Nutrition Experts Weigh In On TikTok’s Olive Oil Trend
Good extra virgin olive oil is known for its health benefits and a trend on TikTok encourages us to start the day by taking a sip of it. However according to Good Morning America, research shows that olive oil can help reduce inflammation and it’s heart-healthy and fans of the social media trend claim it makes their skin glow and their gut happy. But is downing a shot of EVOO actually good for us? Nutrition experts say the real advantages come with adding it to your meals.
“Olive oil has plant compounds in it that are very beneficial for human health,” says Liz Weinandy, lead dietitian at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “I would recommend people add it to their food rather than just taking a shot of it.” She explains that many foods including tomatoes, carrots and dark leafy greens have fat soluble nutrients in them and they’re absorbed better with some fat, like olive oil.
But registered dietitian Maya Feller says she supports the idea of people swigging a spoonful of high-quality olive oil. “It’s interesting because it probably is like one of one of the few social media things where I’m like, ‘yeah, totally, it’s great,’” she says, adding that she wouldn’t suggest using a “cheap oil” or anything but top quality extra virgin olive oil that’s well sourced. And the nutrition pros say there are a few things to keep in mind with this olive oil trend:
- Our overall eating habits add up, so having a swig of olive oil won’t make up for a diet heavy in a lot of added sugars, synthetic fats and salt.
- Gastroenterologist and gut health expert Dr. Will Bulsiewicz points out that oil is the most calorie dense food on the planet and those calories can add up fast.
- Weinandy says as dietitians, they encourage people to use olive oil to saute foods, as a salad dressing, and in place of butter on veggies, and that despite the health benefits, “ingesting a large amount at one time, like a shot glass every morning, is really not necessary.”
Source: Good Morning America
@realdoctorjay Drink more olive oil #diettips #healthydiet #oliveoil #fyp
♬ original sound - Dr. Jay Feldman
