What Happens to Olive Oil Polyphenols After You Eat Them?
We often talk about the polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil. But an important question is: Does your body actually absorb them?
Human studies show that important olive oil phenols, including hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol, are absorbed and metabolized by the body. A recent clinical study found significantly higher levels of metabolites derived from these compounds after people consumed phenolic-rich extra virgin olive oil compared with ordinary olive oil.
Why does that matter? Finding these metabolites in the body is evidence that the polyphenols have been absorbed and are available to interact with the body’s tissues and biological processes, rather than simply passing through the digestive tract.
This is one reason we believe the polyphenol content of an olive oil matters. At Apollo, our milling process is designed to minimize oxidation and preserve the naturally occurring polyphenols in the olives, and we test and publish the polyphenol levels of our oils each year.