Oleocanthal, the polyphenol only found in EVOO, is the secret elixir to life.

 Polyphenols are micronutrients, packed with antioxidants, that are found in plants. They can be found in antioxidant rich foods and there are more than 500 known polyphenols. While a diet lacking in polyphenols won’t necessarily have side effects, the benefits of these “lifespan essentials” protect your body, reduce your risk of chronic disease, and promote longevity. 

 What is an oleocanthal?

 Oleocanthal is a specific (and arguably the most important) polyphenol that is naturally found in truly extra virgin olive oil. Oleocanthal was discovered in 1993 by Dr Gary Beauchamp when he was testing solutions of ibuprofen and found that it tasted similarly to freshly pressed EVOO. It turns out, the oleocanthal compound is highly similar to ibuprofen, a non steroidal anti-inflammatory, and has similar effects.  Oleocanthal is not present in the olive fruit itself but is only created when the olives are cold-pressed. This medicinal type of oil is what attributes to low rates of both cancer and cognitive diseases in Mediterranean populations.

 How do I know my EVOO has Oleocanthal?

 The oleocanthal is what is responsible for the peppery, pungent, burning sensation in the back of your throat when you taste extra virgin olive oil. 

In order to know much oleocanthal is present in your olive oil, your farmer would have to have an chemical analysis done to test the polyphenol content once the olives are pressed. How do we measure that?See: https://www.liokareas.com/blogs/news/how-much-oleocanthal

 Why is Oleocanthal the secret ingredient?

Oleocanthal is being used medicinally in Europe for its pharmacological qualities. The risk of chronic inflammatory disease in Mediterranean populations are the lowest in the world and life expectancy amount the highest. (WHO World Health Statistics of 2010). Oleocanthal in EVOO is believed to be responsible for the lower incident of chronic anti-inflammatory conditions in those who consume the Mediterranean diet.

A 2015 study by Paul Breslin shows how oleocanthal can kill cancer cells in as little as 30 minutes. Although it was always believed that extra virgin olive oil had combat cancer, it was also one of the first studies that showed how this happens. This study was published by the scientific journal, Molecular and Cellular Oncology, showing that oleocanthal creates cell rupture of cancer cells without hurting healthy cells. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23723556.2015.1006077)

A similar study published by ACS Chemical Neuroscience showed oleocanthal presence combats Alzheimer’s disease https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/cn400024q

Striking results were seen according to the World Olive Center for Health website (https://worldolivecenter.com/great-announcements-on-the-beneficial-properties-of-olive-oil-at-the-olympia-health-and-nutrition-international-awards-ceremony-in-the-old-parliament-in-athens/) which showed “decrease or stabilization of white blood cells, a specific death of cancer cells, and a fall in cancer markers in a significant number of patients. This is the first time the world has seen such strong indications about the health properties of oleocanthal olive oil in oncology patients”  (https://www.greekliquidgold.com/index.php/en/health-benefits/olive-oil-health-benefits/374-high-phenolic-olive-oil-helps-fight-cancer-and-alzheimer-s)

The numerous disease targets for oleocanthal are still being researched but we believe the results are promising for our natural therapeutic agent. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6213726/) . 

 Maybe that is why Hippocrates, “the great healer” referred to extra virgin olive oil as “liquid gold”. As more and more research is being done, we want to continue to provide you with the best high phenolic extra virgin olive oil that we can.

 Liokareas & Oleocanthal

When searching for the right amount of olive oil to consume, you will find varied responses. Why? Because what isn't always known is the number of polyphenols, specifically oleocanthal in the olive oil. How food is grown, farmed, transported, and prepared can affect the number of polyphenols. In this case, how we harvest, when we harvest, and what variety we harvest can greatly affect the quality of our products. We take great pride in giving our consumers the best quality product year after year.

You can find a strong presence of oleocanthal in our Early Harvest https://www.liokareas.com/collections/olive-oil/products/liokareas-early-harvest-extra-virgin-greek-olive-oil-limited-stock)– our evoo with polyphenol amounts of 559mg/kg and 32% being oleocanthal. However, this year we pressed an extremely high phenolic extra virgin olive oil, https://www.liokareas.com/products/high-polyphenol-rx-extra-virgin-olive-oilusing a different olive variety, and reached ranges 800-1400mg/kg with 75% being oleocanthal! We are proud to have one of the highest oleocanthal evoo on the market to share with our consumers.

Your Elixar for Life - Liokareas RX HPEVOO

Liokareas recommends consuming 15mL of our new HPEVOO per day to receive the health benefits research has supported around oleocanthal. Our HPEVOO has over 10x the phenolic content with oleocanthal than most EVOOs on the market. Based on the chemical analysis from our HPEVOO, the strong oleocanthal presence will combat disease and promote longevity with just a tablespoon a day. HPEVOO should be consumed straight or with food but it should not be heated. Liokareas also recommends refrigerating your HPEVOO to preserve the quality.

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