Glowing olive stone cradled in hands, symbolizing health and sustainability.

Olive Stone Power: Unlocking Lignans for Health and a Greener Future

Elliot Brynn in Health & Wellness November 2025 • 4 min read.

"Discover how turning olive mill waste into a source of valuable lignans can boost your health and help the environment."

In the quest for optimal health, lignans have emerged as key players. These naturally occurring compounds, found in various plant-based foods, have been linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases and potential protection against certain cancers. As we seek to increase our lignan intake, scientists are exploring unconventional sources, including waste products from the food industry.

Olive oil production, while yielding a beloved and healthy culinary staple, generates a significant amount of waste. Olive stones (OS), the hard pits discarded after pressing, represent a considerable portion of this waste. While often burned for fuel, these stones hold untapped potential. Researchers have discovered that olive stones are a valuable source of lignans, specifically pinoresinol, opening the door to a more sustainable and health-conscious approach to waste management.

Traditionally, extracting these beneficial compounds required harsh methods and long processing times. However, recent research is revolutionizing the field, comparing different extraction techniques to efficiently isolate lignans from olive stones. By optimizing these methods, scientists aim to unlock the full potential of olive stones, transforming agricultural waste into a treasure trove of health-boosting compounds.

Why are Lignans Important for Your Health?

Glowing olive stone cradled in hands, symbolizing health and sustainability.

Lignans are secondary metabolites found in plants and boast diverse chemical structures. They're particularly abundant in grains like flaxseed and sesame, as well as in the bark of trees such as olive trees and certain pine species. What makes lignans so special is their potential to transform into enterolactone and enterodiol within the human body. These "mammalian lignans" are created by gut microflora in the colon and are believed to be responsible for many of the health benefits associated with lignan consumption.

The health advantages of a lignan-rich diet are increasingly well-documented. Studies suggest that lignans may:

Reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
Offer protection against certain types of cancer.
Possess antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.

Given these potential benefits, finding efficient and sustainable ways to extract lignans from natural sources is of growing importance. Olive stones, often discarded as waste, present a promising opportunity to obtain these valuable compounds while addressing environmental concerns.

The Future of Olive Stone Lignans

This research highlights the potential of olive stones as a valuable source of lignans, particularly pinoresinol. By optimizing extraction methods like SFE, we can efficiently harness these compounds for use in dietary supplements, functional foods, and other applications. This approach not only promotes better health but also contributes to a more sustainable and circular economy by transforming agricultural waste into a valuable resource.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.4067/s0717-97072018000204001, Alternate LINK

Title: Lignans In Olive Stones Discarded From The Oil Industry. Comparison Of Three Extraction Methods Followed By Hplc-Dad-Ms/Ms And Antioxidant Capacity Determination

Subject: General Chemistry

Journal: Journal of the Chilean Chemical Society

Publisher: SciELO Agencia Nacional de Investigacion y Desarrollo (ANID)

Authors: Juan Pablo Inostroza, Javiera Troncoso, Claudia Mardones, Carola Vergara

Published: 2018-06-01

Everything You Need To Know

What exactly are olive stones, and why are they now considered valuable?

Olive stones are the hard pits that remain after the olive oil extraction process. They are a significant waste product of olive oil production. Researchers have found that olive stones are a valuable source of lignans, specifically pinoresinol, which can be extracted and used for health-related applications. This transformation of agricultural waste into a beneficial resource is a key aspect of sustainable practices.

What are lignans, and what makes them so important for our health?

Lignans are secondary metabolites found in plants, including flaxseed, sesame, and olive trees. They can be converted into enterolactone and enterodiol by gut microflora in the human body, which are believed to offer various health advantages, such as reducing the risk of chronic diseases, protection against cancer, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties.

What is pinoresinol, and what role does it play in olive stone benefits?

Pinoresinol is a specific type of lignan found in olive stones. It's one of the compounds responsible for the health benefits associated with lignan consumption. Research focuses on optimizing extraction methods to efficiently obtain pinoresinol from olive stones for use in dietary supplements and functional foods. The potential of pinoresinol goes beyond direct consumption; its metabolites, formed in the gut, are key to its beneficial effects.

How are lignans extracted from olive stones, and what are the future prospects for this process?

Extracting lignans from olive stones involves innovative techniques that aim to efficiently isolate these compounds. Traditionally, harsh methods were used, but recent research focuses on optimizing extraction techniques like Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE). The goal is to transform agricultural waste into a treasure trove of health-boosting compounds, which can then be used in functional foods and dietary supplements. Future research might explore other eco-friendly solvents or methods to enhance the yield and purity of extracted lignans.

How does utilizing olive stones for lignan extraction contribute to a more sustainable and circular economy?

The use of olive stones as a source of lignans promotes a circular economy by transforming agricultural waste into a valuable resource. Instead of discarding or burning olive stones, extracting lignans like pinoresinol allows for their use in dietary supplements and functional foods. This approach promotes better health and reduces environmental impact by minimizing waste. The broader implications involve other agricultural waste streams and their potential for valuable compound extraction.