Olives and Oleuropein

What is oleuropein and what does it have to do with olives? I’m glad you asked. Oleuropein is a phenol that causes olives to taste bitter. The bitter taste is a defense mechanism to discourage animals from eating the plants. There are however methods that can be used to eliminate this element, if not completely, enough so that they are edible. Without going to much into specifics about its benefits, it is good to note that Oleuropein is an antioxidant. Some of its benefits is that it helps to fight off free radicals in the body. In order to get rid of this phenol, it is necessary to complete a process called olive curing. In my research I have discovered numerous ways to cure olives. Here is a succinct list of six: (1) Dry-Cured Olives; (2)Brine-Cured Olives; (3)Lye-Cured Olives; (4)Fresh-Water Cured Olives; (5)Oil-Curing; and (6) Sun Curing. Below is a diagram of the phenol oleuropein. What it is showing are the different chemical bonds that combine to become oleuropein.


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