When choosing olive oil, we often focus on colour, aroma, and flavour. But what truly makes a difference for our health lies deeper — in polyphenols, natural antioxidants that transform olive oil from an ordinary ingredient into a functional food.
Polyphenols are a group of bioactive compounds naturally found in the olive fruit. They act as powerful antioxidants — protecting our cells from oxidative stress, which is linked to numerous chronic diseases, from cardiovascular problems to premature ageing.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has confirmed that olive oil containing at least 250 mg/kg of polyphenols contributes to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress. This is not a marketing claim — it is a scientifically substantiated health benefit.
When we planted our first olive trees in Bale more than twenty years ago, this was precisely our goal: to produce an oil that surpasses the 250 mg/kg polyphenol threshold. Today, we exceed that benchmark many times over. Every bottle of Kristofola oil is not just the taste of Istria — it is a drop of health.
The key lies in the entire process: we hand-pick our olives of the Buža variety at the optimal moment of ripeness and process them within six hours using state-of-the-art cold extraction technology. It is precisely this speed and gentle processing that preserves the polyphenols that heat and time irreversibly break down.
Research shows that polyphenols from extra virgin olive oil can help reduce inflammation in the body, protect heart and cardiovascular health, support the immune system, and maintain skin health while slowing the ageing process. Most importantly — just two tablespoons of high-quality extra virgin olive oil per day are enough to reap these benefits.
Start your morning with a tablespoon of olive oil on an empty stomach, or add it to a fresh salad, grilled fish, or artisan bread. Polyphenols are sensitive to heat, so use the oil raw or add it at the very end of cooking — that way you preserve all the goodness our oil has to offer.
www.kristofola.com
