I drank 2 tablespoons of olive oil every day for 30 days — here's what happened to my body

Tom's Guide

3 days ago

I'm all for a health hack — if it actually works. But could ditching my treasured morning coffee (at least, for an hour or two) for a shot of olive oil do anything for my health? I decided to try to find out.
I'm not new to these types of wellness rituals — I drank apple cider vinegar and cucumber water as part of my daily routine for several weeks at a time, with varying degrees of success. I'd heard a lot of whispers around the olive oil trend, made popular by TikTok (obviously), so I thought — why not give it a try?
Those in favor of shooting olive oil, from celebrities to TikTok influencers, say it boosts energy, aids digestion and increases satiety to reduce cravings throughout the day. Others say it does wonders for your skin, hair, and nails and could even boost immunity and heart health.
Here's what happened when I added extra virgin to my daily morning routine every day for a whole month, and why I won't be continuing every day.
Found largely in the Mediterranean diet, olive oil is made by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. Made up of oleic acid and other fatty acids such as linoleic and palmitic, olive oil is also high in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants like polyphenols.
It's thought that consumption of olive oil could improve heart health, reduce inflammation and help manage cholesterol. The research even shows that a high-quality olive oil, as part of a balanced diet, can contribute to lower blood pressure and has anti-inflammatory effects.
Two polyphenols found in olive oil are oleacein and oleocanthal, which have been proven to have anti-inflammatory properties and protect against chronic conditions like heart disease or arthritis.
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Then, there's oleic acid (mentioned above), which could lower bad cholesterol levels in the blood. One meta-analysis found olive oil could even reduce cravings, supporting overall weight management when given in its 'natural state' rather than capsules.
There's also a growing body of evidence to suggest that polyphenols could be beneficial for your gut health, helping to modulate 'gut metabolism and immunity and displaying anti-inflammatory effects,' according to research published in Nutrients.
Although the focus wasn't on olive oil specifically, it does suggest that polyphenols have 'prebiotic properties' and are beneficial for the gut and gut lining because they can be retained for a longer time, even when bioavailability is low.
We know that the Mediterranean diet is considered one of the healthiest around, and olive oil is a key component of it. With that, it was time for me to test it.
Before diving in, I looked into the recommended amount of olive oil to consume during this challenge and found the consensus is roughly one to two tablespoons — that's around 239kcal and 27g of fat for two tablespoons, according to Nutritionix.
For reference, guidelines suggest you should aim to consume 20-35% of your calories in fat. I like to count my macros, and for me, that's 45g of fat when consuming 1,500kcal per day. That's a lot of your daily intake taken up by a daily dose of olive oil.
And if you plan to try this yourself, think quality. Extra virgin is considered the highest quality olive oil, packed full of antioxidants that can protect from cellular damage and contribute to overall health.
Here's what I've noticed so far.
I took my tablespoons first thing in the morning before coffee or food, and chased it down with some water. Not bad. I went with a Spanish EV olive oil from my local store, and found I actually quite enjoyed the taste, even the spicy hit at the back of the throat.
Sure, I still prefer my oil drizzled heartily across a salad, but it was good to know I didn't have to write off the whole experiment on day one.
The number of purported benefits is high, but one thing I can account for myself is satiety. I didn't feel the need to eat immediately after, and even shifted out my breakfast by an hour or two on most days, which removed my usual midday snack from my routine, too.
I can see why olive oil could be used for weight management, and I definitely felt fuller than on days when I didn't have it.
Despite the extra calories, removing my midday snack pretty much balanced out the calories, and I didn't notice any weight gain or loss. I wasn't surprised, as I didn't expect a tablespoon or two of oil to transform my body. After several weeks, this remained the case, which allowed me to continue the experiment for longer.
If you are managing weight loss or are using a calorie-controlled diet, consider the number of extra calories you will consume if taking a tablespoon or two of olive oil per day, as it does add up!
I don't know how much of a placebo effect this was, but I think my skin looked dewier, potentially down to the increase in olive oil in my diet.
That said, I didn't control other variables, and the female menstrual cycle can also impact your skin during the month, so it could be that certain stages of my cycle contributed to my overall glowier appearance.
I have also recently cut alcohol, so some of that could come down to a lack of wine in my diet — good for my skin and overall health, but damn I miss a cold, buttery chardonnay on a Friday. And sadly, olive oil doesn't fill the hole.
After a month, it's hard to say what has and hasn't changed. I can't say my heart health has vastly improved, that I've boosted my immune system, or transformed my digestive habits, nor that I'm sleeping like a baby (we have a heatwave in the UK right now), or that I've lost a kilo in weight.
Be under no illusion that olive oil will be your magic cure, but in moderation, it could be a brilliant addition to your daily diet, and eating more Mediterranean as a whole is great for your body, heart and immunity, according to existing studies.
Yes, my skin looked healthier and I felt a little fuller in the mornings, but there wasn't a transformation, and I (sometimes) want to save those 250kcal for a protein shake before I head into training.
So while I will add extra virgin to my diet more often, it won't be every day.