I\u2019d heard a lot of whispers around the olive oil trend, made popular by TikTok (obviously), so I thought \u2014 why not give it a try?<\/p>\n
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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 claim it does wonders for your skin, hair, and nails and could even boost immunity and heart health.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what happened when I added extra virgin to my daily morning routine every day for a whole month, and why I won\u2019t be continuing every day.<\/p>\n
What does olive oil do to your body?<\/p>\n
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(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s thought that consumption of olive oil could improve heart health, reduce inflammation and help manage cholesterol. The research <\/a>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.<\/p>\n Two polyphenols found in olive oil are oleacein and oleocanthal<\/a>, which have been proven to have anti-inflammatory properties and protect against chronic conditions like heart disease or arthritis.<\/p>\n Then, there\u2019s oleic acid (mentioned above), which could lower bad cholesterol levels in the blood. One meta-analysis <\/a>found olive oil could even reduce cravings, supporting overall weight management when given in its \u201cnatural state\u201d rather than capsules.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also a growing body of evidence to suggest that polyphenols could be beneficial for your gut health, helping to modulate \u201cgut metabolism and immunity and displaying anti-inflammatory effects,\u201d according to research published in Nutrients<\/a>.<\/p>\n Although the focus wasn\u2019t on olive oil specifically, it does suggest that polyphenols have \u201cprebiotic properties\u201d and are beneficial for the gut and gut lining because they can be retained for a longer time, even when bioavailability is low.<\/p>\n Does it work?<\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 that\u2019s around 239kcal and 27g of fat for two tablespoons, according to Nutritionix<\/a>.<\/p>\n For reference, guidelines suggest you should aim to consume 20-35% of your calories in fat. I like to count my macros<\/a>, and for me, that’s 45g of fat when consuming 1,500kcal per day. That\u2019s a lot of your daily intake taken up by a daily dose of olive oil.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Here’s what I’ve noticed so far.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t taste as bad as expected<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Sure, I still prefer my oil drizzled heartily across a salad, but it was good to know I didn\u2019t have to write off the whole experiment on day one.<\/p>\n I felt fuller<\/p>\n The number of purported benefits is high, but one thing I can account for myself is satiety. I didn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n I didn’t gain or lose weight<\/p>\n Despite the extra calories, removing my midday snack pretty much balanced out the calories, and I didn\u2019t notice any weight gain or loss. I wasn\u2019t surprised, as I didn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n 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!<\/p>\n I may have looked glowier<\/p>\n I don\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n![\"Jug](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Zo63fNCLXenJgmHQN6KmLn.jpg\")
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