What does a shot of olive oil before bed do?

What does a shot of olive oil before bed do?

Taking a shot of olive oil before bed has become popular on social media, but most claims about it don’t hold up to science. You won’t get special fat burning or metabolism boosts just from drinking olive oil at night.

Here’s what happens when you drink olive oil before bed.

Does olive oil before bed help you lose weight?

No. Olive oil won’t help you lose weight no matter what time you drink it.

One tablespoon of olive oil has 119 calories and 14 grams of fat. If you’re drinking a “shot” of olive oil, that’s about 2 tablespoons, giving you 238 calories of pure fat. That’s the same calories as eating 3 eggs or a protein bar.

Weight loss comes down to calories in versus calories out. If drinking olive oil puts you over your daily calorie needs, you’ll gain weight. The timing doesn’t change this basic truth.

Studies show that when you eat your calories during the day doesn’t affect fat loss. A 2015 meta analysis looked at time restricted eating versus normal eating patterns. When total calories were the same, there was no difference in fat loss between groups.

What about the metabolism boost?

Your body does burn calories digesting food. This is called the thermic effect of food, or TEF. But fat has the lowest thermic effect of all macronutrients.

Fat has a TEF of about 0% to 3%. If you drink 238 calories of olive oil, your body will burn maybe 7 calories digesting it. That’s less than walking to your mailbox.

Compare this to protein, which has a TEF of 20% to 30%. Eating 238 calories from chicken breast would burn 48 to 71 calories just from digestion. Protein wins by a huge margin.

Can olive oil help you sleep better?

There’s no research showing olive oil improves sleep quality. The claim probably comes from confusion about healthy fats and brain health.

Your body does need dietary fat for hormone production, including sleep hormones like melatonin. But you don’t need to drink olive oil at night to get these benefits. Eating enough fat throughout the day covers your needs.

If you’re having trouble sleeping, focus on proven strategies. Go to bed at the same time each night, keep your room cool and dark, and avoid screens for an hour before bed. These work way better than olive oil.

Does olive oil reduce belly fat?

No food targets belly fat specifically. Your body loses fat from all areas when you’re in a calorie deficit. You can’t spot reduce fat by eating certain foods at certain times.

Some people claim olive oil reduces visceral fat, the dangerous fat around your organs. While olive oil is part of the Mediterranean diet linked to better health outcomes, drinking it straight won’t give you these benefits.

A 2014 study compared people who overate using muffins made with polyunsaturated fats versus saturated fats. The saturated fat group gained twice as much visceral belly fat. This shows fat type matters for health, but both groups still gained weight from eating extra calories.

If you want to reduce belly fat, you need to be in a calorie deficit consistently. Adding olive oil on top of your normal food intake will make you gain fat, not lose it.

What does olive oil actually do for your body?

Olive oil has real health benefits when used as part of your regular diet.

Extra virgin olive oil contains compounds called polyphenols that reduce inflammation in your body. These antioxidants may help protect your heart and blood vessels from damage.

People who follow a Mediterranean diet, which includes olive oil, tend to have better health markers. They show lower rates of heart disease, better cholesterol levels, and improved insulin sensitivity.

But these benefits come from replacing less healthy fats with olive oil, not from adding it on top of everything else. Use olive oil in your cooking instead of butter or vegetable oil. Drizzle it on salads instead of heavy dressings.

Will olive oil help with constipation?

Fat does help your digestive system work smoothly. Olive oil can help move things along if you’re constipated, but you don’t need to drink it straight or take it at night.

Your body needs dietary fat for proper digestion. Fat signals your gallbladder to release bile, which helps break down food and keeps your bowels moving regularly.

Getting 35 to 50 grams of fat per day from all your meals will keep your digestion healthy. You don’t need to drink olive oil separately to hit this number.

Should you drink olive oil in the morning instead?

The timing doesn’t matter. Whether you drink olive oil in the morning, afternoon, or night, you’re still consuming 238 calories of fat.

