Olive Oil and Heart Health: Why High-Phenolic Early Harvest Oil Is Best
- Andalucian Olive Company
- Jul 24
- 3 min read
Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide—but nature provides a simple, powerful tool to help protect your heart: extra virgin olive oil. Used for centuries in Mediterranean diets, olive oil has become a modern-day hero of heart-healthy living. But not just any olive oil will do.
The real secret lies in high-phenolic olive oil—like our early harvest extra virgin olive oil, which contains over 500 polyphenols per kilogram. Here's why this matters, and how a daily dose of the right olive oil can support your heart and overall wellness.
Why Olive Oil Is Good for Your Heart
Numerous scientific studies have shown that extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) provides a range of cardiovascular benefits, including:
✅ 1. Reducing Bad Cholesterol (LDL)
EVOO is rich in monounsaturated fats, particularly oleic acid, which helps reduce LDL cholesterol—the "bad" kind that can build up in your arteries and lead to heart attacks or strokes.
✅ 2. Increasing Good Cholesterol (HDL)
At the same time, olive oil increases HDL cholesterol—the "good" kind that helps carry LDL away from the arteries and back to the liver for removal.
✅ 3. Lowering Blood Pressure
Studies have shown that daily consumption of high-quality EVOO can help lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure—especially when paired with a balanced, Mediterranean-style diet.
✅ 4. Protecting Arteries from Inflammation
Chronic inflammation damages blood vessels over time. The antioxidant power of EVOO, especially from its polyphenols, helps reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the cardiovascular system.
Why Polyphenols Make All the Difference
Polyphenols are natural compounds found in plants—especially olives—that act as potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. In the context of heart health, polyphenols help:
Prevent LDL cholesterol from oxidising (a key step in artery-clogging plaque formation)
Improve blood vessel flexibility and circulation
Reduce overall inflammation throughout the body
Protect against blood clot formation
But here’s the catch: Not all olive oils are rich in polyphenols.
Why Our Early Harvest Olive Oil Is Better for Your Heart
At the Andalucian Olive Company, our early harvest oil is made using green olives picked at the start of the season—when their polyphenol levels are naturally at their highest. These olives are cold-pressed within hours of harvest to preserve their full nutritional profile.
The result? An oil that contains over 500 polyphenols per kilogram—more than double or triple what’s found in most supermarket olive oils.
Most store-bought oils:
Are harvested later when olives are riper and contain fewer polyphenols
Are often blended from multiple sources, sometimes of lower quality
May have degraded due to poor storage, long shelf life, or light exposure
Our early harvest oil:
Comes from a single origin in sun-drenched Andalucia
Is packed with heart-healthy polyphenols and antioxidants
Delivers bold, peppery flavor—a natural sign of high phenolic content
Is tested and bottled for maximum freshness and nutritional impact
How Much Should You Take?
Just one tablespoon a day of high-phenolic olive oil is enough to experience real heart health benefits. Enjoy it straight off the spoon, or drizzle it over salads, steamed vegetables, or whole grains to make it part of your daily diet.
Final Thoughts
Heart health doesn’t have to come in a bottle of pills. Nature gives us powerful tools—like high-phenolic, early harvest extra virgin olive oil—to help protect and strengthen our cardiovascular system.
If you’re serious about supporting your heart through your diet, choose quality over quantity. A spoonful of our early harvest olive oil is not just a tasty addition to your meals—it’s a daily act of self-care your heart will thank you for.
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