One of the highest polyphenol olive oils, Olio Piro. from Tuscany, has garnered over 20 awards, including the 2021 Flos Olei best in the category of blended, medium-fruity, extra virgin olive oil. The olives are hand-picked to prevent bruising and are crushed the day they’re harvested, keeping the nutrients intact. While most supermarket brands contain anywhere from 20 milligrams to 100 mg of polyphenols per kilogram, Olio Piro tops out at 700 mg.
Olio Piro producer Romain Piro, his wife Livia, and their two children consume about 50 liters of extra virgin oil each year.
Exactly how our bodies metabolize polyphenols and how polyphenols interact with other plant nutrients is still being studied. But if the Piros are any indication, all those polyphenols are doing something right. The family is the picture of glowing good health — the best ad for their product.
By Ellen Kanner, March 2022