What are polyphenols and why do they matter?

Polyphenols are the antioxidant compounds in real olive oil responsible for its bitterness and pepper. They help protect blood lipids from oxidative stress, an effect authorised by the European Food Safety Authority, and are a major reason the Mediterranean diet supports heart and brain health.

How much polyphenol does WOW Longevity olive oil contain?

WOW Longevity delivers 190 mg of polyphenols per 15 ml serving, far above typical supermarket olive oils, which are often largely stripped of them.

How do you take high-polyphenol olive oil?

One 15 ml spoonful a day, taken neat or poured raw over food just before serving. Avoid cooking with it, as heat destroys the polyphenols.

The Journal · Olive Oil, Polyphenols & the Ritual

The Journal

How much olive oil should you take a day?

The research points to a spoonful or two of real, high-polyphenol olive oil a day. Here is where that number comes from, and why the dose only counts if the oil still has its polyphenols.

The ritual · 5 min read · 2026-07-14

Can you cook with extra virgin olive oil?

Yes, it is safer to cook with than most people think. But with a high-polyphenol oil, cooking quietly destroys the very thing you paid for.

The kitchen · 5 min read · 2026-07-13

Extra virgin vs refined: what the label does not tell you

"Extra virgin" is a legal grade, not a promise of quality. Two bottles can carry the same words and differ tenfold in the compounds that matter.

The kitchen · 6 min read · 2026-07-12

How to store olive oil so it does not quietly die

Light, heat, air and time are the four thieves. Store a good oil badly and within weeks you own an expensive bottle of ordinary fat.

The kitchen · 4 min read · 2026-07-11

Polyphenols: the whole point of olive oil

Not all olive oil is equal. The compounds that make it worth eating are the polyphenols, and most oils have almost none. Here is what they actually do in your body.

The science · 5 min read · 2026-07-10

What the PREDIMED trial actually found

The largest dietary trial of its kind put extra virgin olive oil to the test against a low-fat diet. The result was strong enough to stop the study early.

The science · 5 min read · 2026-07-09

The one-spoonful morning ritual

The simplest habit for a longer life is not a supplement stack. It is a spoonful of real olive oil, taken the way the Mediterranean has for six thousand years.

The ritual · 4 min read · 2026-07-08

Oleocanthal: the olive compound that works like ibuprofen

That peppery sting in fresh olive oil is a single compound. In 2005, researchers found it acts on the same anti-inflammatory pathway as ibuprofen.

The science · 4 min read · 2026-07-06

How to actually use high-polyphenol olive oil

A great oil rewards a few simple habits and is wasted by a few common ones. Here is how to get every milligram of polyphenol onto your plate.

The kitchen · 4 min read · 2026-07-03

What the longest-lived people actually eat

From Ikaria to Sardinia, the world’s blue zones share a short list of habits. Real olive oil, poured daily and raw, sits near the top of it.

Longevity · 5 min read · 2026-07-01