The Nutrient Key: How Extra Virgin Olive Oil Unlocks What You Eat
Extra virgin olive oil isn't just good for you on its own; it makes the rest of your food better for you, too.
Certain vitamins and plant compounds found in everyday foods can't be absorbed by the body without the presence of dietary fat. Without it, they pass through your digestive system largely unused. Add a quality extra virgin olive oil, and those same nutrients become bioavailable, meaning your body can actually receive and use them. This is one of the core principles of the Mediterranean Diet.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins: A, D, E, and K
Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble, which means they dissolve in fat (not water) and require dietary fat to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Research shows that monounsaturated fat, the kind dominant in extra virgin olive oil, is particularly effective: one study found it outperforms polyunsaturated fats like corn or soybean oil specifically for vitamin D absorption.
In practical terms, the vitamin K in your kale, the vitamin A in your carrots, and the vitamin D in your eggs all become more bioavailable when paired with a good olive oil.
The Tomato Effect
Lycopene, the antioxidant compound in tomatoes associated with reduced risk of certain cancers and heart disease, is fat-soluble too. A peer-reviewed study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that cooking tomatoes with extra virgin olive oil produced an 82% increase in plasma lycopene absorption compared to cooking without it. A separate study found that olive oil (unlike sunflower oil) also raised overall plasma antioxidant activity, meaning the combination produces broader anti-inflammatory effects beyond lycopene alone.
This is why tomatoes and olive oil became a cornerstone of Mediterranean cooking. The tradition and the biology aligned.
Why Quality Matters
Not all olive oil performs the same. The polyphenols responsible for much of EVOO's anti-inflammatory activity are only present in meaningful quantities in fresh, properly handled extra virgin olive oil. Refined oils and many supermarket "extra virgin" products have had these compounds stripped out through heat, age, or blending.
Bramasole's Fall 2025 harvest measured a polyphenol level of 580 mg/kg (well above the commercial average of 100–250 mg/kg) and an acidity of 0.23%, against the 0.8% legal maximum for EVOO classification.
How Much to Use
Three tablespoons a day is the Tuscan default, and it aligns with what clinical research points to as the threshold for meaningful benefit. Two tablespoons per person per day is the commonly referenced Mediterranean Diet standard. Iowa State University research found the relationship between oil and nutrient absorption is dose-responsive: more oil means more absorption across multiple fat-soluble vitamins and carotenoids.
So, in other words: Don't drizzle. Douse!
Sources: British Journal of Nutrition (Fielding et al., 2005, PubMed ID 15927929); Free Radical Biology and Medicine (2000, PubMed ID 11084294); Iowa State University News Service; Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials; ScienceInsights (March 2026).