Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 500ml
Don't just cook. Feed your microbiome.
- 100% pure, never blended
- Single-origin sourced from Italy
- Third-party tested for purity and potency
- Non-GMO and certified organic
A small-batch, early-harvest, 100% Italian Organic EVOO from 500-year-old olive trees in the Marche region of central Italy — pure, unblended, and cold-pressed within hours of harvest to preserve its naturally high polyphenol content.
Crafted by a multi-generation Italian family using strict organic methods, from ancient native cultivars including Carboncella, Sargano, Ascolana, Piantone, Frantoio, and Moraiolo.
Bold, peppery, and unmistakably fresh — the pepper is from the high concentration of polyphenols. The stronger the bite, the more of them are present!
Current bottles are from the 2025 Fall harvest.
Why Dr. Mayer recommends this
"Most olive oils on the shelf are good enough to cook with, but very few are genuinely health-promoting. Ours comes from organically grown trees that have made enough polyphenols to thrive for hundreds of years. I know the owner personally, I have witnessed the harvest and the cold-pressing many times, and I have studied polyphenols for decades."
Emeran Mayer, MD · Gastroenterologist & Co-Founder of Mayer Nutrition
This olive oil carries the mark of generations. Grown on a single Italian estate, each tree has been carefully tended over decades, many tracing back hundreds of years. Our olive oil is never blended, preserving the character of their specific grove and the subtle nuances of the region.
Small-batch production and direct-to-consumer availability ensure every bottle delivers a flavor and aroma that could only come from this place and these hands. It’s an oil that reflects history, tradition, and a commitment to craftsmanship.
What's Actually in the Bottle
Most olive oil producers never print polyphenol content on a label. There is no requirement to, and testing costs money. So most people are left guessing, or judging by how dark the bottle is. We test ours and publish the result.
- Total polyphenols
- 773 mg/kg
- ~11 mg per tablespoon
- Free acidity
- 0.19%
- Against a 0.8% legal limit for extra virgin
- Peroxide value
- 6.2 meq O₂/kg
- Against a 20 limit for extra virgin
- Pesticide screen
- 150+ residues tested
- None detected
Acidity and peroxide value measure how carefully the fruit was handled and how fresh the oil is. Polyphenol content is what the research focuses on. All three come from lab analysis of the current lot.
Everything on the Label, Nothing Hidden
Most olive oil is blended from multiple farms and often multiple countries. Ours comes from a single estate in the Marche region, pressed from six native Italian cultivars: Carboncella, Sargano, Ascolana, Piantone, Frantoio, and Maraiolo.
Several of the trees are centuries old. They were planted by the family that still farms them, and they produce a fraction of what modern high-density groves yield. That is part of why this kind of oil stays small.
The six varieties are harvested and pressed together, which is what gives the oil its particular character. It is not a formula that can be reproduced elsewhere.
Polyphenols
The compounds that give early-harvest oil its bitterness and peppery finish. This bottle tests at 773 mg/kg, roughly 11 mg per tablespoon. Most producers never publish the number, which is part of why it varies so widely between brands.
Oleocanthal
The specific polyphenol behind the catch you feel at the back of your throat. It is present in fresh, early-harvest oil and fades as oil ages, which is why supermarket olive oil rarely has it. It is among the most heavily studied compounds in olive oil research.
Monounsaturated fats
Roughly three quarters of olive oil by weight is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat. It is the reason olive oil holds up better to heat than most seed oils, and the component most often cited in Mediterranean diet research.
Committed to Science, Not Trends
Wellness has been overtaken by influencers and self-proclaimed gurus, most of them working without a scientific foundation. Meanwhile the real research on the brain-gut connection, polyphenols, and the microbiome sits locked in academic journals where almost no one reads it.
Mayer Nutrition exists to close that gap. Founded by Dr. Emeran Mayer, a gastroenterologist and neuroscientist who has spent his career studying the links between the gut, brain, and microbiome, alongside Dylan Mayer, MS, whose background is in neuroscience, nutrition, and human performance.
Every product is research-driven, built on ingredient integrity, and transparent by design. You should know exactly what you are putting in your body.
Ways to Enjoy Our Olive Oil
Finish Your Favorite Foods:
Drizzle it over sautéed greens, eggs, or grilled fish to elevate flavors and add a peppery, polyphenol-rich kick.
Make a Simple Dressing:
Mix with balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt, and a touch of mustard for a quick, flavorful vinaigrette.
