updated May 2022
Here’s Why People are Adding Extra-Virgin Olive Oil to Their Pandemic Diets
Few people saw COVID-19 coming, and the pandemic took most of us by surprise – shattering the very fabric of life as we (thought) we knew it.
Millions of people worldwide have lost their lives at the hands of this novel virus, many of whom suffered from comorbidities or followed poor diets during their lifetimes before succumbing to the devastating infection.
While the coronavirus affects everyone in different ways, the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) have urged world citizens to follow a regular exercise routine and eat as healthily as possible to help the body cope better with potential symptoms should COVID infection occur.
Among the long list of healthy foods recommended by these organizations during COVID-19 is olive oil – which is an unsaturated fat as opposed to its saturated counterpart that you might find in things like meat, cheese, butter, lard, and ghee.
While we’ve all heard that olive oil is good for you, it’s not something you should just walk into the store and buy.
Countless studies highlight time and time again the importance of buying Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) that is naturally high in polyphenols.
These compounds are what could, according to new evidence, help control the adverse effects of COVID-19 in the body.
So, without further ado, let’s dive right in.
In a nutshell, EVOO – a staple in the Mediterranean diet – has low cytokine levels.
Keeping your cytokine levels in check could be a saving grace in the fight against COVID-19 by potentially reducing the severity of your illness and its related symptoms.
Cytokines play a key role in immune system support, but too many cytokines can cause what experts name a “cytokine storm” – otherwise known as hypercytokinemia. This means that the immune system overreacts to any foreign invaders, which can cause much more severe illness or even death in COVID-19 patients.
These cytokine storms have been found to reduce how much oxygen is in the blood while causing fluid to accumulate in the lungs.
This can make breathing a challenge and raise the chances of the patient experiencing even more adverse side effects.
Researchers have found that olive oil consumption could play a role in the prevention of adverse COVID-19 symptoms and even death. It all boils down to having healthy immune system, something olive oil has been treasured for contributing to for centuries.
High-phenolic olive oil is also high in something called oleuropein, which Ahmad Alkhatib – researcher at the Teeside University Center for Public Health – hails for its potential to encourage antiviral activity in the body.
This has already been explored in the respiratory syncytial virus, a common infection that affects the upper respiratory tract, and researchers like Ahmad have high hopes for high-phenolic olive oils in the fight against COVID-19 too.
A recent study done by world-renowned researchers like Debabrata Majumder, Mousumi Debnath, Kamal Nayan Sharma, and more has found that Mediterranean diets could be connected to a greater prevention for degenerative diseases.
This is partly due to this type of diet’s richness in high-phenolic olive oil, an ingredient that contains highly antioxidizing and anti-inflammatory compounds like oleanolic acid, oleuropein, and oleocanthal.
According to this study, various bioactive compounds like those mentioned above provide a cardioprotective measure, which studies in silico have linked to the phytochemicals that can be found in high phenolic olive oil.
Because of these bioactive compounds, and their effect on the human body, medicinal grade olive oil can be considered a tool that can help protect us against SARS CoV-2 thanks to the phytochemical composition of this type of oil.
While there have been countless studies done on the effects of polyphenols, oleanolic acid, and other bioactive compounds in olive oil, there is still incredible interest in how extra virgin olive oil can play a role in preventing and even treating COVID-19.
This study also states that the way that oleuropein and COVID-19 can be connected depends on how the olive oil is processed. If it can be processed in a way that maintains its polyphenolic constituents, it could provide a greater protection against things like non-communicable diseases and COVID-19.
Part of the reason why ingredients found in high phenolic olive oils / HP EVOOs, like those available at HYPERELEON, appear to be so effective in treating disease, inflammation, and cell oxidization, is the fact that many of these ingredients are met exclusively in admirably high concentrations within olive oil's phenolic cluster.
This is already well-known for the pronounced effects on the human body.
According to recent in silico, in vitro and computational studies being conducted all over the world, certain phenolic compounds can be considered anti-SARS-CoV-2 metabolites.
