your guide to high polyphenol olive oil and its powerful health benefits

Polyphenols are naturally occurring plant compounds found in high-quality extra virgin olive oil, responsible for many of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits — and its bold, robust flavour.

These health-boosting antioxidants are especially abundant in olive trees, having evolved to protect the fruit from harsh environmental conditions like intense sunlight, drought, and pests. These same protective compounds help defend your body’s cells against oxidative stress, making high polyphenol olive oil a powerful tool in supporting long-term health.

Oils rich in polyphenols — like our Coratina Extra Virgin Olive Oil — are linked to heart health, brain function, and reduced inflammation. They also deliver the peppery finish and bitterness often associated with robust olive oil— a sign of freshness and antioxidant potency!

The polyphenol content in olive oil is measured in parts per million (ppm) through lab testing. One of the most precise methods used is Near-infrared (NIR) spectrophotometry — a technique that uses infrared light to measure how it is absorbed and reflected by a liquid sample, revealing information about its molecular structure and composition. This allows us to accurately measure specific polyphenols like oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, and tyrosol, which are responsible for the oil’s health benefits and flavour.

At Mount Zero, we send our oils to an independent, government-run food laboratory in New South Wales every season to ensure transparent and reliable testing.

Generally, any extra virgin olive oil with over 250ppm is considered robust in flavour and antioxidant potency. This makes our 2025 Coratina Extra Virgin Olive Oil particularly impressive, coming in at 456ppm—placing it well above the threshold and among the highest polyphenol levels you'll find in Australian olive oils.

How to Find a High Polyphenol Olive Oil

Looking for the best olive oil for antioxidants? Here’s how to make sure you're getting a high-quality, high-polyphenol oil: here's what to look for:

1. Look for Lab-Tested Polyphenol Levels
   
   Reputable producers will often provide lab results showing the polyphenol content, usually measured in parts per million (ppm). A polyphenol count above 200-250ppm is considered robust and signals a potent antioxidant profile. You can find the polyphenol readings for our extra virgin olive oil range under the 'product information' sections of each oil.

2. Choose Early-Harvest or Cold-Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil
   
   Polyphenol levels are often high in early-harvest olives, like our Early Harvest Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil (269ppm), which are picked while still green. These olives yield less oil but contain more antioxidants. Cold pressing also helps preserve delicate polyphenols during extraction. Every single one of our extra virgin olive oils is cold-pressed, with no exception.

3. Pay Attention to Taste and Aroma
   
   Bitterness and pepperiness aren’t flaws — they’re signs of a high polyphenol content. If an olive oil gives you a slight tickle in the throat or a peppery finish, it likely contains elevated levels of polyphenols.

4. Know the Variety
   
   Some olive varieties are naturally higher in polyphenols. For example, Coratina olives are renowned for producing extra virgin olive oil with some of the highest polyphenol readings, often well above 400ppm. Our 2025 Coratina EVOO, for example, boasts an impressive 456ppm.

5. Buy from Transparent, Quality-Focused Producers
   
   Buy from producers who share harvest dates, lab results, and storage practices. Freshness matters — polyphenol content declines over time, so seek out oils from the most recent harvest.

To browse our full extra virgin olive oil range, click here.