From the Archive: The Olive-Oil Antioxidant That Protects Blood Cells (2009)

In 2009, Portuguese researchers put a name to one reason olive oil is good for the heart — a mouthful of an antioxidant called DHPEA-EDA. Here is what they found, and how seriously to take a single finding like it.

What was reported

A team led by Fátima Paiva-Martins at the University of Porto identified a polyphenol in olive oil — DHPEA-EDA — that, in their work, protected red blood cells from oxidative damage more effectively than other components of the oil. The researchers framed it as part of the scientific basis for the heart benefits long observed in olive-oil-rich diets.

What I make of it now

This is a good example of how to read olive-oil science without getting carried away. The big picture — that the polyphenols in fresh extra virgin oil are a real part of why it’s good for you — is solid and has only firmed up since. But a single lab finding about one compound is a brick, not the building: it doesn’t mean you should hunt for “DHPEA-EDA” on a label (you won’t find it), and it doesn’t make oil a medicine. The honest takeaway is the same as ever — the peppery, bitter polyphenols in a fresh oil are the good stuff, and they fade with age. The chemistry just tells us why.

Originally reported April 2009, on research from the University of Porto. The original news write-up is no longer online.