Some of these phenolic compounds include oleuropein, oleanolic acid, oleocanthal, hydroxy tyrosyl, verbascoside, and luteolin-7-glucoside. These phenolic compounds, in other words, can be used to increase the effectiveness of COVID-19 treatment, and the treatment of other serious cardiovascular, pulmonary, and metabolic diseases.
Olive leaf extract, which is rich in each of these phenolic compounds and more, has been hailed for its analgesic, immunomodulatory, and antipyretic properties. Because of its anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic activities, olive leaf extract is a great candidate for combatting respiratory illnesses like those associated with COVID-19.
A great example of this is presented by a study done at the Fayoum University Hospital in Egypt. In this placebo-controlled clinical trial, patients were randomly assigned to taking olive leaf capsules that each contained 50% oleuropein for 10 days.
This group was complemented by a control group that took placebos. Some of the outcomes that were expected and measured were symptom alleviation, improvement of CBC, CRP, ESR and AST analyses, and a 30-day mortality in a specific population.
What this study showed, in simpler terms, is olive leaf extract’s ability to reduce and minimize the effects of SARS-CoV-2 and the mortality rate of patients over the age of 65.
This is in line with results of a medical study that considered the effects of a Mediterranean diet on those suffering from COVID-19.
This study found that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and specifically high phenolic olive oil, was effective in reducing the time spent in hospital or on ventilators in patients over the age of 60. To measure the effects and long-term complications of COVID-19 on these various patients, further studies are being conducted.
We touched on EVOO’s unsaturated nature earlier, but to go into a little more detail, EVOO – especially in its most phenolic-packed form – contains monounsaturated fatty acids.
Accompanied by certain other polyphenols like oleuropein and Hydroxytyrosol, these have shown anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties in studies, which could also present significant antibacterial and antiviral action in patients suffering from COVID-19.
Did you know that, in the EU, high-polyphenol olive oil is entitled to bear the Health Claim that the polyphenols found within the oil contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress?
It’s a bold claim, but that’s the power of high-phenolic EVOO – which is bursting with more than 30 different kinds of phenolic compounds.
We mentioned oleuropein and Hydroxytyrosol, but these are just two of dozens more, all of which may strengthen the immune system to act favorably should you ever contract COVID-19.
It’s important to note that high-phenolic olive oil also contributes to heart health – while reducing blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, and stabilizing blood sugar. This is crucial seeing as many patients who have suffered from severe COVID-19 infections had high cardiovascular risk factors like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.
Olive oil – especially its high-phenolic EVOO kind – works hard to protect consumers against these very illnesses by protecting your heart and overall cardiovascular health.
In turn you’ll have a natural defense against COVID-19 among other viruses, seeing as ongoing evidence supports the idea that COVID-19 symptoms can be worse in people with compromised heart health.
Integrating high-phenolic EVOO into your diet is a smart way to strengthen your immune system while boosting your heart health and, in turn, skyrocketing your chance at beating the coronavirus should you end up contracting it.
When choosing the best olive oil to add to your diet in an effort to reduce the potential adverse effects of COVID-19, there are four key phrases one must look out for: Cold-pressed, unfiltered, chemical-free, and not subjected to heat.
The process of cold-pressing is a traditional one that was originally used thousands of years ago before the emergence of heat-processing technology.
Historically, granite stones and hydraulic mat presses were used to cold-extract oil from olives in an effort to retain their antioxidants and pure, natural ingredients.
While we’ve certainly come a long way since using rocks to get this priceless oil out of olives, we’ve found a way to combine history’s lessons with newfound methods to preserve the integrity of EVOO.
The highest quality EVOOs on the market are bursting with natural, intrinsic polyphenols that are preserved through a cold-pressing procedure that eliminates the need for damaging heat processing.
Heat processing can render these powerful polyphenols useless, meaning you won’t be able to leverage any of their innate benefits to your wellbeing.
