In the United States, the thought of drinking olive oil every day sounds a bit foreign. And honestly, it is. But in many Mediterranean societies, drinking olive oil is customary, and has been practiced for centuries.

For those in the Keto Zone, extra virgin olive oil is a great choice.

Here are the health benefits in general, and what science says about drinking olive oil every day.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a Great Keto Zone Fat

Fortunately for Keto Zoners, olive oil is a “pure fat.” It is a incredibly healthy option to increase fat percentage intake towards 75% of calories from fat.

Olive oil has a composition of 14% saturated fat and 11% polyunsaturated fat. Within the polyunsaturated fats, olive oil boosts omega-3s, omega-6s, and primarily, omega-9s (1).

The omega-9s are the nutrition stars of olive oil. They make up ~73% of the total fat content, and provide most of the benefits of drinking olive oil. In fact, they are know to raise beneficial HDL while lowering potentially harmful LDL. They incorporate into cellular membranes and mitochondria to improve cellular health.

Specific Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

If you’re interested in drinking olive oil every day, there are many benefits of olive oil supported by research. They include:

• Antioxidants Galore: Olive oil contains vitamin E, vitamin K, and hydroxytyrosol (HT). Hydroxytyrosol is a nutrient with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties (2).
• Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Bacterial: Chronic inflammation is at the root of many modern chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, obesity and more. Olive oil contains an antioxidant called oleocanthal, which is strongly anti-inflammatory. In fact, it works similarly to anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen (3).
• Heart Protector: To support heart health, olive oil reduces inflammation and cholesterol oxidation in artery walls (4). It can can also lower blood pressure and reduce the need for hypertension medications by up to 48% (5). What’s more, studies have found that those who consume olive oil have a significantly lower risk of stroke than those who don’t (6).
• Anti-Aging: The most prominent fat in olive oil, oleic acid, is strongly anti-aging. What’s more, vitamin E, olive oil’s polyphenols, and vitamin K all support youthful cells, strong bones, improved gene expression and more (7).
• Brain Health: Olive oil may help remove Alzheimer-associated plaques from the brain, beta-amyloid plaques (8). In addition, studies have found that olive oil may improve cognition (9).

Specific Studies of Drinking Olive Oil Every Day

As shown above, we are confident that olive oil offer many nutrition and health benefits. But is there any extra benefit to using it beyond cooking with it and adding it to other foods? Should you actually start drinking olive oil every day?

What do studies say?

Less Heart Disease

One study of almost 7500 people found that those who drank 1/4 cup of olive oil each day had a 30% lower risk of heart disease compared to those on a low-fat diet (10).

Better Digestion and Constipation Relief

Slow digestion and constipation is an issue for many adults. And often, constipation becomes a bigger problem as we age. In fact, 34% of adults over the age of 60 suffer from it (11). Drinking olive oil every day may help.

In fact, just drinking 1 teaspoon olive oil per day can result in softened stools and constipation relief, as shown in studies (12).

Olive oil is as effective as effective as mineral oil at relieving constipation (13).

Another study of 414 people over the age of 50 found that 97.7% of those with more than 3 bowel movements per week had high intakes of olive oil or drank it straight (14).

Weight and Heart Health

A study of overweight women were assigned 2 types of breakfasts for one year. One group ate a breakfast supplemented with soybean oil. The other group drank olive oil with breakfast. Otherwise, the breakfasts were identical. After one year, the olive oil group hah higher HDL cholesterol, lower inflammatory markers, improved blood pressure and lower body weight (15).

Fractures and Osteoporosis

When Mediterranean populations, who consume or drink extra-virgin olive oil each day are studied, it’s noted that they have a reduced risk of fractures and osteoporosis (16).

Cholesterol Improvements

Studies have found that consumption of extra-virgin olive oil reduces the oxidized LDL cholesterol (17 ) and increases HDL. It is believed that the presence of mostly phenols in the oil are responsible for this effect.

Options for Drinking Olive Oil Every Day

To add extra virgin olive oil to you diet each, you have many options. First, start with 100% pure organic extra virgin olive oil that is cold-pressed and unrefined. Look for ones grown in Crete, Greece, and contains very high levels of polyphenol olive oil.

To drink/add 2-4 tablespoons each day:

1. Try drinking it straight each morning.
2. If you don’t want to drink it, drizzle it onto vegetables each day.
3. Add Olive Oil to a shake or smoothie each day.
4. Make Keto Zone Pesto and add olive oil to your individual serving.
5. Drizzle it onto a serving of Keto Zone Soup.

Bottom Line

Drinking olive oil every day offers many health benefits both in theory and in practice. Drink it straight, or add a drizzle to foods. From brain health to digestive health, drinking olive oil every day is great for your body.

And if you want even more Keto Zone recipes, tips, and guidance, join the Keto Zone 21-Day-Challenge today!