What Is The Difference Between Medical-Grade Olive Oil And Regular Olive Oil?
Why you should be buying medical grade extra virgin olive oil if you want to gain the health benefits associated with olive oil.
What Is The Difference Between Medical-Grade Olive Oil And Regular Olive Oil?
Medical-grade olive oil has a very different polyphenol content, purpose, and processing standard than your average olive oil and is crafted with the intent of delivering functional health benefits — not just flavour. They are also batch is tested to provide certification of their nutrients.
Medical Vs. Regular Olive Oil — Key Differences
Polyphenol Content: Medical-grade oils contain ≥250 mg/kg polyphenols (some exceed 1000+ mg/kg); regular EVOO often has less than 150 mg/kg. However most clinical trials use oils with a polyphenol count above 500mg/kg. This is why at Early Harvest we only list oils over 600g/kg to guarantee the health benefits customers are looking for as an oil will degrade over time and with storage. You can check out our latest oil selection here
Purpose: Medical oils are formulated for anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and therapeutic effects — not culinary use alone.
Testing: Every batch is third-party lab tested for polyphenol concentration and oxidative stability.
Harvest & Extraction: Medical-grade oil is produced from early-harvest olives and cold-pressed under strict temperature control to preserve actives.
Bioactivity: These oils are used in functional nutrition protocols, often under professional guidance.
What Research Tells Us
High-polyphenol olive oil shows measurable benefits in lowering inflammation, improving cardiovascular markers, and supporting cognitive function.
Standard EVOO varies widely in phenolic content and may lose potency during storage or heat exposure.
Therapeutic-grade olive oils are often used in clinical studies on hypertension, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s prevention.
Not all polyphenols are equal. It's important to look at an oils levels of oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol and oleocanthal. These are the polyphenols responsible for the majoirty of an olive oils health benefits. A list of oils with high levels of these polyphenols can be found here.
More than just culinary, medical-grade olive oil is now recognised as a legitimate part of food-as-medicine approaches, especially in Mediterranean and functional nutrition protocols.
Summary: From Kitchen Olive Oil To Functional Medicine
Regular olive oil supports creating tasty meals, but medical-grade olive oil takes is about health. With significantly higher concentrations of healing compounds, medical oils offer a true functional food approach to inflammation, brain health, and chronic disease prevention.
Top 5 Medical Grade High Polyphenol Olive Oils Available in the UK
Pamako - Organic EVOO
Highest polyphenol count cold pressed extra virgin olive oil available in the UK from crete.
Ultra High Polyphenol Count: 2,000 mg/kg
Low Acidity: 0.2%
Olive type: Tsounati
Early Harvest: October 2025
Price: £25.00 for 250ml or £44.00 for 500ml
SP360- EVOO from Jordan
This cold pressed extra virgin olive oil has been created to ensure maximum nutrient preservation. Comes in a bottle or refill pouch for the sustainability conscious.
Early Harvest: November 2025.
Ultra High Polyphenol Count: 1,711mg/kg
Origin: Jordan
Acidity: 0.17%
Minimal Peroxide: <9.1eq/kq%
Price: £42.00 for a 500ml bottle. Free shipping.
Onsuri - Arbequina
A bold and vibrant Arbequina olive oil with green almond, tomato leaf, and dried herb notes.
Early Harvest: October 2025
Ultra High Polyphenol Count: 1,504 mg/kg
Origin: Jordan
Acidity: 0.19%
Price: £25.00 for a 500ml
Green Machine - Organic Italian EVOO
A premium Italian extra virgin olive oil made with Coratina olives known for their bold and intense flavour.
Early Harvest: October 2025
Ultra High Polyphenol Count: 1,378 mg/kg
Origin: Puglia, Italy
Acidity: 0.22%
Price: £22 for a 500ml
November - Organic Greek EVOO
This organic cold pressed olive oil is grown in the sun-drenched groves of Crete. It has an amazing lab certified high polyphenol count of 1073mg/kg and received great customer reviews.
Early Harvest: November 2025
Variety: Koroneiki
High Polyphenol Count: 1,224 mg/kg
Origin: Greece/Crete.
Acidity: 0.16%
Price: £26.90 for 500ml bottle
