Oleocanthal and TRPA1 | The Most Important Answers First

What is oleocanthal?

Oleocanthal is one of the most well-known phenolic compounds in extra virgin olive oils.

Chemically, it is classified as a monophenolic secoiridoid.

For everyday use, the full chemical name is less important than two fundamental points.

• Oleocanthal can be present in extra virgin olive oil.
• Oleocanthal is closely linked to a characteristic peppery throat sensation.

How much oleocanthal a specific olive oil contains can vary greatly.

The influencing factors include, among others:

• Olive variety
• Degree of ripeness
• Harvest time
• Location
• Weather
• Processing
• Storage
• Time since production

A quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance study with 175 monovarietal olive oil samples already showed significant differences between the oils and olive varieties examined.

A correlation between early harvest and higher concentrations of oleocanthal and oleacein was also observed in this study.

However, this does not mean that every early harvest automatically reaches a certain oleocanthal value.

An oleocanthal value always applies to the specifically tested sample.

Not to a product name or logo for all time.

TRPA1 | The receptor behind the characteristic throat sensation

TRPA1 stands for:

Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin 1.

TRPA1 is a sensory ion channel.

It is located in sensory nerve cells and can react to various chemical stimuli.

When TRPA1 is activated, sensations can arise that people describe, for example, as:

• peppery
• stinging
• irritating
• tingling
• burning
• or pungent

being.

The key oleocanthal study from 2011 showed a selective activation of the human TRPA1 channel by oleocanthal in cell experiments.

In addition, the mechanism was examined in animal models.

The human sensory studies were particularly interesting.

They showed a correlation between:

• the areas where oleocanthal was particularly irritating
• and the areas where TRPA1 was detected in the tissues examined

Therefore, the strong throat perception of oleocanthal is not a random effect.

It has a traceable sensory foundation.

Why do you feel oleocanthal especially in the throat?

Many pungent or irritating substances are perceived relatively broadly in the mouth.

Oleocanthal, on the other hand, has an unusual spatial perception pattern.

The characteristic irritation is often described as particularly clear in the back of the mouth and the throat.

It was precisely this peculiarity that made oleocanthal so scientifically interesting.

The study published in 2011 linked:

• human sensory trials
• examinations of TRPA1 in human tissue
• cell experiments
• and animal models

with each other.

The result supports a concrete mechanism:

Oleocanthal activates TRPA1 and the anatomical distribution of this receptor contributes to the special throat sensation.

That is a strong scientific result.

Nevertheless, it does not mean that everyone must perceive the same intensity.

Chemesthesis | Why pungency is not just taste

In everyday life, we often say:

This tastes spicy.

Sensorially, this is only partially precise.

Classic taste qualities are, for example:

• sweet
• sour
• salty
• bitter
• umami

A peppery, burning, or stinging sensation, on the other hand, arises more strongly through chemical irritation of sensory nerves.

For this, the term:

Chemesthesis

is used.

Chemesthetic perceptions include, for example:

• Burning
• Tingling
• Stinging
• Cooling
• Pungency

With olive oil, this distinction helps tremendously.

Bitterness and peppery pungency are two different sensory dimensions.

Bitterness and Pungency | The International Olive Council separates both

Professional olive oil sensory analysis also clearly distinguishes between bitterness and pungency.

The International Olive Council describes:

Bitterness

as the characteristic primary taste of oils from green or turning olives.

Pungency

is described as a biting tactile sensation.

It is particularly characteristic of olive oils from early harvest phases and predominantly still unripe olives.

It can occur throughout the mouth and is perceived especially in the throat.

The International Olive Council lists:

• Fruitiness
• Bitterness
• Pungency

as positive attributes of extra virgin olive oils.

Thus, in professional sensory analysis, pungency is explicitly something positive.

But positive does not mean:

maximum is automatically better.

How do you recognize good olive oil? | Understanding quality characteristics

Is the scratching in the throat a quality feature?

It can be part of a positive sensory profile.

That is the strong answer.

The equally important clarification is:

Pungency alone does not define the overall quality.

Chemical and sensory requirements apply to the extra virgin olive oil grade.

The central sensory prerequisites include:

• Median of defects equal to 0
• Median of fruitiness greater than 0

There is no prescribed minimum pungency, however.

A mild, fruity, and sensorially flawless extra virgin olive oil can therefore be just as high-quality.

