic control of 116 adults with type 2 diabetes and demonstrated significant reductions in insulin resistance in the intervention group.
Research reviews the molecular mechanisms by which the bioactive compounds in olive oil could modulate insulin resistance, reduce inflammation and protect the function of pancreatic beta cells. International studies have shown that the consumption of oleuropein, one of the antioxidant phenolic compounds in EVOO, reduces blood glucose levels after meals.
Recent evidence supports the view that following a Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of people developing type 2 diabetes and, in the case of patients who already have this disease, such a diet improves glycaemic control and offers cardiovascular protection.
Neuroprotection: EVOO against cognitive decline
EVOO protects the brain through several simultaneous mechanisms: its monounsaturated fatty acids and natural antioxidants contribute to the integrity of neuronal membranes and communication between neurons, while its polyphenols counteract oxidative stress, one of the factors associated with cognitive decline.
Among EVOO polyphenols, the most prominent in the neurological field is oleocanthal, which has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. Oleocanthal improves the clearance of beta-amyloid protein from neurons and reduces astrocyte inflammation, two mechanisms directly implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease.
A study also identified the bacterial genus Adlercreutzia as a potential marker of the positive relationship between the consumption of extra virgin olive oil and the protection of brain function, suggesting that part of the neuroprotective effects may be mediated by the microbiota and its interaction with the oil’s compounds.
