Does Drinking Olive Oil Have Any Benefits?
Some people report that drinking olive oil may help clear your system of toxins, ease indigestion, and help you lose weight. However, more research is needed.
Olive oil is widely recognized for its health benefits. It boasts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and may help protect against certain chronic diseases.
While it's commonly used as a cooking and dipping oil, some people believe that drinking it will allow you to reap its maximum benefits.
Why do some people drink olive oil?
Some people report drinking olive oil to detox, soothe their stomachs, and for other health benefits, believing that it provides even more benefits than cooking with it or using it on a salad.
While there's research suggesting many health benefits of consuming olive oil, there's no research to support the advantages of drinking olive oil over consuming it any other way. More research is needed to determine if there are advantages to drinking your olive oil.
What are the potential benefits of drinking olive oil?
Studies suggest that drinking olive oil may offer several health benefits.
It may help meet the recommended intake of healthy fats
Most people eat enough total fat, but many fall short of getting enough polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), which are found in certain oils, nuts, seeds, and other plant sources.
Dietary guidelines recommend that you get no more than 30% of your calories from fat, with less than 10% of those calories from saturated fat. In their 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that people 2 years and older substitute MUFAs and PUFAs for saturated and trans fats.
Olive oil is one of the richest plant sources of MUFAs, and consuming it can help you meet your needs of this type of fat. MUFAs are especially beneficial for heart health and may help reduce your risk of heart disease. MUFAs are found in some animal products, but studies suggest their greatest health benefits are achieved by eating plant-based sources of this fat.
If you consume insufficient amounts of this fat in your diet, drinking a couple of tablespoons of olive oil daily could help you meet the recommended amount.
May relieve constipation
Drinking olive oil may relieve constipation, which affects approximately 25% of adults over the age of 60.
One 4-week study from 2014 found that giving about 1 teaspoon (4 ml) of olive oil daily to 50 constipated hemodialysis patients reported it significantly softened their stools. Furthermore, consuming olive oil was found to be as effective as mineral oil — a commonly used stool softener — at relieving constipation.
More research is needed to understand how drinking olive oil may help relieve constipation.
May benefit heart health
Olive oil has long been acknowledged as a heart-healthy fat. One compound thought to play a role in supporting heart health is oleic acid, a type of monounsaturated fat found in high quantities in olive oil. When used in place of other fat sources, oleic acid may reduce the risk of heart disease.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggests that replacing fats and oils high in saturated fat with 1.5 tablespoons (22 ml) of oils high in oleic acid daily may reduce your risk of heart disease. To achieve this benefit, it's important to avoid increasing the total calories you eat per day if possible when adding oleic acid to your diet.
A 2019 study of 7,447 people who were at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease but didn't have it yet. The study compared participants who followed a Mediterranean diet and consumed at least four tablespoons (60 ml) of olive oil daily, individuals who followed a Mediterranean diet and ate nuts, or individuals who followed a low fat diet for 5 years. Researchers found a lower hazard ratio – a measure of relative risk, in this study, the risk was having a cardiac event – among the group who consumed olive oil than the other two groups.
Other studies have found that people who consume a high amount of olive oil may have a reduced risk of heart disease.
While there's no shortage of studies on olive oil and heart disease, more research is needed to support the theory that drinking olive oil may improve heart health.
Other benefits
In addition to the benefits above, drinking olive oil may have the following effects:
Help manage blood sugar: A 2023 study found that olive oil, especially extra virgin, is effective for glycaemic control in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Support bone health: A study of 523 women found that consuming over 18 grams (20 ml) of olive oil daily resulted in significantly higher bone density compared with consuming less than that amount daily.
Reduce inflammation: Olive oil may contain several compounds with anti-inflammatory effects, including oleocanthal.
Limitations
While drinking olive oil may offer several potential health benefits, there are downsides to consider.
High in calories and may cause weight gain
Olive oil is high in calories, containing 119 per tablespoon (13.5 g). Although the relationship between calorie intake and weight gain is complicated and depends on many factors, it's well established that consuming more calories than you burn contributes to weight gain.
Research suggests that increased MUFA intake also increases body weight, suggesting that olive oil could contribute to weight gain if consumed in excess. For this reason, it's important to be aware of your calorie intake, regardless of the source of calories.
Other considerations
It's important to consider the following when considering drinking olive oil:
Provides more benefits when consumed with food: For example, consuming olive oil with tomato products significantly increases the absorption of disease-fighting antioxidants in tomatoes.
Can displace healthy foods: Although olive oil is a healthy fat source, it's less nutritious than whole foods. Drinking too much may displace healthier foods, such as other healthy fats, vegetables, and proteins.
Potential allergen: Although rare, olive pollen is a potential allergen, and olive oil can cause contact dermatitis in affected individuals.
Many benefits are not supported by research: Many of the purported benefits of drinking olive oil are not supported by research but instead endorsed by companies selling olive oil or personal anecdotes.
Should you drink olive oil?
Olive oil can be part of a healthy diet, affording many health benefits. However, it's unclear whether drinking large amounts of olive oil would provide benefits beyond those associated with the recommended intake.
Many studies have documented the benefits of following a diet rich in olive oil, but research supporting the consumption of this oil is limited. Additionally, drinking too much olive oil can displace healthy foods in your diet and may cause you to exceed the recommendations for daily fat or calorie intake.
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The opposite side of the coin is also true, according to McIntyre. Healing the heart can also benefit the brain. Addressing both together is optimal to improving both mental and cardiovascular health. Kurpas, Abreu, Ladwig, and Levine declared no relevant financial relationships. McIntyre had received research grant support from CIHR/GACD/National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Milken Institute; speaker/consultation fees from Lundbeck, Janssen, Alkermes, Neumora Therapeutics, Boehringer Ingelheim, Sage, Biogen, Mitsubishi Tanabe, Purdue, Pfizer, Otsuka, Takeda, Neurocrine, Neurawell, Sunovion, Bausch Health, Axsome, Novo Nordisk, Kris, Sanofi, Eisai, Intra-Cellular, NewBridge Pharmaceuticals, Viatris, Abbvie and Atai Life Sciences.
