Our High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (HP EVOO), harvested by hand and cold pressed in north Dalmatia (Croatia), is more than just food. If you add olive oil to your salad or any other food or just have a good tablespoon pure and fresh, it’s proven science that you benefit from a variety of health blessings. This liquid gold elixir contributes very well to your overall physical wellbeing.
Our EVOO is very limited in quantity, thats why our goal is not primarily to sell our oil to many people but to inform and educate as well as finding other olive oil producer with the same mind producing EVOOs high on Oleocanthal.
A Study of Dr. Goren indicated clearly that only EVOOs rich in Oleocanthal have an effect on cancer cells, EVOOs low or with no Oleocanthal do not have any effect.
Some facts which are also regulated by the EU:
Low Acidity: In the olive fruit itself the level of acidity of its oil is ZERO. It is during the production process that the level increases because of the release of free fatty acids. The lower the acidity level is, the cleaner and faster the olive oil has been produced.
EVOO acidity level maximum: 0,8% (0,5% is good and under 0,3% are the top Olive Oils).
Jacobs Olive EVOO acidity level: 0,13 %.
Peroxide level: Shows the initial oxidation of the oil and serves as an indicator of how fast and clean the oil has been processed. (harvest to mill and process at the mill) The lower the peroxide level the better the oil and it will also keep other healthy compounds stable for longer time. The main factors for high peroxide levels are the oxidation because of damaging of the fruits during harvest and high temperatures.
EVOO maximum peroxide level: 20 ( High Quality EVOO below 12)
Jacobs Olive EVOO peroxide level: 9
Polyphenols: Bioactive compounds (natural chemicals) as Tyrosol, Hydroxytyrosol, Oleuropein, Oleacein or Oleocanthal. Basically the more polyphenol content in your olive oil, the higher its quality, but more than 800 mg/kg in total phenols, does not necessarily mean to be more healthy (according to our research). More important is the level of Oleocanthal. High quality extra virgin olive oils range between 100 to 500 mg/kg in total phenols. There are EVOOs on the market with 500 – 800 mg/kg and more.
Oleocanthal kills cancer cells in just 30 minutes without any damage to healthy cells.
Jacobs Olive EVOO total phenols level: 497 mg/kg
Among all the phenols, one is extraordinary beneficial to our health: Oleocanthal. This natural chemical was first found in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) in 1996 by accident and it means ‘Stinging Oil Aldehyde’. With Oleacein, it is one of the two main phenols in EVOO.
Jacobs Olive EVOO Oleocanthal level: 187 mg/kg
This most important phenol, has the ability to interfere with processes associated with lots of types of inflammation as well as Alzheimer’s disease. Recent studies indicate that it can prevent cancer formation and growth by killing cancer cells very fast. It causes literally a rupture of the cancerous cells, releasing enzymes leading to the apoptosis (programmed cell death), without any harm to healthy cells.
Polyphenols are very well studied studied compounds and latest research clearly proves their protective attributes against oxidative stress. This describes physiological stress that can even cause DNA mutations, finally leading to several severe illnesses such as neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s or chronic diseases as diabetes, cardiovascular and heart diseases as well as cancer. In all of this the high phenolic EVOO can help lowering the risks significantly.
More detailed: it helps to lower cholesterol levels leading to reduced risk of heart disease, a healthy blood pressure, lowering inflammations and pain, reducing diabetes risk, boosting our brain health and its cognitive functions, improving overall health of the gut microbiome, increasing mental health and even providing support for weight loss. In opposite of fatty acids, the polyphenols in EVOO can be noted in taste. To the ones who appreciate excellent high phenolic olive oil, it is well known as a slightly bitter but fresh, grassy and fruity taste. These oils are very healthy and contain high levels of anti inflammatory compounds.
How much of these healthy phenols are at the end in the final product depends on different factors:
- Harvesting time. Basically it means that the earlier the better, because green olives are much higher in polyphenol levels.
- The Time from harvest-to-mill. The faster the harvested olives get to the milling process much lesser the fruits will be spoiled and oxidized.
- The sort of olive trees: Different kind of olives have different values in phenol levels. In our gardens, we cultivate two local Dalmatian olive trees, Oblica and Karbunčela as well as Italian Leccino. We are farming and cultivating all by ourselves. Only the milling is at a location just 8 minutes from our field. (In the future we will plant an amount of Spanish picual tree at our field)
- Storing of olive oil. This determines directly how long the polyphenols will last in the oil. Exposure to light and oxygen will break down the fatty acids very fast. For this reason we carefully store all oil in INOX tanks and fill them in bottles right before they are shipped to our partners.
MONOUNSATURATED FATS
These are omega-9 fatty acids which are a true blessing for our health. Fresh pressed vegetable oils contain these for example.
Our JACOBS OLIVE EVOO contains 74,5 % of monounsaturated fatty acids.
POLYUNSATURATED FATS
These fats are coming with almost the same benefits of the monounsaturated fats, but a fine detail is important to these: Our bodies don’t produce them. As they provide important nutrients for a healthy cell development and maintenance, in combination with Vitamin E they work as strong antioxidants. It is indicated that we are generally short of them.
Polyunsaturated fats deliver us balanced omega-3 & omega-6 fatty acids. These are responsible for appropriate cholesterol ratios, healthy blood pressure and blood sugar level as well as a healthy heart in general. Latest studies came up with the fact that these fats act as a strong cerebral anti inflammatory agents against depressions.
This all contributes to the healthy famous “mediterranean diet”.
Consumption recommendation:
If we really want to benefit from Oleocanthal’s protective effects on our health, a daily and regular consumption is recommended. For example an amount of 4 tablespoons per day of an EVOO rich in Oleocanthal could be compared to a consumption of 125 mg of ibuprofen, which means, according to the researchers of the Andalusian society of Oleocanthal, a solid basis to prevent/relieve various chronic inflammatory processes.
Vitamins and minerals in EVOO:
A good and healthy EVOO contains all fat soluble vitamins A-D-E-K. 100g of quality Olive Oil usually has a content of 14mg of vitamin E and 62 microgram of vitamin K, which means that just about 1 tablespoon of it provides about 93 % daily signaled allowence of vitamin E and about 59% percent of vitamin K (according to RDA).
Could it be risky to consume Olive Oil?
With a normal intake of Extra virgin olive oil there are no known negative side effects. Nevertheless, misuse is possible. It should be distinguished between unfiltered robust fresh EVOO and filtered EVOO. The high quality unfiltered fresh olive oil should be used after cooking, adding to your food or for the cold kitchen like salads etc. Because unfiltered EVOOs contain suspended solids which heated up could create the cancerous acrolein.
The filtered version is safe in using for cooking and baking.
Storing your EVOO properly:
The way the oil is stored, has direct impact on how long the healthy compounds as the polyphenols will be stable in the oil. Oxygen and light exposure will break down the fatty acids fast. This is the reason why we bottle our oils only right before they get shipped to our partners.
Some of the laboratory results of the October 2022 harvest:
| LAB RESULTS | Jacobs Olive HP EVOO | EU limit for EVOO | Good EVOOs | Very Good EVOOs |
| Total Phenols | 497 mg/kg | 100-500 mg/kg | 500-800 mg/kg | |
| Oleocanthal | 187 mg/kg | |||
| Oleacein | 103,9 mg/kg | |||
| Acidity | 0,13 % | 0,8 % | <0,5 % | <0,3 % |
| Peroxide Level | 9.0 | 20 | <12 | |
| Monounsaturated Fatty Acids | 74,5 % | |||
| K270 | 0,16 | 0,22 | ||
| Delta K | <0,005 | 0,01 |