How Beneficial Is It To Drink Olive Oil?

In the ever-changing world of celebrity-adopted health and wellness fads, a new trend has emerged: drinking olive oil daily.

Celebrities such as Kourtney Kardashian, Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jennifer Lopez extol the virtues of drinking extra virgin olive oil and applying it to their skin, attributing the glow of their complexions to this liquid gold.

Moisturizing the skin with olive oil can cause problems

Lopez even based her JLo Beauty brand on the culinary ingredient, claiming that her youthful look was not the result of Botox or surgery, but rather a family beauty secret she had decided to share: moisturizing with olive oil.

She’s not alone in that. Hollywood star Goldie Hawn drinks olive oil before bed and uses it as a topical moisturizer, while Sophia Loren claims to bathe in it.

As much as these celebs swear by olive oil’s beautifying properties, the reality is that some skin types should avoid it. If people prone to acne or eczema use it, for example, they could aggravate their problems. But even with healthy skin, some dermatologists advise against using olive oil for skin care. Bad news for JLo’s business.

Meanwhile, and thanks in large part to celebrity promotion, drinking olive oil has become a global TikTok sensation. Viral videos have gone viral showing influencers downing shots of cult olive oil brands while proclaiming a wide range of health benefits, from improving digestion to clearing acne. But how much of it is true?

The benefits of olive oil

There’s no doubt that olive oil is full of good things. It’s high in polyphenols and antioxidants, which protect the body’s tissues. It’s also a rich source of essential fatty acids, such as oleic acid, which is known to lower cholesterol, thereby decreasing the chances of heart disease.

Science has shown that incorporating olive oil into the diet has encouraging effects on a variety of inflammatory diseases. It can also help with weight control if used correctly.

What’s more, replacing butter, margarine, mayonnaise, and dairy fat with olive oil has been linked to a lower risk of mortality. There’s even evidence that the protective compounds in olive oil may help protect against cancer, prevent dementia, and keep the liver and kidneys healthy. That’s why nutritionists have been promoting extra virgin olive oil for years as an optimal substitute for saturated fats in cooking. Nothing new under the sun.

After all, a constant element of the Mediterranean diet, which has been considered one of the healthiest in the world for decades, is precisely virgin olive oil. It is used as the main source of fat for cooking and is included in all kinds of foods, from salad dressings to bread.

Can fat be healthy? Yes and no

Fats are crucial for a balanced diet, as they contribute to the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, and increase the nutritional value of foods.

However, fats are also calorie-dense, and consuming too much of them can lead to weight gain. According to the World Health Organization, to avoid unhealthy weight gain, adults should limit fat consumption to 30% of total energy intake, with no more than 10% coming from saturated fat.

Two tablespoons of olive oil – the typical amount in photos of celebrities and social media influencers – contains 28 g of fat (238 calories) and 3.8 g of saturated fat, equivalent to 19% of the recommended daily intake.

So, that daily shot of extra virgin olive oil might not be the best idea. Adding small amounts of olive oil to meals throughout the day seems like a more balanced – and appetizing – way to incorporate healthy fats into your diet.

Better a handful of olives

So what about Kourtney Kardashian’s recommendation to “consume extra virgin olive oil in the morning on an empty stomach so the oil can coat your system and neutralize the lining of your stomach for optimal benefits”? There is no scientific evidence to support the benefits of drinking olive oil on an empty stomach. For a healthier, more palatable snack, Kourtney could try including a handful of olives in her daily diet. Olives offer nutrients such as vitamins E, A, and K, as well as essential amino acids and minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

Unlike olive oil, olives have the added benefit of being high in fiber. The combination of fat and fiber increases the feeling of satiety, making olives a nutritious dietary supplement.