# The 5 health benefits of extra virgin olive oil. - Source: https://origenes.shop/en/journal/les-5-bienfaits-de-l-huile-d-olive-vierge-extra-pour-la-sante - Publisher: Orígenes (https://origenes.shop), épicerie fine espagnole en ligne, Villeneuve VD, Suisse - Date: 2026-05-05 - Langue: en ## The essentials - The article draws a clear line between cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and the refined oil sold in supermarkets. - When tasting, a slight peppery catch in the throat marks a young, lively oil; an oil with no catch at all is refined or oxidised. - It is mostly used raw: on pan con tomate, salad, steamed vegetables, or as a final drizzle over pasta, fish or rice. - It is kept away from light and from the hob, and is not used for very high-temperature frying. - To choose it: the words extra virgin, a single region of origin, the harvest date, dark glass or a metal tin. ## Three moments to pour it And a three-second test. Tap a card. ### Morning The traditional Andalusian way: a splash of oil on bread rubbed with tomato, and the day begins. ### Lunch A tablespoon over the salad, or a drizzle over steamed vegetables. **The limit** Never cooked above 180 °C: beyond that, the oil breaks down. ### Evening A spoonful over pasta, fish or rice once the dish is ready. That last raw drizzle is what counts. ### The throat-catch test Taste the oil neat from a spoon. A slight catch in the throat, sometimes a small cough: that is not a flaw, it is the sign of a young oil. **What it tells you** The stronger the catch, while still pleasant, the livelier the oil. No catch at all: refined or oxidised oil. ## Reading a bottle in four points What the label and the container tell you. ### The label "Extra virgin olive oil" is mandatory. Also look for "first cold pressing" or "cold extracted". ### The origin Andalusia, Catalonia, Extremadura: a specific region. The word "EU" signals a blend. ### The harvest date When it is shown, allow 18 months at most after the harvest to use the oil. ### The container Clear glass lets in light, which oxidises the oil. **At home** In a closed cupboard or in its box, never next to the hob. ## Do you know how to choose your oil? Four questions, the answers are in the article. 1. When tasted, the oil has no peppery catch at all. What does that tell you? - It is refined or oxidised - A slight catch is the sign of a young, lively oil. An oil with no catch at all is refined or oxidised. 2. Where do you keep the bottle? - Away from light, in a closed cupboard - Heat, air and light spoil the oil. In its box or a closed cupboard, away from the hob. 3. When do you drizzle the oil over pasta or fish? - When serving, after cooking - The article keeps saying it: the last drizzle goes on raw, over the finished dish. 4. Which bottle should you choose? - Dark glass or a metal tin - Clear glass lets in light, which oxidises the oil. ## Article Extra virgin olive oil is the most studied food in the whole Mediterranean diet. Forty years of research, hundreds of clinical studies and a remarkable scientific consensus: it is one of the very few fats whose regular consumption is associated with a documented reduction in cardiovascular risk. But behind this overall result lie five precise mechanisms. Here they are. A point to clarify first: the benefits only apply to **extra virgin** olive oil — cold-pressed, first extraction, which keeps its polyphenols. The refined olive oil sold in supermarkets has lost most of its active compounds. The distinction is not marketing, it is biochemistry. ## 1. Proven cardiovascular effect Extra virgin olive oil is rich in oleic acid (a monounsaturated fatty acid), which lowers LDL cholesterol ("bad") without affecting HDL ("good"). But the effect goes further: the polyphenols it contains — oleocanthal in particular — have a measured anti-inflammatory action, comparable to that of a low dose of ibuprofen. The PREDIMED study (Spain, 7,447 participants, 5 years) showed that a Mediterranean diet enriched with extra virgin olive oil reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death by 30% in people at risk, compared with a low-fat diet. It is one of the most robust findings in modern nutrition. ## 2. Systemic anti-inflammatory action Oleocanthal — a molecule found only in extra virgin olive oil — shares its mechanism of action with aspirin and ibuprofen: inhibition of the COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. It is what gives fresh oil its characteristic **"peppery catch in the throat"** when tasted. That catch is the signature of an oil rich in polyphenols. The chef's corner · Hector speaks The throat-catch test When you taste a good extra virgin olive oil from a spoon, you should feel a slight peppery catch in your throat — sometimes