Secoiridoids (oleocanthal)

Polyphenols

The bitterness and the tingling at the back of the throat from a good olive oil: it is the molecule that scratches.

Under this name live oleocanthal (the one that stings), oleacein, hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol and oleuropein. They make a single line because they all come from the same two foods: counting them separately would show five numbers that always move together. Refining removes them entirely — hence the distinction between extra virgin oil and refined olive oil.

Effects and benefits

The tingle at the back of the throat from a great olive oil is oleocanthal, discovered because it stings exactly like ibuprofen. With 20 g a day of an oil rich in polyphenols, these molecules contribute to protecting blood fats from oxidation.

In 2005, a researcher tasting oils noticed that the burn of some reminded him of an ibuprofen syrup. His team isolated the molecule, oleocanthal, and showed that it inhibits the same inflammation enzymes, the COX (Beauchamp et al., 2005). Fifty grams of oil provide about a tenth of a dose of ibuprofen.

Olive polyphenols contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress, with 20 g of oil a day providing at least 5 mg of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives (Regulation 432/2012). Not all oils get there: a recent extra-virgin oil with marked bitterness is the richest.

They fade with time, light and heat: an oil keeps in a dark bottle and is used within the year.

Sources: Beauchamp et al., Nature, 2005 · EU Regulation 432/2012 · EFSA, 2011

Where to find it (3)

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Olive
• Olive leaves

Also, in smaller amounts (1)

• Lacto-fermented olives