Professor Tim Spector and Elizabeth Berger talk high polyphenol olive oil

Professor Tim Spector described polyphenols as "calming defence chemicals", and when asked if the right olive oil could help prevent heart disease, he responded: "Absolutely."

The hour long podcast goes into the background around olive oil, what some of its health benefits are and some of the science around it. They discuss differences in basic olive oils vs higher quality extra virgin polyphenol oils and how much more they can benefit your health.

Tim highlights the fact that in the UK and the US we are clearly not consuming enough olive oil to bring about some of these beneficial effects.

Elizabeth Berger also touches upon the seasonality of olive oil, saying that it's important to consume the oil fresh, from the latest harvest year to maximise the polyphenol dose within the oil, as they can degrade over time. A lot of this degradation happens within the supermarket distribution chain, which means it may not be the most optimal way to get your olive oil. Instead, if you can find a producer to buy from directly, you can cut out this chain and make sure you get your oil as fresh as possible. One such producer is ONSURI.

ONSURI is a family owned single-estate olive oil producer who create high polyphenol olive oil and sell directly to consumers through their website. The best way to try their oil is via their Bestseller Trio Pack, this way you can try all of their oils and see which you like best—their 'Spicy' Arbosana oil contains 584 mg/Kg worth of polyphenols, over double the health claim requirement set by the EU which is 250 mg/Kg. There is also their 'Fruity' oil which is slightly lower polyphenol and therefore more mellow and less peppery. The final tin in the pack is the 'Signature', which is a blend of the other two, providing a well-balanced middle ground.

Use code 'HIGHPOLYPHENOL' for 10% off the price of this Trio Pack.

Be sure to catch the full podcast on the ZOE YouTube channel here.