Seeing as the compounds found in EVOO are highly bioavailable, this means that they can easily enter the body’s circulation and deliver an active effect.
When you consume high-phenolic olive oil, you are consuming compounds with potent antibacterial properties that have been shown to defend the immune system against pathogens. Early in vitro studies highlight this.
In one particular 5-minute room temperature test, both tyrosyl and Hydroxytyrosol found in EVOO were shown to decrease Listeria monocytopenia activity. This bacterium is contracted from food that’s been contaminated.
There is so much more to olive oil than what you see on your local store’s shelves.
Olive oils are assigned varying grades depending on their standards, and there are striking differences between most regular store-bought olive oils and their medicinal-grade counterpart – the latter of which is made mechanically without relying on excessive heat, chemicals, or filtering.
Look for Organic, Early Harvested, Cold-pressed, High-Phenolic, Unfiltered, Extra Virgin and Top Quality EVOO, as the distinct typical characteristics.
Extra virgin medicinal-grade olive oil is hailed in countless research studies for its richness in healthy monounsaturated fats, high numbers of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, heart protection, and even stroke prevention.
Hypereleon is one of the world’s leading EVOO brands, specializing specifically in producing one of the most globally recognized and consecutively top-awarded High Phenolic Olive Oils. Hypereleon products are extremely rich in natural polyphenols among other precious beneficial compounds.
Already recognized and awarded among the World's Best Healthy EVOOs, and a world champion regarding total phenolic content, Hypereleon has further been scientifically certified for its wellbeing-boosting composition.
Consumed by thousands of healthy families worldwide, Hypereleon is produced in a world-class facility that adheres to meticulous cold-pressing processes free from unnecessary heating procedures.
The result is a 100% Pure & Natural, organic, early harvested, chemical-free, and unfiltered range of high-phenolic EVOO with intrinsic wellness-supporting properties.
Seeing as Hypereleon’s range of supremely high-phenolic EVOOs are not subjected to heating processes or filtering, the integrity of the intrinsic phenolic compounds is preserved perfectly. The result is a pure, unadulterated bottle of 100% natural antioxidants with powerful anti-inflammatory and antiviral potential.
Hypereleon is a world-leading EVOO brand, as:
G-TEAM, the producer of HYPERELEON’s product family, specializes in producing some of the highest-quality high phenolic olive oils in the world.
By creating medicinal grade olive oil like HYPERELEON, ensures that increasing your daily polyphenolic intake is easier and safer than ever.
HYPERELEON values transparency, which is why we provide our customers with a clear way to determine how much olive oil they need to consume and how often they need to consume it.
We strive to keep our customers educated, especially when it comes to incredibly pressing questions like how oleuropein prevents COVID-19, how oleanolic acid could increase our health and wellbeing, and how oleocanthal fights coronavirus as well as other serious illnesses and diseases.
New studies measure the concentration of polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil through a methodology called nuclear magnetic resonance, or NMR for short.
So, while this new and innovative technology might in the future increase its availability (through more independent international labs) and provide more accurate, standardized, and comprehensive insight into the concentration of polyphenols in olive oils, we still rely on intensive research and testing to ensure that our clients receive the very best quality products.
If you’d like to learn more about why HYPERELEON is the ideal choice for those curious about the connections between Oleuropein and COVID-19, please reach out to our team today and allow us to answer any of your questions as simply and accurately as we possibly can.
More and more people are being diagnosed with the coronavirus every day.
As we write this, more than 4,07 million people have died at the hands of the pandemic, out of almost 190 million registered cases worldwide (and counting).
While we still have a long way to go before, we’re in the clear, we can – to a certain extent – take our wellbeing into our own hands.
We strongly advise people to follow the WHO’s recommendations to get enough exercise and follow a healthy Mediterranean diet, making sure to include Extra Virgin Medicinal-Grade Olive Oil in your daily diet, sourced from an award-winning, internationally renowned company like G-TEAM.