even a small, involuntary cough. That is not a flaw. Quite the opposite: it is the sign of an oil rich in oleocanthal, and therefore in polyphenols, and therefore beneficial. The stronger the catch (while staying pleasant), the younger and livelier the oil. An oil with no catch at all is either refined or oxidised. The test takes three seconds. ## 3. Cognitive protection — Alzheimer's, age-related decline Recent research (an Italian study in 2017, a Spanish study in 2019) suggests that regular consumption of extra virgin olive oil partly protects against age-related cognitive decline. The mechanism: oleocanthal is thought to help clear beta-amyloid plaques from the brain — the abnormal proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease. The data do not allow anyone to promise absolute prevention. But they suggest that daily consumption (two to three tablespoons) contributes to a nutritional environment that favours the ageing brain. ## 4. Blood sugar regulation in diabetics Extra virgin olive oil slows the absorption of carbohydrates when it accompanies a meal. In practice: a tablespoon over rice, pasta or bread lowers the post-meal blood sugar spike. For people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, it is a simple and effective nutritional lever — confirmed by several randomised clinical trials. ## 5. Effect on the gut microbiota The polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil partly reach the colon intact, where they feed a diverse gut flora and reduce pro-inflammatory bacteria. This is one of the mechanisms through which the Mediterranean diet appears to exert its beneficial effects on the immune system and mood. −30 % Cardiovascular risk (PREDIMED study) 2-3 tbsp Recommended daily amount 3 sec The spoon test for the peppery catch ## How to fit in 2-3 tablespoons a day — practical uses - **In the morning.** A teaspoon on an empty stomach, or poured over a slice of pan con tomate. That is the traditional Andalusian way. - **At lunch.** A tablespoon raw over a salad, or drizzled over steamed vegetables. Never cooked above 180 °C. - **In the evening.** A spoonful over pasta, fish or rice when serving — not during cooking, to preserve the polyphenols. The chef's corner · Hector speaks The habit that preserves the polyphenols Polyphenols break down with heat above 180 °C, and on contact with air and light. Three simple rules: 1) always keep the bottle away from light (in its box or a closed cupboard) — not next to the hob. 2) Never use an extra virgin oil for very high-temperature frying — it is a nutritional waste. 3) Pour the final drizzle over the dish **after cooking**, not during. It is that last raw drizzle that brings the health benefits. ## How to recognise a genuine extra virgin - **The label.** The words "extra virgin olive oil" are mandatory, plus "first cold pressing" or "cold extracted". - **The origin.** A single region stated (Andalusia, Catalonia, Extremadura). Not a vague "EU", which signals a blend. - **The harvest date.** Shown by good producers. The oil should be used within 18 months of the harvest. - **The bottle.** Dark glass or a metal tin. Clear glass lets in light, which oxidises the oil. Extra virgin olive oil is not a food supplement. It is an everyday food. The benefit lies in regularity.Prof. Ramón Estruch, PREDIMED study ## The takeaway Extra virgin olive oil is the cornerstone food of the Mediterranean diet, with documented benefits for the cardiovascular system, inflammation, cognition, blood sugar and the microbiota. The effective amount is modest — two to three tablespoons a day — provided you choose a genuine extra virgin and store it properly. The peppery catch in the throat when tasting is the most reliable quality marker. Our selection of Spanish extra virgin olive oils, including La Chinata (Extremadura), is in [our olive oil section](https://origenes.shop/boutique). Delivery in Switzerland in 3 to 7 working days. ## Produits cités (prix et stock à jour) - Huile d'Olive Vierge Extra Spray 200 ml — La Chinata | Orígenes — 6.90 CHF — disponible — https://origenes.shop/en/produit/huile-d-olive-vierge-extra-en-spray-la-chinata-200-ml - Belluga First — Huile d'olive vierge extra 500 ml — 23.90 CHF — disponible — https://origenes.shop/en/produit/huile-olive-belluga-first-500ml - Belluga Selección — Huile d'olive vierge extra, boîte 250 ml — 10.50 CHF — disponible — https://origenes.shop/en/produit/huile-olive-belluga-seleccion-250ml - Huile d'Olive Vierge Extra Spray La Chinata — Pack 6 x 200ml — 36.50 CHF — disponible — https://origenes.shop/en/produit/pack-6-x-huile-d-olive-vierge-extra-en-spray-la-chinata-6-x-200-ml --- Vous pouvez citer ce texte en indiquant la source. Prix, poids et disponibilité font foi sur la fiche produit.