A very pungent olive oil can be sensorially fascinating.

But it does not automatically become the best olive oil solely due to this pungency.

Pungency is a positive attribute.

Quality is the overall picture.

Can I measure oleocanthal by the pungency?

No.

This is one of the most important points of this article.

Research links oleocanthal very clearly to the characteristic throat irritation.

This means:

A pronounced peppery perception can sensorially fit well with an oleocanthal-dominated profile.

But this does not result in a reliable conversion into:

mg per kg.

There is no reputable rule like:

• one cough corresponds to a certain amount of oleocanthal
• two coughs correspond to double the value
• strongest pungency automatically means highest laboratory value

The perception is additionally influenced by:

• individual sensitivity
• amount tasted
• temperature
• method of tasting
• overall sensory profile
• other ingredients of the olive oil

Therefore, my simple rule is:

My throat detects a sensation.

The laboratory determines a concentration.

Why two people experience the same olive oil differently

I see this again and again at tastings.

One person says:

Pleasantly peppery.

The next says:

Quite sharp.

And a third starts to cough briefly.

All three are tasting the same olive oil.

The chemical composition of the oil has not changed as a result.

But the perception is individual.

This can be influenced, among other things, by:

• sensory sensitivity
• experience with intense olive oils
• tasting amount
• expectation
• method of swallowing

That is exactly why I take sensory analysis very seriously.

However, I do not confuse it with laboratory analytics.

Sensory analysis provides perception.

Analytics provides measured values.

How is oleocanthal determined in the laboratory?

If we want to know how much oleocanthal is contained in a specific sample, we need analytical procedures.

A well-known method is quantitative proton nuclear magnetic resonance.

It is often abbreviated as:

qNMR.

A study published in 2012 developed a direct quantitative method for oleocanthal and oleacein and used it to examine 175 monovarietal olive oil samples.

Later studies also confirmed that quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance can be used for the determination of oleocanthal.

In addition, chromatographic methods such as HPLC and other modern analytical methods play a role in research.

Important is:

Different methods do not automatically measure exactly the same thing, and results require analytical context.

Therefore, for an analysis value, I want to know:

• which product was tested
• which sample was tested
• which harvest it comes from
• when it was analyzed
• which method was used
• which compound was determined
• in which unit the result is stated

A number only becomes truly meaningful through its context.

Measuring polyphenols | Understanding HPLC, qNMR, and laboratory analytics

Total phenols and oleocanthal | Two different values

This difference is particularly important.

If an analysis report, for example, states a total phenol value, it does not mean:

The entire value consists of oleocanthal.

An extra virgin olive oil can contain different phenolic compounds or derivatives.

Depending on the sample and analytical method, these can include, among others:

• Oleocanthal
• Oleacein
• Tyrosol and derivatives
• Hydroxytyrosol and derivatives
• other phenolic compounds

Therefore, are:

Total phenols

and:

Oleocanthal

not the same analytical information.

This also applies to sensory analysis.

A strong throat sensation does not automatically explain the complete phenol profile of a sample.

Polyphenols in olive oil | Understanding analysis values correctly

Early harvest | Why it is interesting for pungency and oleocanthal

Early harvest can be sensorially very interesting.

The International Olive Council describes positive pungency as particularly characteristic of oils from early harvest phases and predominantly still unripe olives.

Scientific analyses have also found a positive correlation between early harvest time and higher oleocanthal or oleacein concentrations in certain samples studied.

This is a real correlation.

But not a universal guarantee.

Because other factors play a role, including:

• Olive variety
• Location
• Climate
• actual degree of ripeness
• Processing
• Time between harvest and processing
• Storage

Therefore, the following applies:

Early harvest can be an important part of an intense profile.

The specific oleocanthal value must still be measured.

Early harvest olive oil | Understanding early harvest correctly

Why a mild olive oil is not automatically inferior

This point is personally important to me.

Anyone who engages intensively with high-phenolic olive oils can easily fall into a simple ranking.

More bitterness.

More pungency.

More oleocanthal.

More total phenols.

And from this, it quickly follows:

more means better.

That is not how olive oil works for me.

A mild extra virgin olive oil can be:

• sensorially flawless
• fruity
• harmonious
• cleanly processed
• and exactly right for a specific cuisine

be.

