As we grow older, losing muscle strength and mass can seem like an inevitable part of ageing. But increasingly, science is showing that the way we eat—and the way we move—can make a meaningful difference. Among the foods attracting particular attention is extra virgin olive oil, especially when it is high in polyphenols.READ MORE
There are molecules that sound as though they belong in a laboratory, rather than in something as elemental as an olive. Hydroxytyrosol is one of them.
Healthy eating is not only about what you choose — it is about how you prepare it.
Add extra virgin olive oil to your vegetables and something remarkable happens. Flavour deepens. Texture softens. And, as science increasingly confirms, nutrition becomes more available to your body.READ MORE
There is a huge amount of buzz around polyphenols and their role in our general health. While polyphenols exist naturally in plenty of plants, in certain plants you can find them in higher concentrations and certain polyphenols are also far more beneficial for you.READ MORE
We felt like it was time to understand a bit more about oral health and how the mediterranean diet can have extremely positive impacts, so we arranged a conversation with Prof. Dr. Simone Grandini DDS MSc PhDREAD MORE
Our Frantoi founder, Elizabeth Berger, joined the CEO of Zoe, Jonathan Wolf, and Tim Spector MD FRCP FRSB, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London, to talk olive oil, polyphenols, and the benefits of eating what’s in season. You can listen to the full podcast here.READ MORE
I recall a lightbulb moment, when I realized that tomatoes contain lycopene, which is a phytonutrient that helps protect your skin from sun damage when consumed. Certain plants make lycopene and other carotenoids to protect themselves from sun damage, so when humans eat the fruits of those plants, carotenoids are deposited in the skin and appear to have a similar effect, blocking the damage from UV light.READ MORE
Did you know that taking paracetamol depletes your reserves of glutathione?
There is a great deal of research out there showing that glutathione is vital for optimizing cellular function and maintaining overall health. READ MORE
There are 36 known polyphenols in Extra Virgin Olive Oil belonging to different classes based on their molecular weights and structures. This level of science is researched extensively and if you wanted to dive deeper see some references below*.READ MORE
Iperico, or St. John’s wort is an indigenous plant here in Tuscany, but it has spread to every part of the world. Its name derives from the family to which it belongs, the Hypericaceae, and it grows from sea level up to 1600 metres.READ MORE
Antioxidants play an essential role in maintaining our health by nеutralizing harmful oxygеn frее radicals, which arе by-products of thе natural oxidation processes occurring in our cеlls. READ MORE
New Research shows that just half a tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil per day can enhance heart health.READ MORE
It is well known that our eating patterns can cause mood swings. Blood sugar fluctuations and nutritional imbalances are often to blame and without a steady source of fuel from the foods we eat, our mind and bodies don’t function well.READ MORE
There are many myths surrounding extra virgin olive oil and there’s a huge deal of misinformation out there, so we thought it was time to set the record straight.READ MORE
It feels as if we need to be paying far greater attention to our microbiome. There’s plenty of information flying around about the gut-brain axis – loads of studies are coming out, endorsed by nutritionists and gut specialists, the evidence is mounting. We’re beginning to understand how our overall physical well-being has an impact on our mental health.READ MORE
There are some (actually many) things in life that just read as inexact science. When it comes to the health benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil however, we are thrilled that evidence mounts by the month in support of its supreme benefits.READ MORE
It’s amazing to learn that about half of the US population takes one or more supplements on a regular basis amounting to more than $35 billion each year*. Many of these are self-discovered and self-prescribed, we often don’t even mention it to our doctor, but even if we did, they may not know about them because there are so many on the market, it’s really not easy to keep on top of the knowledge.
We are in a sea of healthy eating messaging that is often so overwhelming. The overlaying of sound advice with commercial reasoning is, at times, hard to navigate. I probably follow more than my fair share of nutritionists and food passionate individuals and sometimes that balance between what is suggested and what is real just sends me off for a few days and I get lost.
As the autumn really sets in we only have to look to nature to know that it’s time to replenish our reserves for the winter ahead. The surrounding trees and bushes are offering us berries and nuts loaded with the antioxidants and nutrients that we need. We set aside ingredients to sustain us through the colder months either by drying or preserving. Refilling, restoring, reserving all in anticipation of cold weather ahead when there is less access to fresh produce.READ MORE
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is freshly pressed juice that arrives once a year as autumn sets in. It has absolutely no additives or preservatives and is the only cooking oil made without the use of chemicals or industrial refining. Just let that sit for a moment.READ MORE
‘Itis’ is a wonderful colloquial word to describe the feeling of tiredness after you eat too much (food coma is a pretty useful term too). But what if you are often feeling slight itis – always a little full and a little exhausted? Nutritionists will tell you it is worth considering your bacterial flora and that potentially, your digestive tract could be inflamed.READ MORE
You need to be drinking this. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is an incredibly powerful natural anti-inflammatory. It is exactly what nutritionists and immunologists are talking about us needing during this global pandemic. But it’s not a concocted supplement; it’s a naturally pressed juice with no additives.