Create Fresh Pesto:
Blend with basil, pine nuts, parmesan, and garlic for a vibrant, homemade sauce perfect on pasta, vegetables, or grilled meats.
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions we get most, answered properly.
Is this really extra virgin, and how do you verify it?
Yes, and we can prove it. Every harvest is sent to an independent third-party lab that tests for acidity and polyphenol content, the two measures that separate genuine extra virgin olive oil from oil that simply carries the label. We also put every batch through sensory evaluation, checking for the freshness, bitterness, and peppery finish that real EVOO should have.
The oil is mechanically cold-pressed within hours of harvest and never heat-treated. Heat is faster and cheaper, and it destroys the compounds that make good olive oil worth drinking.
What makes this olive oil unique?
- 100% Italian, single-estate, and never blended
- Harvested by a family that has preserved these trees and traditions for generations
- Made only from native olive cultivars, many from ancient trees
- Early-harvest olives deliver naturally high polyphenol content
- Produced with strict organic methods, respecting the land, landscape, and heritage
- Small-batch and available only directly—never through large distributors
- Bottled immediately to protect flavor, aroma, and antioxidants
- Carries the deep sensory “bite” (oleocanthal) found only in true high-quality early harvest oils
Where does the olive oil come from?
Our Extra Virgin Olive Oil is produced by a multi-generation Italian family who have cultivated olives on the same land for centuries. The olives come from ancient native cultivars in Southern Italy and are harvested early in the season, then cold-pressed within hours to preserve their natural polyphenols. This EVOO is 100% Italian — never blended, never mixed, and always sourced from a single estate.
How is this different from grocery-store olive oil?
Most supermarket olive oil is blended from multiple farms, often multiple countries, and sits in storage for months before it reaches a shelf. Blending smooths out flavor, which sounds appealing until you realize what it actually smooths out is character and freshness.
Ours comes from a single Italian estate in the Marche region, pressed from ancient native cultivars including Carboncella, Sargano, Ascolana, Piantone, Frantoio, and Maraiolo. Some of those trees are five hundred years old. It is never blended, never mixed with oil from other groves, and bottled immediately after pressing. Current bottles are from the 2025 fall harvest.
Why is it so peppery? Is that normal?
That peppery catch at the back of your throat is oleocanthal, a polyphenol found in early-harvest olives. It is the single best indicator that you are drinking fresh, high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
If your olive oil has never done this, it is not because ours is wrong. The stronger the bite, the more oleocanthal is present. It fades as oil ages, which is why supermarket oil rarely has it at all.
How fast will I get it, and what if something is wrong?
Orders are processed within 1 to 2 business days and you will get tracking as soon as it ships. Standard delivery runs 3 to 7 business days, with expedited options available at checkout. We ship worldwide.
If your bottle arrives damaged, or if it is marked delivered and never shows up, email hello@mayernutrition.com within 7 days and we will sort it out. Same if you receive the wrong item. Include your order number and a photo if you have one.
How should I store it, and how long does it last?
Keep it somewhere cool and dark, away from the stove and out of direct sunlight. Heat and light are what degrade olive oil, not time on its own. A closed cabinet is better than a countertop, however good the bottle looks.
Once opened, use it within a few months to get the full benefit of the polyphenols. It will not spoil after that, but the peppery bite and the compounds behind it fade gradually. This is oil meant to be used, not saved for special occasions.
Can I cook with it, or is it only for finishing?
Both, though the two uses ask different things of the oil.
For finishing, this is where it shines. Drizzle it over sautéed greens, eggs, or grilled fish, or use it as the base for a vinaigrette or fresh pesto. Nothing is lost and you taste everything the harvest put into it.
For cooking, it works fine at normal sauté temperatures. High heat will degrade some of the polyphenols, so if you are deep frying, reach for something cheaper and save this for the plate.
What are polyphenols, and why does the count matter?
Polyphenols are compounds naturally present in olives that give early-harvest oil its bitterness and peppery finish. They are also what distinguishes a fresh, carefully made oil from one that has been processed for shelf life.
Early harvest means picking olives before they are fully ripe, when polyphenol content is at its highest. It produces less oil per olive, which is part of why this kind of production stays small. The tradeoff is a fundamentally different product.
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A Tradition Best Enjoyed Together
Pair our EVOO with the official cookbook discover recipes crafted to complement the oils character and freshness.
Buy these products together and get a discount!
Regular Price: $64.98 | Bundle Price: 54.99