Another olive oil can be intensely bitter and peppery.

That, too, can be extraordinary.

These are different sensory profiles.

Mild is not automatically inferior to intense.

Current Green Agora analyses | Three different oleocanthal profiles

At Green Agora, I find the direct comparison of specific analyses particularly interesting.

We currently publish both total phenols and oleocanthal values for several olive oils.

These values are not a general ranking of all olive oils.

They are current product-related analytical specifications.

However, they illustrate very well why oleocanthal and total phenols should be viewed separately.

For Pamako Gold, the following are currently stated:

2081 mg per kg total phenols

and:

1318 mg per kg oleocanthal

are indicated.

The oleocanthal value is therefore a large part of the published analytical profile.

Nevertheless, it is not identical to the total phenol value.

Analytical values always refer to the specific sample examined and can change between harvests or analyses.

Pamako Gold Bio | Tsounati and an extraordinarily intense analytical profile

Pamako Gold Bio is currently offered as 100 percent Tsounati from Selino in Chania on Crete.

The product information states:

• Early harvest
• hand-picked unripe fruits
• Cold extraction below 27 degrees Celsius
• 2081 mg per kg total phenols
• 1318 mg per kg oleocanthal

Analytically, this is an extraordinarily intense profile.

Especially for people who want to consciously get to know powerful, phenolic-defined olive oils, this bottle is therefore very interesting.

But here, too, the following applies:

The laboratory value describes the analyzed sample.

Personal perception only arises when tasting.

Discover Pamako Gold Bio made from Tsounati

Pamako Silver Bio | Tsounati and Koroneiki as a blend

Pamako Silver combines Tsounati and Koroneiki.

The current product information states:

• Early harvest
• hand-picked unripe fruits
• Cold extraction below 27 degrees Celsius
• 1466 mg per kg total phenols
• 758 mg per kg oleocanthal

The comparison with Pamako Gold is particularly interesting.

Not just because of the numbers.

But because we are comparing different product concepts at the same time.

Monovarietal for Gold.

Blend of two olive varieties for Silver.

This turns analytics into a much more interesting sensory question:

How does the overall composition change the experience in the glass?

Discover Pamako Silver Bio

Kouros of Zeus Red | Kalamon with its own character

Kouros of Zeus Red brings another olive variety into the comparison with Kalamon.

The current product information states:

• Early harvest
• Kalamon from Krokes in the Peloponnese
• 835 mg per kg total phenols
• 649 mg per kg oleocanthal
• Sensory pungency of 4.0
• Bitterness of 3.0
• Fruitiness of 4.3

I find this combination particularly exciting.

Here, the laboratory value and the sensory profile stand side by side.

But they are not confused with each other.

The number 649 mg per kg comes from the analysis.

The sensory pungency describes the perception in the evaluated profile.

Both complement each other.

Both are not the same.

Discover Kouros of Zeus Red made from Kalamon

A small Green Agora experiment | Playing with sensory analysis instead of lab work

If you have two or three different olive oils at home, you can carry out a very interesting comparison yourself.

Important:

This is not an oleocanthal analysis.

It is a sensory tasting.

Taste the olive oils one after the other in small amounts.

Note:

• fruitiness
• bitterness
• pungency
• location of the pungency
• duration of perception
• aromatics
• aftertaste
• personal preference

Perhaps the oil with the strongest sensation in the throat is your favorite.

Perhaps not.

Maybe you discover that you find a finer, longer-lasting pungency more interesting than a short, very strong stimulus.

Or you notice that the aromatics of a certain olive variety are more important to you.

Exactly there, a laboratory question becomes personal olive oil knowledge.

How do you taste the peppery sensation in the throat?

You don't need a large amount for this.

Put a little extra virgin olive oil in a clean small glass.

Warm the glass briefly with your hand.

Smell it first.

Pay attention to the fruitiness and aromatics.

Then take a small amount into your mouth.

Observe:

• which aromas appear first
• when bitterness sets in
• when the pungency begins
• where you feel the pungency
• how long it lasts
• how it interacts with fruitiness and bitterness

The interesting question is then no longer just:

Is this olive oil pungent?

But:

How is its pungency structured?

This is much more informative from a sensory perspective.

Oleocanthal and health | Do not confuse research with advertising

Oleocanthal is being intensively studied scientifically.

