🇫🇷 Oliviers & Co. from Mane, France

I finished one of my favorite olive oils this last week, and with a little help from a tasting that I hosted with a small group. This is La Classique by Oliviers & Co, France. I found the company from the Olive Oil Times World Ranking. It was the first mention of France in the list, and at the time of this writing, is ranked fifth in the world. I had not yet sampled an oil from a producer or distributor in France. Here is the tin when it was new and unopened.

The top was mysterious. I was not sure how it would work.

I was able to break the seal and it popped up into a small screw top. It does not implement any kind of flow control, but does allow for an easy pour. In practice, oil would sometimes drip onto the outer silver of the tin.

The company was founded by Olivier Baussan in Mane, France in 1996, and operates out of the Haute-Provence. They primarily do bottling, meaning they partner with artisan producers across the Mediterranean Basin (France, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal) and maintain high standards. What does that mean? It means that harvested olives need to be hand picked and cold pressed within 24 hours of said harvest. What I like about their tin is that I can see the estate, where it was produced (and by whom), the harvest date, and the olive varieties used. 

In the case of the oil I am reviewing today, "La Classique," it is primarily Picual olives from Andalusia Spain, and is considered an everyday use oil. But oh my lord. This olive oil is exquisite. To me, it tastes strongly of fresh arugula. It is smooth, but has a bit of pepper on the back of my throat after the fact. I loved this oil so much that I intentionally consumed it slowly. I was able to extend the bottle for about 2 months, which is a record for me. The tasting notes describe it as having floral tones, and a hint of herbs on the finish. They make a collection that come in bottles that I find immensely beautiful, and I will try one soon. Here is the Olio Visconti from Italy.

As a side note, I also finished this can of Graza's Sizzle oil that I have written about previously. I like both the Drizzle and Sizzle, although I do not think it is wise to (long term) consume olive oil from plastic. This tin is intended for refill, and is terrible at pouring. I am hoping they can produce something not in a squeeze bottle that is easier to pour.

Anti-Inflammatory Pathways

I want to talk a little bit about the components of olive oil, and specifically more detail about what often causes a burn at the back of the throat. To be clear, I do not consider myself someone that jumps onto health or diet bandwagons. I listen to my body, give it what it wants, and I do not care to count anything. I like eating as much as I like until I am satisfied. What makes me unique is a tendency to like eating the same things for a long time, primarily because I want them. Over my lifetime that list includes yogurt, peanut butter, avocado, coconut, dark cocoa powder, and now olive oil. I tend to like fats, and my body uses them very well for energy. I am averse to textures commonly associated with fruit, and I have a hard time tolerating spices and find sweetness overwhelming on my tongue. I like savory and fatty, and do not like things that are too hot or too cold. I do not do much cooking, although I enjoy making baked goods or (attempted) dishes for people that I care about. I am most definitely not a foodie, but I enjoy learning about the history and background of restaurants and culinary traditions.

Polyphenols

As we talked about before, plants produce polyphenols, which means multiple (poly) aromatic rings attached to hydroxyl groups (phenols). They are considered micronutrients for humans in that there are significant health benefits for us. The plants produce them for survival and general protection in the environment. There is immense literature on polyphenols and how they benefit human health if you are interested.

The peppery kick we get in the back of our throats is caused by the polyphenol olecanthal, which is structurally similar to ibuprofen. In practice, at the molecular level this means that the two share similarities. When you swallow olive oil, it selectively activates TRPA1 (Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin 1) receptors in the back of your throat. TRPA1 is a specialized ion channel located on plasma membranes of sensory nerve fibers. It is often called the "wasabi receptor" because it detects irritating environmental chemicals. As a side note, only about 1% of wasabi in the United States and 5% in Japan is real wasabi [ref]. I imagine these receptors are selectively placed to act as a gatekeeper for pain and irritation. In fact, if you were to swallow liquid Advil, you would get the same burn. We can say that more peppery oils have higher levels of polyphenols because it is true! The more of the compound that you swallow, the more it triggers TRPA1. Of course like any receptor, your body can adapt over time. This is why olive oil tasters subjectively rank oils by the number of coughs that the oil produces. 

How do the levels compare? I am reading that a small amount, 3.5 tablespoons, would equate to about 10% of a single dose of Advil. That means instead of a big flood of it, you are delivering a steady inhibition of COX enzymes, and possibly this mimics low-dose NSAID regimens that may protect cardiovascular and brain health long-term [ref]. I am not a physician and not giving anyone medical advice. I am writing through my own learning and sharing ideas that I think are interesting. I do wonder sometimes how many physicians actually read papers and are fundamentally interested in the science of the body. Having personal experience with a small sample, I suspect many do not, and follow guidelines from their training and larger population trends. I almost never take Advil or Tylenol, so I cannot comment or compare, but I would suspect that olive oil is a good choice for a natural anti-inflammatory. It also has oleic acid, Vitamin E, and a ton of antioxidants. 

