Phenols are natural components of olive oil, that are produced during the process of squeezing and malaxation of the olive fruit. Polyphenolic or high phenolic, are characterized the olive oils having at least 250 mg/kg total content of phenolic components.

The phenolic constituents of olive oil are oleocanthal, oleacein, ligstroside aglycon, oleuropein aglycon, oleocoronal and oleomisional, substances not found in any other food.

According to Regulation 432/2012 of the European Union, the intake of 20 grams of olive oil, which provides at least 5 mg of phenols, protects against the oxidation of blood lipids.

Olive oil phenols also have a wide range of biological activities in the human body and show strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Experimental and clinical studies have shown that phenols contribute to the treatment of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and cancer.




Some of the experimental and clinical studies that have been conducted are as follows:


  • OLEOCANTHAL: A NATURAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY COMPOUND:
    Newly pressed extra-virgin olive oil contains oleocanthal--a compound whose pungency induces a strong stinging sensation in the throat, not unlike that caused by solutions of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen. We show here that this similar perception seems to be an indicator of a shared pharmacological activity, with oleocanthal acting as a natural anti-inflammatory compound that has a potency and profile strikingly similar to that of ibuprofen. Although structurally dissimilar, both these molecules inhibit the same cyclooxygenase enzymes in the prostaglandin-biosynthesis pathway. / more...
  • REDUCES THE RISK OF THROMBS
    The content of olive oils in phenols can positively affect the cardiovascular system. A study was carried out where the participants consumed 40ml of extra virgin olive oil, with a known number of phenols, in order to evaluate the effects on the function of platelets, blood components related to its clotting. The results obtained were compared to the action of ibuprofen, a powerful anti-inflammatory substance. The study showed that olive oils that were rich in oleocanthal and oleacein caused a greater than 25% reduction in peak platelet aggregation which is a major cause of blood clots. / more…
  • A POTENTIAL ANTIINFLAMATORY DRUG
    Oleacein is one of the most potent inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase, an enzyme associated with early stages of inflammation. Its action is more potent compared to oleocanthal and oleuropein. It would be beneficial to develop and an anti-inflammatory drug based on oleacein./more...
  • THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTION OF OLEACEIN
    Filipek et al. examined the ability of oleacein to increase the production of specific anti-inflammatory proteins. It seems that oleacein may play an important role in the prevention of inflammatory disease related to atherosclerosis. /more…



  • PROTECTS RED BLOOD CELLS FROM OXIDATIVE DAMAGE
    The study of Pavla-Martins et al., showed that oleacein significantly protects red blood cells from oxidative damage in a dose dependent manner, with even low dosages showing a remarkably protective role. /more...
  • A POTENTIAL ANTIATHEROSCLEROTIC DRUG
    Oleacein may play a role in decreasing the progression of atherosclerosis, the most important cause of stroke or heart attack. Some bioactivities of oleacein have been already documented, further studies are needed about its usefulness in antiatherosclerotic therapy. /more...
  • REDUCES THE RISK OF ISCHEMIC STROKE
    Experiments have shown that oleacein has can attenuate the destabilization of carotid plaques and may be useful in reducing the risk of ischemic stroke. /more...
  • PROTECTS CELLS FROM AGING
    Panzonko examined the ability of oleacein to protect cells from aging and cell death. Endothelial progenitor cells exposed to oleacein showed a significant increase of proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. /more...
  • ATTENUATES THE PATHOGENESIS OF EXPIRIMENTAL AUTOMMUNE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS WITH ITS ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIINFLAMATORY EFFECTS.
    The daily consumption of extra virgin olive oil of early harvesting- fresh olive oil with certified content of phenols and especially oleacin-protects the central nervous system and can probably help against the deterioration of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. /more...
  • THE EFFECT ON TYPE II DIABETES
    Rigacci S. et al. examined the effects on amylin aggregation and cytotoxicity of the oleuropein aglycon. Amylin is a substance quite similar to insulin. When amylin aggregates in pancreatic cells, it generates amyloid which is directly related to the pathogenesis of type II diabetes. Oleuropein aglycone inhibits the aggregation of amylin and toxicity on pancreatic cells. These results provide a molecular basis for some of the benefits potentially coming from extra virgin olive oil consumption and pave the way for the development of new inhibitors./more...



