That’s a good point. My current EVOO, (Oliviers and Co) is from an October 2024 harvest, and has 593mg/kg polyphenols, or ~5.9 mg per 10 ml shot, at a “cost” of ~90 kcal.
However, I think the broader question is: do we really know that polyphenol count is what matters? I was under the assumption that the oleic acid itself is one of the bioactive, beneficial components.
Green olives has about 39% more according to the phenol-explorer database if that helps: http://phenol-explorer.eu/
Wondering about tomatoes
Omega-9 which is oleic acid, is a common fatty acid in nuts and seeds, do you think it’s this that’s important with regards to benefits of EVOO?
I just added Olive Leaf Extract to my stack based on this:
New Data: Unexpected Benefits of Olives on Muscles
Honestly I don’t know. Most of the studies showing benefits of EVOO are usually when people replace worse fats, like swapping butter for EVOO. And higher nut consumption is also generally associated with living longer.
The way I am seeing it is that there is a reasonable bit of evidence that EVOO is cardioprotective. And I can take 2x10ml shots per day, at a cost of 180kcal, which isn’t too bad. It has no distinguishable effects on my lipids, so the risk seems very low.
Costco carries Organic Castelvetrano Green Olives, to die for ! I put in all my salads an, sliced them when I make pasta or just eat them out of the jar.
Highest Polyphenol Olive Varieties
| Olive Variety | Color | Polyphenol Content | Bitterness Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koroneiki | Green |
 (very high) |
(bitter) |
| Picual | Green |
(very high) |
(bitter) |
| Coratina | Green |
(very high) |
(very bitter) |
| Mission | Green |
(high) |
(moderate) |
| Manzanilla | Green |
(moderate) |
(moderate) |
Why Green & Bitter Olives Have More Polyphenols
Best Olives & Olive Oils for Maximum Polyphenols
To be clear, even standard black olives has more polyphenols than premium EVOO.
I like the taste of kalamata olives better than manzanilla and most LLMs tell me they are higher in polyphenol content also
Fyi, I just searched costco and didn’t find any olives?
Costco items can vary quite a bit by location. Have you ever been to one in Kauai or Maui - totally different items - lots of Hawaiian Punch, Macademia nuts, local cookies, Poke etc,
Green olives has seemingly almost twice the amount of sodium.
Polyphenols to sodium ratio is probably important. Black olives win in this regard.
Luque olives from Whole Foods are fantastic. I eat all kinds of olives from everywhere my whole life (73). These are my favorite for taste. I’ve been trying to get a tree for years.
I agree have eaten them my whole life. And, so great for the muscles.
Kalamata olive nutritional benefits
Link: Kalamata Olives: Nutrition Facts and Benefits
The only olives I’ve ever loved are the ones that come in the prolon kit!
I wish I knew how to source those @Joseph_Lavelle
@Beth the package says “product of Italy” …and I agree they taste very good. But I like all olives.
Yes, that is very likely. I’ve been eating some olives daily for many years partly for that reason.
They ARE delicious and you can buy them online at Thrive - Pitted Green Olives, Original | Thrive Market
I use thrive!!! I’ll order them, thank you!
If someone’s on a no added sodium diet (because excess sodium is one of the most harmful additives: Salt / Sodium's role in accelerating aging) then EVOO is better than olives, the olives without salt are niche or wrapped in plastics, and niche products are probably net negative (from lack of testing base with regards to contaminants etc).
So I had some salad with
69 g tomatoes
100 g cucumbers
16 g EVOO
0.6 g dried thyme
Yes, it’s pretty autistic to measure everything
Need to know about the good Med foods…