Your body processes nutrients the same way regardless of when you eat them. A 2012 study put people in a metabolic chamber and fed them either 3 meals per day or 14 meals per day with identical total calories. There was no difference in energy expenditure between groups.

What matters for your health and body composition is your total daily calorie intake and the quality of your food choices over time.

What happens if you drink olive oil on an empty stomach?

Some people claim drinking olive oil on an empty stomach has special benefits. This isn’t supported by research.

Your stomach doesn’t care if olive oil arrives alone or with other food. It will digest the fat and send it through your intestines either way. You might feel nauseous drinking pure oil without food, which is your body telling you this isn’t natural.

Humans evolved eating fats as part of whole foods like nuts, seeds, fish, and meat. We didn’t evolve drinking bottles of extracted oils.

How much fat should you eat per day?

Most people should get 20% to 35% of their daily calories from fat. If you eat 2,000 calories per day, that’s 44 to 78 grams of fat.

You want to get most of this from unsaturated fats like olive oil, nuts, avocados, and fatty fish. These fats support hormone production, help your body absorb vitamins, and reduce inflammation.

Keep saturated fat under 20 to 30 grams per day. Research shows this limit helps protect your heart health and reduces visceral fat gain.

Does the quality of olive oil matter?

Yes. Extra virgin olive oil has more polyphenols and antioxidants than refined olive oil.

Look for bottles labeled “extra virgin” and stored in dark glass. Light and heat damage the beneficial compounds in olive oil. Buy smaller bottles and use them within a few months of opening.

The color doesn’t tell you much about quality. Good olive oil can range from bright green to golden yellow depending on the olives used and when they were harvested.

What’s the best way to use olive oil?

Use olive oil in your regular cooking and meals, not as a supplement to drink straight.

Drizzle it on roasted vegetables, use it in salad dressings, or cook eggs and fish in it. This way you get the health benefits while actually enjoying your food.

You can also use olive oil for lower temperature cooking. High heat can damage some of the beneficial compounds, so save it for finishing dishes or cooking at medium heat. For high heat cooking like searing steak, use avocado oil or ghee instead.

Common questions about olive oil

How many calories are in a tablespoon of olive oil?

One tablespoon has 119 calories and 14 grams of fat. Two tablespoons, which is a typical “shot,” has 238 calories.

Can I drink olive oil every day?

You can, but there’s no reason to drink it straight. Use it in your cooking and meals instead. You’ll get the same benefits without forcing down straight oil.

Will olive oil raise my cholesterol?

No. Olive oil is mostly monounsaturated fat, which can actually improve your cholesterol profile by raising HDL (good cholesterol) and lowering LDL (bad cholesterol).

Is olive oil better than other oils?

For health benefits, yes. Olive oil has more polyphenols and antioxidants than most other cooking oils. But for cooking at high heat, oils with higher smoke points like avocado oil work better.

How long does olive oil last?

Unopened bottles last about 2 years. Once opened, use olive oil within 3 to 6 months for best quality. Store it in a cool, dark place away from the stove.

The bottom line on olive oil before bed

Drinking olive oil before bed won’t help you lose weight, boost your metabolism, or improve your sleep. These claims mix up real nutritional science with wishful thinking.

Olive oil is healthy when used as part of a balanced diet. Use it in your cooking, on your salads, and with your meals. You’ll get all the benefits without the weirdness of drinking straight oil.

If you want to lose fat, focus on being in a calorie deficit through a mix of eating less and moving more. Aim for 0.5% to 1% of your body weight lost per week. That’s sustainable and you’ll actually keep the weight off.

And if you can’t sleep, fix your sleep environment and routine before you start drinking oil. Those basic steps work way better than any food or supplement.

Simple nutritional habits can have surprising effects—read about losing 5 kgs in a fortnight or find out whether magnesium helps reduce cellulite, and optimise your nutrition plan with a personal trainer in Essendon.