Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) Bio La Estaca "Esencia de montaña" ("Essence of the Mountains") comes from the high mountain region of Jaén, Andalusia (1025 m above sea level). It boasts the Sierra Mágina Protected Designation of Origin and the European Union's organic certification.

Bio La Estaca's extra virgin olive oil "Esencia de montaña" is cold pressed using only mechanical processes.

We have included this olive oil in our range because of its high polyphenol content of an incredible 774 mg/ kg and very low acidity of 0.15. For more details about La Estaca itself and the production of their olive oil, see the BRAND tab above the product description.

In our e-shop, we focus only on quality olive oils from Greece and now Spain - we choose based on polyphenol and acidity levels, olive cultivar/variety, the people behind the production and the selling price.

We are proud that all our oils are high in polyphenols and come from the best mono-cultivars available in the region.

For your health it means only one thing - their regular consumption will help you to be stronger, more vital, healthier and biologically younger. The famous Mediterranean lifestyle is within your reach in our country.

What are the characteristics of the Picual variety?

EVOO from the Picual variety has a distinctive character. It is EVOO fruity, fragrant, with positive attributes of bitter and spicy, which mellows with time. The fig tree and fresh wood stand out as attributes of this variety. The content of vitamin E (tocopherol) and polyphenols (antioxidants) is high.

Thanks to its excellent acidic composition and the content of natural antioxidants (polyphenols, tocopherols), the Picual EVOO variety has a very high stability and beneficial effects on our health.

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Composition of olive oil

EVOO consists of approximately 98% fatty acids, of which 68-81% are monounsaturated fatty acids. In the remaining 2% of EVOO we find volatile and aromatic microelements such as phenols and polyphenols (antioxidants) and oleocanthal (anti-inflammatory), which give EVOO its unique properties as a vegetable fat.

How to recognize a quality EVOO?

EVOO contains sensory properties that reproduce the aromas and flavours of the fruit from which it comes. It is the juice of olives harvested at the optimal moment of ripeness, healthy and properly processed. It contains all important nutritional elements and therefore shows no changes in physico-chemical or sensory parameters.

EVOO with P.O.D. (Protected Designation of Origin) certification guarantees the origin and quality of the product we consume.

What does the acidity of olive oil tell us?

Acidity can reveal the quality of the olive oil we will consume.

It is a parameter that measures the quality of the fruit and its processing. The higher the acidity, the lower the quality of the fruit.

- Extra virgin olive oils have an acidity of less than or equal to 0.8 degrees.

- Virgin olive oils have an acidity of less than or equal to 2 degrees.

- Refined oils have an acidity of more than 2 degrees.

What does the bitterness and the so-called scratching in the throat of EVOO tell us?

Bitterness and scraping are characteristics of extra virgin olive oil that are mainly due to the olive variety. The bitterness may indicate antioxidant (phenolic) content and the scratching may be due to oleocanthal (an anti-inflammatory).

Scientists at the US Monell Chemical Senses Centre (Philadelphia) found a substance in olive oil that acts as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent. It is an oleocanthal found in large quantities in fresh olives that inhibits the activity of inflammation-causing enzymes in the same way as Ibuprofen and some other anti-inflammatory drugs.

50 g of extra virgin olive oil has the effect of one tenth of a dose of Ibuprofen. (Inflammation contributes greatly to the development of heart disease and cancer). Although the effect of olive oil is not so strong as to cure, it helps to explain the beneficial health effects of the Mediterranean diet. Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4204076.stm

What is CAAE and what does it certify?

CAAE is the Andalusian Committee for Organic Agriculture. It is an international organic certification body with a global focus on a greener world.

All crops and facilities are certified for European organic production by the Andalusian Committee for Organic Agriculture (CAAE).

The cultivation of olive trees under CAAE control and organic certification cannot use herbicides, pesticides or chemical treatments that damage the natural environment. All fertilisers used are organic, such as manure or chopped branches. The result is a very balanced and fertile soil that keeps the trees free of disease and pests.

What is "origin marking"?

Products with a protected designation of origin (P.D.O.) are those whose quality or characteristics are determined by the geographical environment with its natural and human factors and whose production, processing and preparation are always carried out in the defined geographical area from which their name derives.

The P.D.O. label guarantees the consumer the origin and quality of the product.

Designation D.O. Sierra Mágina includes olive groves covering 61 000 hectares in the Sierra Mágina region and is the largest designation of origin registered in the European Union.

As in the rest of Jaén province, the Picual variety is absolutely predominant here. Most of them are traditional olive groves on slopes with an average slope of between 10-15%.

Health benefits of EVOO consumption according to the EU

Extra virgin olive oil is known not only for its organoleptic properties. In addition, they also highlight the numerous health benefits for those who consume it. In the case of BIO extra virgin olive oil, all these benefits are enhanced by its careful preparation without chemical additives and the immense properties of its ingredients.

As a result, organic extra virgin olive oil becomes an organic and healthy product that is highly recommended for all its health benefits. These include:

• Prevention of cardiovascular disease and cholesterol. EVOO is rich in phenolic compounds that increase the level of HDL (also called good cholesterol) in the body.
• It fights hypertension, through lowering blood pressure.
• Reduces the risk of developing type II diabetes.
• Strengthens the immune system.
• It reduces the risk of breast and colon cancer due to its anti-cancer effects.
• It protects the brain from cognitive decline, preserves memory and prevents Alzheimer's disease.
• It strengthens bones and prevents loss of bone density and consequently osteoporosis.
• It improves the function of the digestive tract and promotes intestinal transit, thereby combating constipation.
• Moisturizes and tones the skin. It protects the skin, cuticle and hair, preventing their premature aging.
• Anti-inflammatory.
• It helps with weight loss because it is the healthiest fat in the Mediterranean diet.

Olive oil: A gift from the gods

Olive oil was considered a "gift of the gods" by the ancient Greeks (1st century BC) and, thanks to modern studies, there is no doubt that Homer (8th century BC) was not wrong when he considered it "liquid gold" and Hippocrates (the father of medicine, 4th century BC) as a "great healer".