Which olive oil is the healthiest?

The healthiest olive oils are virgin olive oils, as they retain all the beneficial compounds found in olive juice.

However, which virgin olive oils are the healthiest?

To answer this, we need to understand which compounds in olive oil are responsible for its health benefits.

What Makes an Olive Oil Healthy?

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that three compounds found in olive oil have clear and specific health benefits:

• Oleic acid.
• Polyphenols.
• Vitamin E.

We will focus on the first two, as the third is less relevant because it is found in many other foods.

Oleic Acid

Oleic acid is the main component of olive oil, making up between 61% and 83% of its composition. According to the EFSA, oleic acid “helps maintain normal blood cholesterol levels.” It helps raise levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol while reducing levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

Therefore, the higher the percentage of oleic acid in an olive oil, the healthier it is likely to be.

Polyphenols

According to the EFSA, the polyphenols in olive oil “contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative damage.” In other words, they help protect LDL ("bad") cholesterol from oxidation. The oxidation of LDL cholesterol is one of the key stages in the development of atherosclerosis. (Learn more about olive oil, cholesterol and atherosclerosis.)

The EFSA states that this beneficial effect is achieved when consuming olive oil containing more than 250 mg/kg of polyphenols, provided that at least 20 g of olive oil are consumed daily (around one and a half tablespoons).

Therefore, the higher the polyphenol content, the healthier the olive oil.

How Do You Choose a Healthy Olive Oil?

Based on the above, if we want to consume olive oil for health reasons, we should choose a virgin olive oil with a high content of oleic acid and polyphenols.

This is not always straightforward, as this information is often not included on the label.

Tips for Choosing a Healthy Olive Oil

The amount of oleic acid in an olive oil mainly depends on the olive variety used to produce it.

In general, the table below shows the average oleic acid content of different olive varieties.

The clearest indication available to consumers of an olive oil's polyphenol content is the authorised health claim: ‘Olive oil polyphenols contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress.’ If this appears on the label, consumers can be confident that the oil contains at least 250 mg/kg of polyphenols.

The problem is that many producers do not include this claim. Some oils do not meet the minimum polyphenol level required, while others cannot guarantee that the concentration will remain above 250 mg/kg until the best-before date, as storage conditions during distribution and at retail outlets cannot always be controlled.

As an alternative, consumers can choose early-harvest extra virgin olive oils labelled as coming from the most recent harvest.

The Healthiest Olive Oils from Las Valdesas

At Las Valdesas, we produce single-variety extra virgin olive oils: Picual, Hojiblanca, Arbequina, Frantoio and Manzanilla.

With each harvest, we publish the polyphenol analysis for every variety, allowing consumers to make informed choices.

By considering both the olive variety and the polyphenol analysis, consumers can identify which oils are likely to offer the greatest health benefits.

Other Health Benefits of Olive Oil

At present, the two benefits described above are the only ones that have been conclusively demonstrated in the general population. Both are linked to the protection of the cardiovascular system through two well-established mechanisms: reducing LDL ("bad") cholesterol and protecting blood lipids against oxidative damage.

Research into these and other naturally occurring compounds in olive oil, which may contribute to additional health benefits, is still ongoing. You can learn more about them here.