Olive oil is well-known as a nutritious food and a Mediterranean dietary staple. Over time, it’s become part of different fads, gaining celebrity support for its many benefits. Influencers claim that drinking a tablespoon of olive oil on an empty stomach improves the intestinal tract and that cooking with it destroys valuable nutrients. Although it’s perfectly safe to consume uncooked olive oil, and it’s certainly important to consider all options when it comes to wellness, no scientific evidence proves that drinking olive oil is better than cooking with it (per Healthline).
While extra-virgin olive oil (or EVOO as it’s affectionately known) may be the preferred type since it’s the least processed, there’s a wealth of reapable benefits from any of its types. Generally, olive oil is known to potentially help lower blood pressure and decrease the risk of heart disease since it’s rich in antioxidants like polyphenols that fight free radicals and have anti-inflammatory properties. There’s evidence that it could help relieve constipation since it stimulates stomach bile and lubricates the colon, per a 2009 study by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
While perfectly safe to drink, of course, olive oil is dense in calories and fat. A single tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil contains 119 calories and 14 grams of fat. As heat does not destroy its beneficial properties, it’s better to cook with it and use it in your diet naturally than to treat it as some sort of supplement. Just be sure you have the right type for whatever you’re cooking — there is a difference between refined and extra virgin olive oil, after all.
The many incredible ways to use olive oil
As a butter substitute, olive oil enhances the perfect scrambled eggs with crispier edges and a subtle, nutty flavor. Giada De Laurentiis uses it to take her oatmeal up a notch bringing a rich, buttery flavor to other add-ins like brown sugar and cinnamon. She also uses the savory ingredient in ice cream to give the chilly treat a luxuriously creamy texture. Baking with olive oil can elevate cookies and brownies with a decadent, earthy undertone and extra moisture.
Not to be limited to just culinary use, olive oil can even clean your kitchen. The Mediterranean miracle agent fights against hardened grease stains and can clean and shine stainless steel appliances. Olive oil is great at breaking down crayon wax and sticker residues for creatives like this writer. It also doubles as leather treatment by restoring color and repairing small scratches on shoes and furniture. In the same way, it can also treat and protect wood – just make sure whatever’s being treated doesn’t have a home outdoors. The sunlight and heat will break down the oil, causing it to go rancid.