Oleocanthal

One interesting thing about olive oil production is that the oleocanthal is released when you mechanically process the olives. . This means that cheaper oils that use heat or are refined may not have it. The name is interesting too. It is a combination of "olio" (oil in Latin), "acanth" (thorn in Greek), and "al" for thes aldehyde chemical structure.

Here comes the irony. Why would a compound that triggers pain receptors be good for us? The answer comes down to COX enzymes. As you likely know, enzymes are proteins composed of amino acids that our body uses for just about everything. Pain and inflammation in the body are largely driven by COX-1 and COX-2. They work by converting arachidonic acid into prostaglandins. Those are the chemicals that make us feel sore, achy, and inflamed. A medicine like Advil inhibits COX-1 and COX-2, and thus blocks the inflammatory pathway. Is that a satisfactory explanation for you? It is not for me. Let us dive deeper.

COX Enzymes

We start with pain. Imagine you injure yourself. You have just fallen off your bike, and smashed pieces of your body on the ground. Side note - I have done that twice this year. Cellular stress in your tissues will active the enzyme Phospholipase A2, and this is going to break down the cell membrane to liberate a fatty acid called arachidonic acid [2, 5]. This free arachidonic acid then enters a specialized hydrophobic channel inside the cyclooxygenase, or COX, enzymes. Once inside, a highly reactive tyrosyl radical at position 385 initiates a two-step chemical process by abstracting a hydrogen atom from the fatty acid, which triggers a rapid insertion of oxygen molecules and a molecular cyclization that generates the unstable intermediate Prostaglandin G2. This compound is immediately shuttled to an adjacent heme-dependent peroxidase site within the same enzyme, where it is chemically reduced to form Prostaglandin H2, the universal precursor for all inflammatory signaling  [5]. Downstream synthases quickly convert this precursor into Prostaglandin E2 and I2, which bind to receptors on sensory nerve endings to phosphorylate and hypersensitize the TRPA1 ion channel, causing it to snap open and send acute pain signals to your brain [3, 5]. Advil could halt this process by acting as competitive inhibitor -- sliding into the hydrophobic channel and forming hydrogen bonds with an arginine residue near the entrance, physically blocking arachidonic acid from entering while simultaneously acting as a direct agonist to desensitize the TRPA1 channel [1, 2]. In contrast, oleocanthal relies on a dialdehyde structure that forms covalent, reversible Schiff base linkages with lysine residues at the enzyme entrance, shifting the enzyme's physical shape to achieve an even higher molecular potency than commercial painkillers at an identical chemical concentration [1, 3, 4]. The result is that the chemical pain factory is blocked, the primary nerve alarm system is desensitized, and the destructive cycle of chronic tissue inflammation is broken. This can be good to stop the body from attacking its own healthy tissues, eliminate pain, and prevent temporary injuries from degenerating into permanent, chronic diseases.

I think inflammation is a balance. Akin to fever, I do not think you always want to block it, because your body is triggering tissue repair and it forces you to rest. On the other hand, chronic or excessive inflammation can be harmful. Think of auto-immune disorders, secondary tissue damage, or chronic pain. If stiffness or pain and an inability or lack of desire to move prevents someone from enjoying their life, then it is a problem. That of course, is my opinion. 

Bon Appétit

If you are curious how I eat it, I pour it onto 2% Greek yogurt. My favorite is Fage. I think based on the number of bottles I go through, I eat about 1/3 to 1/2 a cup daily. It has never given me any issue with digestion, and actually makes me feel very warm and satisfied, and not hungry until about 24 hours later. How many calories is that? A lot. I do not really care, to be frank. I am healthy and happy, and it seems to be getting better! 💃

References

1. Beauchamp, G. K., Keast, R. S., Morel, D., Lin, J., Pika, J., Han, Q., Lee, C. H., Smith, A. B., & Breslin, P. A. (2005). Phytochemistry: Ibuprofen-like activity in extra-virgin olive oil. Nature, 437(7055), 45-46.
2. Luthra, M., & Marnett, L. J. (2010). Role of Tyr348 in Tyr385 radical dynamics and cyclooxygenase catalysis of prostaglandin H synthase-1 and -2. Biochemistry, 49(14), 3093–3101.
3. Parkinson, L., & Keast, R. (2014). Oleocanthal, a phenolic derived from virgin olive oil: A review of the evidence of inflammation and cancer-preventative properties. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 15(7), 12323-12339.
4. Peyrot de Gachons, C., Uchida, K., Bryant, B., Shima, A., Sperry, J. B., Dankulich-Nagrudny, L., Tominaga, M., Smith, A. B., 3rd, Beauchamp, G. K., & Breslin, P. A. (2011). Unusual pungency of extra virgin olive oil is attributable to a specific carboncarbonyl interaction with TRPA1. Journal of Neuroscience, 31(3), 991–999.
5. Tsai, A. L., & Kulmacz, R. J. (2011). Cyclooxygenase reaction mechanism of prostaglandin H synthase. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 507(1), 54–64.