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We are always amazed by the incredible health benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and the science behind why and how it is such a superfood. We recently interviewed Dr Simon Poole to understand more, how the science is developing and how to ensure you use it in the right way to get the greatest benefit. But we are often asked to summarise what makes EVOO so good for you, READ MORE
Physician, award winning author, public speaker and broadcaster, Dr Simon Poole has been extolling the virtues of the Mediterranean Diet and the use of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in particular since the 1990s. His seminal book, The Olive Oil Diet (authored with Judy Ridgway), brought to life how easy is it to live better for longer. You can follow him on twitter @thetasteofthemed READ MORE
The January Reset is something many of us take advantage of. It’s a moment to re-group somehow, look at our lives from a fresh perspective, set some new goals, re-balance our approach and keep ourselves in check. Goodness knows, we all need that.
A phenomenal, naturally occurring compound in Extra Virgin Olive Oil that is an amazing anti-inflammatory.
I’m often asked why top quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil can prickle the back of your throat. It’s because of a naturally occurring compound called Oleocanthal. READ MORE
You may have seen some coverage in the media about the adverse properties of Coconut oil, which is pretty hard to digest if you’ve been using it relatively abundantly in your lives. So, we’ve summarised the main reasons to switch it out of your life in favour of Olive oil (and we don’t even mention the flavour)READ MORE
Olive oil was used by the Ancient Greeks in an incredible variety of ways according to Tom Mueller, who wrote the fascinating book Extra Virginity. It was used as food, fuel, a skin lotion, a contraceptive, detergent, a preservative, pesticide, perfume, adornment, a cure for heart ailments, to relieve stomach aches and against hair loss, flatulence and excessive perspiration. Amazing!!READ MORE
There have been a series of interesting reads recently on the health benefits of increasing Extra Virgin Olive Oil in your diet. We’ve highlighted some of the main stories here to give you an overview of the latest research.READ MORE
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most studied of the neurodegenerative amyloid diseases and, in Western countries, a significant cause of dementia in the elderly¹. Recent epidemiological studies support the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet against the cognitive decline associated with ageing, and much data has highlighted the role played by natural phenols, in which extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is rich. Even more importantly, studies conducted both in vivo and in vitro have started to reveal the great potential of the phenolic components of EVOO in counteracting amyloid build up and toxicity, with a particular emphasis on the pathways involved in the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease.READ MORE
Winter is very personal. Unfortunately most of us feel the seasonal nip but it’s what we do to combat the colds, aches and pains that define our enjoyment of this wonderful time of the year. When we feel run down, it’s super easy to reach for the most obvious corrective measure by way of medicinal supplements and of course in many cases, this is the fastest cure! Too often however, you may find this is a quick fix but then the bugs return and you just can’t seem to shake them off.
Olive Oil contains polyphenols, vitamin E and other natural antioxidants that make up the oil’s own natural preservatives. Antioxidants, as we know, slow the auto-generation of peroxides so delaying the onset of oxidation and as a result antioxidants prolong the oil’s shelf life.READ MORE
Newly pressed extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) was first noticed by US scientist Gary Beauchamp, who was visiting Italy in 1999, to induce a strong stinging sensation in the throat, not unlike that caused by solutions of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug Ibuprofen. He returned to the US to undertake further research and, with colleagues, managed to isolate the chemical molecule responsible, which worked in the body to inhibit the same enzyme as the anti-inflammatory drug Ibuprofen does. READ MORE
Recently, much attention has been given to the beneficial effects of natural products on human health due to their high efficacy and low adverse effects. Among them, polyphenolic compounds are known as one of the most important and common classes of natural products, which possess multiple range of health-promotion effects including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. READ MORE
We know that traditionally, diets rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) have been associated with a low risk for coronary heart disease (CHD); there was a lower incidence of myocardial infarction (coronary heart attacks) in Southern Europe where olive oil was the main source of fat intake as opposed to Northern Europe where saturated or polyunsaturated fats were more widely consumed (Kris-Etherton, 1999). Olive oil, however, is much more than a MUFA-fat because it contains high amounts of antioxidant phenolic compounds which we know are so beneficial to health. READ MORE
Anecdotal evidence has told us for many years that a Mediterranean diet containing foods that are high in phytochemicals, namely fruits, vegetables and the abundant daily consumption of olive oil is beneficial to health, with distinctly lower rates of chronic diseases than those found in many developed countries in Europe and elsewhere. Only now we are in a position to benefit from more specific research to give us the reasons for this and to look at the future with more optimism than ever before. READ MORE
There has been plenty of media attention on the different smoking points of various cooking oils. You may find that this has driven you away from cooking with Extra Virgin Olive Oil – well, we are here to give you the facts so that you can decide for yourselves.