Just Olives News 01.09.2024 | Olive oil - really a superfood?
- Cassian Stanjek
- Sep 1, 2024
- 2 min read
Dear Olive Oil Friend,
A lot of positive things are generally said about olive oil. For example, that it is healthy and a real ‘superfood’ from Europe. But is that really the case?
When we talk about high-quality extra virgin olive oil, it can indeed have many health benefits. This is mainly due to the polyphenols, which are said to have anti-inflammatory and cancer-preventing properties. It also contains vitamin A, vitamin K and vitamin E as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids! This means that the numerous nutrition books and guides are right on this point.
The flipside of the coin? As healthy as these polyphenols may be, unfortunately not all olive oils available on the market contain the same amount of them. Many commercially produced supermarket olive oils - despite being labelled as extra virgin - contain no or only very small amounts of these beneficial ingredients due to the production methods used. To ensure that the valuable vitamins and polyphenols from the olive are also transferred into the olive oil, a very gentle process at the lowest possible temperatures is required. At the same time, sustainable, organic cultivation of the olive groves ensures that no residues, e.g. from pesticides, end up in the organic olive oil. However, organic farming combined with careful production at low temperatures means lower yields and gentle processes take a lot of time. Unfortunately, both of these factors are all too often at odds with the efficiency-driven approach of the market economy - and in the end you can taste this in the olive oil.
Therefore, we will give you a simple trick: the fruitier, the more bitter and the spicier an olive oil tastes, the healthier it usually is. This is because polyphenols taste bitter. If your olive oil doesn't taste bitter or flavoursome, but neutral or simply buttery, and if it doesn't come from organic production, you can imagine how healthy it is - not to mention how enjoyable.
Have you already ordered your olive oil supply for the new season?
If you would also like to enjoy truly fine organic extra virgin olive oil with a proven high polyphenol content, you can order your Just Olives organic olive oil right here on our website:
Did you know?
We deliver your Just Olives organic olive oil to many countries in the European Union and to the United Kingdom. We even offer free shipping to Germany! You can find more details in our shop under shipping information.
We look forward to your order and will keep you up to date as usual when we go to Tuscany for the panel test at the end of October!
Best summer wishes ,
Your Carmen, Christian, Cassian and Kate
Just Olives
Do you like our organic olive oil as much as we do?
We would be very happy if you could write us a short Google review. New references are very helpful for a small start-up like Just Olives. Thank you very much!
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