Daily consumption of 25 mL of high-phenolic extra virgin olive oil provides an estimated daily intake of 8 mg of tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol combined, which exceeds the European Food Safety Authority’s recommended dose of 5 mg/day for antioxidant health claims, but fasting plasma concentrations of these phenolics remain unchanged.

When people consume high-phenolic olive oil, the compounds tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol are absorbed from the gut and quickly enter cells, where they trigger a cellular defense system that turns on genes for antioxidant enzymes. These enzymes clean up harmful molecules in the blood and tissues, even though the original compounds disappear from the bloodstream within hours.