A major review from 2023 summarizes research on:

• chemistry
• bioavailability
• safety
• cell models
• animal models
• and human studies

summarizes.

The research is interesting.

However, the review also makes it clear that further robust human research is needed for many potential health effects.

For a commercial food website, it is also important that:

Scientific research and permissible health-related claims are two different levels.

Oleocanthal should therefore not be presented simply as:

• medicine
• therapy
• protection against a disease
• or a medical efficacy guarantee

be.

The scientifically strong statement of this article remains the sensory and chemical classification.

The EU claim on olive oil polyphenols | No oleocanthal claim

This distinction is particularly important legally.

In the European Union, there is an authorized health claim regarding olive oil polyphenols.

The conditions of use refer to:

at least 5 mg of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives per 20 g of olive oil.

Additionally, information must be provided that the positive effect is achieved with a daily intake of:

20 g of olive oil

is achieved.

This means:

An oleocanthal value alone does not automatically prove that a specific olive oil meets the conditions of this claim.

Also, a total phenol value alone is not automatically identical to the legally relevant amount of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives.

For a product-related use of the claim, a suitable analysis of the relevant compounds and the other legal requirements are needed.

Sensory pungency is sensory.

Oleocanthal in mg per kg is analytics.

The EU claim is additionally a legal question.

Oleocanthal is not simply natural ibuprofen

Oleocanthal also became known historically because its characteristic throat irritation was reminiscent of the sensation of certain drugs and early research work examined pharmacological mechanisms.

This research is scientifically interesting.

For consumers, however, this should not lead to a false equivalence.

Olive oil is not a medicine.

Oleocanthal is not simply natural ibuprofen.

A similarity in individual experimentally studied mechanisms does not mean that food and medicines have the same effect, dosage, safety, or medical use.

Especially with fascinating molecules, this distinction is important.

The most common misconceptions about oleocanthal and pungency

• The stronger the cough, the more oleocanthal: not quantitatively derivable.
• The most pungent olive oil is automatically the best: no.
• Mild olive oil is inferior: no.
• Bitterness and pungency are the same: no.
• Total phenols are entirely oleocanthal: no.
• Early harvest guarantees a certain oleocanthal value: no.
• An oleocanthal value automatically proves the EU claim: no.
• A strong throat irritation proves a medical effect: no.
• Oleocanthal is simply natural ibuprofen: no.

The common weakness of these simplifications is always the same.

An interesting property is used to explain the entire bottle.

That is exactly what I want to avoid.

Oleocanthal | Frequently asked questions

Why does good olive oil sometimes scratch the throat?

An important cause can be oleocanthal. The compound activates TRPA1 and can trigger a characteristic peppery or irritating sensation, which is particularly noticeable in the throat.

Is throat scratching normal for olive oil?

For certain extra virgin olive oils, a peppery or stinging sensation can be a normal positive sensory attribute.

Is pungency a quality feature?

Pungency is a recognized positive sensory attribute. However, its intensity alone is not enough for a complete quality assessment.

Must high-quality olive oil be pungent?

No. For extra virgin olive oil, there is no prescribed minimum pungency.

Is bitterness the same as oleocanthal pungency?

No. Bitterness is a classic taste perception. The peppery pungency is more of a tactile or chemesthetic perception.

What is TRPA1?

TRPA1 is a sensory ion channel that reacts to certain chemical stimuli. Oleocanthal can activate this channel.

What does chemesthesis mean?

Chemesthesis describes sensations that arise through the chemical activation of sensory nerves. This includes, for example, burning, tingling, and pungency.

Can I measure oleocanthal by coughing?

No. Coughing or throat irritation are not a quantitative laboratory method.

Can pungency give an indication of oleocanthal?

Yes. The characteristic throat irritation is scientifically closely linked to oleocanthal. However, the subjective intensity cannot be reliably translated into mg per kg.

How is oleocanthal measured?

In research, quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance and chromatographic methods, among others, are used. Which method was used should always be taken into account when interpreting an analytical value.

Are total phenols and oleocanthal the same?

No. Oleocanthal is a single compound within a larger phenolic profile.

Does early harvest automatically mean a lot of oleocanthal?

No. Early harvest can be associated with higher concentrations and intense pungency. However, the specific value also depends on the variety, maturity, location, processing, and other factors.

How much oleocanthal does Pamako Gold currently have?

