Olive oil health benefits: what can be claimed (and what cannot)

Extra virgin olive oil is a fat rich in oleic acid, with vitamin E, vitamin K and polyphenols. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats such as oleic acid contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels. It is not a medicine: its role is within a varied diet.

In this article

1. Olive oil composition (per 100 g)
2. What can be claimed: EU-authorised health claims
3. Polyphenols: what they are and why extra virgin is bitter and peppery
4. Saturated and unsaturated fats: olive oil, butter and palm oil
5. Extra virgin versus refined
6. What cannot be claimed
7. Making the most of it in the kitchen
8. Frequently asked questions

Olive oil composition (per 100 g)

Component	Amount
Energy	884 kcal
Fat	100 g
Monounsaturated (mainly oleic acid)	73 g
Polyunsaturated	11 g
Saturated	14 g
Vitamin E	14 mg (≈120% of the reference intake)
Vitamin K	60 µg (80% of the reference intake)
Polyphenols	present in virgin oils; almost none in refined oil

Average reference values. The amount of polyphenols varies a lot from one oil to another: it depends on the variety, the harvest time, the extraction and how the oil is stored.

What can be claimed: EU-authorised health claims

The European Union reviews which effects of a food are proven and publishes a closed list (Regulation (EU) No 432/2012). For olive oil, because of its composition, these can be stated, in these exact words:

• Replacing saturated fats in the diet with unsaturated fats contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels. Oleic acid is an unsaturated fat.
• Vitamin E contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
• Vitamin K contributes to normal blood clotting.
• Vitamin K contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.

All of this within a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Polyphenols: what they are and why extra virgin is bitter and peppery

Polyphenols are compounds that come from the olive and pass into the oil when it is cold-extracted. They are responsible for the bitterness and the peppery feeling in the throat of a freshly made extra virgin; over time, light and heat reduce them.

There is a specific authorised claim: "Olive oil polyphenols contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress". But it can only be used by an oil that proves at least 5 mg of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives per 20 g. It does not apply to every olive oil, so be wary of anyone who uses it loosely.

Saturated and unsaturated fats: olive oil, butter and palm oil

The cholesterol claim is about replacing saturated fats with unsaturated ones. This is how they are split in three common fats (grams per 100 g of fat):

Fat	Saturated	Monounsaturated	Polyunsaturated
Olive oil	14	73	11
Butter	63	26	4
Palm oil	49	37	9

Using olive oil where you used to use butter or palm oil is exactly the kind of change the claim refers to.

Extra virgin versus refined

The fats are practically the same, so the oleic acid claim applies to both. The difference is what refining removes: aroma, flavour, polyphenols and part of the vitamin E. If you care about polyphenols, it has to be extra virgin, and the fresher the better. The categories are explained in types of olive oil.

What cannot be claimed

• Olive oil does not cure or prevent diseases on its own, and no oil may be advertised that way in the EU.
• The risk-reduction percentages you may read come from studies on the whole Mediterranean diet, not on the oil alone, and cannot be transferred to a particular bottle.
• There is no official "recommended" daily amount of olive oil either: it is used as the main cooking fat, not as a supplement.

Making the most of it in the kitchen

Use it as your main fat: raw, for cooking and for frying too. Keep it away from light and heat, tightly closed, so it does not lose aroma or polyphenols (more in how to store olive oil). For everything else, from history to tasting, see the complete guide to olive oil.

Frequently asked questions

Is olive oil good for your health?

It is a food high in monounsaturated fat. Replacing saturated fats (butter, lard, palm oil) with unsaturated fats such as oleic acid contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels. It is also a source of vitamins E and K. It is not a medicine: its role is within a varied diet such as the Mediterranean one.

Does olive oil make you fat?

It provides 884 kcal per 100 g, like any oil. A tablespoon (about 10 g) is about 90 kcal. What matters is the diet as a whole, not a single food.

Is it better to take it on an empty stomach?

There is no recognised effect from taking it on an empty stomach. It is a food: have it whenever it suits you, raw or cooked.

What is the difference between extra virgin and refined for health?

The fat composition is almost the same. Extra virgin keeps the polyphenols and more vitamin E; refined oil loses almost all of them.

We make a Picual extra virgin olive oil in Úbeda from October olives. If you want to try it: see the box.