Among scientists, Extra Virgin olive oil is called a "fatty miracle drink". Let's dive into the chemical composition of extra virgin olive oil to understand what gives it the "miracle drink" title.
"Fatty miracle drink"? Yes. This is what ORA - our extra virgin olive oil - is, according to a leading Professor of Genetics at Kings College London and an expert in diet and microbiome, Tim Spector. In fact, this is not just a quote, but a chapter sub-title in his new book "Spoon-Fed". In this post, we will focus on one element of ORA which can upgrade your health - polyphenols.
Polyphenols: A Boost to your Gut
It's quite a journey your food has to make from the plate to being absorbed in your body. Most simple carbohydrates don't even make it to your large intestine since they are absorbed earlier in the gastrointestinal tract. Polyphenols, however, which are small antioxidant molecules inside colorful plants, survive the journey to bring its magic to the world of your gut microbes, which reside mostly in the large intestine.
“95% of polyphenols pass through to the large intestine where the 38 trillion of microbes reside. Most polyphenols are prebiotic, meaning they feed the bacteria. The bacteria in turn produce thousands of metabolites which then enter the bloodstream and remain there for up to 48 hours.” Simon Hill, Nutritionist and Author of Proof is in the Plants
It's time to think beyond carbohydrates, fat and protein. Start counting your sources of polyphenols, it's time to expand the palette and bring diversity to your gut microbiome - the center of your health. Our chemical analysis reveals exceptional quantities of polyphenols in all ORA extra virgin olive oils, so if you are looking for some polyphenols, you shall look no more.
Behind the label
How do you choose your extra virgin olive oil? Do you look at the price, the label? The truth is that the field of olive oil production is not that transparent and neither the price nor the label will tell you much about the true quality of oil inside the bottle. What matters most to your health is the amount of polyphenols inside and unfortunately you do not find this reported on the label.
We at Arsenio are proud of the phenomenal quality of our extra virgin olive oil ORA, and we would like to share the polyphenol values from our most recent chemical analysis. To be considered extra virgin, the count of polyphenols needs to be above 220mg/kg. This season, due to our innovative pressing and harvesting technologies, our reported values range from 449 to 608mg/kg, representative of the myriad of health benefits ORA brings.
The Science: Boost your Health with ORA
Polyphenols are essential for your general health and longevity. Multitude of research studies emphasize their role in preventing oxidative stress related chronic diseases. Just as an example, Aravind et al. have recently published a review article outlining the mechanisms via which polyphenols communicate with gut microbes to leave an impact on host health.
There's no time to waste, it's time to take care of your health! It all starts with small changes. Start with ORA.