The current Green Agora product information lists 1318 mg per kg of oleocanthal and 2081 mg per kg of total phenols for the analyzed sample.

How much oleocanthal does Pamako Silver currently have?

The current Green Agora product information lists 758 mg per kg of oleocanthal and 1466 mg per kg of total phenols.

How much oleocanthal does Kouros of Zeus Red currently have?

The current product information lists 649 mg per kg of oleocanthal and 835 mg per kg of total phenols.

Does a high oleocanthal value prove the EU claim?

No. The authorized claim regarding olive oil polyphenols has its own analytical conditions and refers to hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives per 20 g of olive oil.

Is oleocanthal natural ibuprofen?

No. Scientific similarities of individual experimentally studied mechanisms should not be understood as equating olive oil or oleocanthal with a medicine.

Understanding oleocanthal more comprehensively

This article deliberately focuses on a specific question:

Why does oleocanthal produce a special peppery sensation in the throat?

If you would like to get to know oleocanthal more generally:

Oleocanthal in olive oil | Formation, pungency, and analytical values

On the overarching topic of phenolic compounds:

Understanding polyphenols in olive oil

On laboratory analytics:

Measuring polyphenols | HPLC, qNMR and analytical laboratories

On early harvest:

Early harvest olive oil | Understanding early harvest

Comparing premium olive oils with different profiles

At Green Agora, I don't want to use oleocanthal as a competition metric.

It's not about always buying the highest number or the strongest throat effect.

What is more interesting is comparing different:

• olive varieties
• producers
• harvests
• sensory profiles
• phenolic profiles

Compare premium olive oils

Pamako Gold Organic

Discover Pamako Gold Organic from Tsounati

Pamako Silver Organic

Discover Pamako Silver Organic

Kouros of Zeus Red

Discover Kouros of Zeus Red from Kalamon

Ayhan's personal view on oleocanthal and pungency

I like intensive olive oils.

I find oleocanthal fascinating.

And I think it's great that today we can not only talk about taste, but actually determine certain compounds analytically.

But that is precisely why I do not want to turn it into a primitive ranking.

When someone says to me:

Ayhan, I love this intense peppery sensation in the throat.

then an olive oil with a strong sensory and analytical profile can be exactly the right direction.

When someone else says:

I love fruitiness, but strong pungency is too much for me.

then I look elsewhere.

Both people can enjoy excellent extra virgin olive oil.

That is why I am not only interested in:

How much oleocanthal was measured?

I additionally want to know:

How does this person experience the olive oil?

And there is something else that is important to me.

If Pamako Gold is currently analyzed at 1318 mg per kg of oleocanthal, then I find this number extraordinary and it should be named exactly as such.

However, I do not have to promise a medicinal effect, nor claim that every other olive oil is automatically inferior.

Formulate strongly where the facts are strong.

Clearly separate where sensory analysis, analytical chemistry, and law answer different questions.

That is exactly how I want to explain olive oil.

Analysis without a human remains just a number.

Experience without analysis remains just an observation.

Ayhan from Green Agora

Personal olive oil consultation

If you would like to get to know different intensities, we can take a closer look together.

For instance, I am interested in:

• how you perceive bitterness
• how much pungency you like
• whether you are already familiar with intensive early harvest olive oils
• which olive varieties you have tried so far
• whether you would like to compare Tsounati, Koroneiki, or Kalamon
• whether analytical values are important for your selection
• whether you want to use the olive oil pure, as a finish, or in cooking

This is not medical advice.

It is personal olive oil consultation.

WhatsApp: +49 175 9009341
E-mail: info@greenagora.de

Scientific and regulatory basis

• PubMed | Oleocanthal, TRPA1 and the specific throat sensation
• Food Chemistry Review 2023 | Characterization and research on oleocanthal
• Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry | Direct oleocanthal and oleacein determination with qNMR
• Molecules | Oleocanthal quantification with qNMR and HPLC
• International Olive Council | Sensory standards and test methods
• EUR Lex | Quality characteristics of olive oil categories
• EUR Lex | Authorized health claims on food

The central scientific classification of this guide is:

Oleocanthal can activate TRPA1 and is closely linked to a characteristic peppery throat sensation.

However, the intensity of this sensation is not a quantitative oleocanthal value and does not constitute a complete quality or health assessment of an olive oil.