  • OLEOCANTHAL PROTECTS AGAINST ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
    The study of Pitt et al indicates that oleocanthal is a capable of altering the assembly of soluble oligomers of amyloid-β1-42 peptide, neurotoxin that causes Alzheimer’s disease. The results show that even low dose of oleocanthal protects the neurons from the negative effects of Alzheimer's disease and could be used as a potential therapy in the future./more...
  • HIGH PHENOLIC OLIVE OILS HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT OF MENTAL FUNCTIONING ON PEOPLE WITH EARLY SYMPTOMS OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
    For the first time oils high in oleocanthal and oleacein were associated with a significant improvement in human mental functions. Positive results were achieved within 3 months with dose-depend daily consumption./more...
  • THE EFFECT OF OLEUROPEIN AGLYCONE ON THE PROGRESSION OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
    The claimed beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet include prevention of several age-related dysfunctions including neurodegenerative diseases and Alzheimer-like pathology. These effects have been related to the protection against cognitive decline associated with aging and disease by a number of polyphenols found in red wine and extra virgin olive oil. Grossi’s et al. research on mice, showed that the 50 mg/kg dietary supplementation of oleuropein aglycone for 8 weeks not only showed a remarkable improvement of the cognitive of the mice but also stabilized the progression of the disease./more...
  • OLEOCANTHAL PROMOTES THE DEATH OF CANCER CELLS AND NOT OF NORMAL CELLS
    The study of Le Gendre and his colleagues showed that oleocanthal causes the death of cancer cells within 30 minutes
    without affecting normal cells./more...
  • ANTICANCER ACTIVITY ON THE LIVER
    Pei and his colleagues studied the anticancer action of oleocanthal in human liver cancer cells. The results showed that oleocanthal reduced the proliferation and increase the death of cancer cells and suspended tumor growth. Oleocanthal also blocked the metastasis to the lungs. These results, give hope for therapeutic purposes./more...
  • ANTICANCER EFFECTS ON HEPATOCELLULAR AND CLORECTAL CARCINOMA
    The beneficial health properties of the Mediter-ranean diet are well recognized. The principle source of fat in Mediterranean diet is extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO). Oleocanthal (OC) is a naturally occurring minor phenolic compound isolated from EVOO, which has shown a potent anti-inflammatory activity.Oleocanthal shows an anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity in liver and colon cancer cells. It also inhibits the growth of cancer cells without affecting normal cells, providing a strong support of its potential use as chemotherapeutic./more...
  • ANTICANCER ACTIVITY ON CUTANEOUS MALIGNANT MELANOMA
    Oleocanthal is one of the phenolic compounds of extra virgin olive oil with important anti-inflammatory properties. Although its potential anticancer activity has been reported, only limited evidence has been provided in cutaneous malignant melanoma. A study has shown that even low dose oleocanthal had a remarkable and selective activity for human melanoma cells versus normal dermal cells./more...
  • EFFECTIVE ON BREAST AND PROSTATE CANCER
    Research by Enagar and his colleagues showed that oleocanthal at a cellular level, blocks both primary and metastatic growth of breast and prostate cancer cells. Even low dose oleocanthal has a powerful healing role in breast and prostate cancer./more...
  • THE EFFECT OF OLEOCANTHAL ON BREAST CANCER
    The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of oleocanthal treatment on specific breast cancer cells, even at low dosages. The results have shown that oleocanthal reduces the impact of a protein, that plays an important role in the development of cancer cells and of breast cancer as well./more...
  • LIGSTROSIDE AGLYCONE AGAINST METASTATIC BREAST CANCER
    In the study of Busnena’s et al., ligstroside aglycone showed the best antimigratory activity in experiments performed in highly metastatic human breast cancer cells. Due to its particular chemical structure, it inhibits the activity of a specific protein, the c-MET protein, associated with the development of malignant tumors./more...
  • THE EFFECT OF LIGSTROSIDE AGLYCONE ON BREAST CANCER
    Menendez et al. in their study explored the ability of ligstroside aglycone to modulate HER2 tyrosine kinase receptor-induced, which is present in large amounts in breast cancer cells and causes their uncontrolled proliferation. Ligstroside aglycone was one of the most active inhibitors of HER2 expression in cells, with a reduction of 68% even in very small doses, leading the cancer cells to programmed
    cell death. These findings provide an excellent and safe platform for the design of new breast cancer drugs./more...
  • THE EFFECT OF DIETARY INTERVENTION WITH HIGHOLEOCANTHAL AND OLEACEIN OLIVE OIL IN PATIENTS WITH EARLY-STAGE CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKEMIA
    In the first clinical trial of Andrea Paola Rojas Gil and her team, they showed that high phenolic olive oil in Oleacanthal and Oleacein could be a promising nutritional feature to improve Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia by causing apoptosis of cancer cells and improving their tonic cells metabolism of patients./more...