Can a Daily Tablespoon of Olive Oil Help You Lose Weight?
94Healthy Olive Oil
Olive Oil for Weight Loss
Olive oil continues to get the recognition it deserves as part of a healthy diet. Recent research from Beloit College in Wisconsin, reported that taking 1 tablespoon per day, can help those trying to lose weight, by shedding a pound per week.
Olive oil comes from the olive tree (Olea europaena) and is a traditional Mediterranean crop. It has been a staple for thousands of years and its healthy benefits are making it popular the world over.
How it Works for Weight Loss:
- as a good fat - Olive oil, a good fat, has been shown to burn off three times faster than bad fats, like the trans fats found in our commercial food products.
- oleic acid content - The oleic acid in olive oil is the component believed to give it the fat-fighting benefits. The fatty acid helps fat tissues stop absorbing fat from blood cells. It also aids the fat cells by secreting stored fat into the bloodstream so it can be burned off.
- oleic acid conversion - During digestion, oleic acid converts to OEA, a hunger-fighting hormone. OEA stimulates nerve cells and tells the brain you are full.
- increases metabolism - Researchers have found that women who had olive oil at breakfast boosted metabolism by 60% more than women who skipped the oil. It is believed that olive oil burns hot and fast - creating a metabolic boost.
Researchers in the study recommend taking a tablespoon in the morning on an empty stomach.
Health Benefits of Olive Oil:
According to the Mayo Clinic, olive oil is a healthy choice in fats. It contains monounsaturated fat which can lower the bad (LDL) cholesterol levels in the blood. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that about 2 tablespoons per day (23 grams) may reduce the risk of heart disease.
What kind to buy:
The least processed are the 'extra-virgin' or 'virgin' olive oils. These are the most heart healthy as they contain the highest levels of polyphenols, a powerful antioxidant that promotes a healthy heart.
Olive oil is also known as a healthy raw fat (see link to raw fats). Raw fats are healthiest in their most natural state. Rather than cooking with, olive oil can be drizzled over salads, in soups, or over other foods.
See links below for raw fats, other healthy oils, and healthy eating suggestions.
Healthy Raw Fats
- What are Raw Fats? And Why Do We Need Them?
Raw fats are fats that are uncooked and in their most natural state. Most people are not including enough of these raw fats in their daily diet. Instead the fats are usually cooked or added to a food that is...
Healthy Oils
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All oils and fats are 100% fat. However, the components that make up that fat structure of each oil are important in determining whether or not the oil or fat is considered healthy. It is a myth to... - Healthy Oils: 9 Nut and Seed Oils
All oils and fats are 100% fat. However, the components that make up that fat structure of each oil are important in determining whether or not the oil or fat is considered healthy. It is a myth to believe...
Healthy Eating Suggestions
- Foods to Help You Lose the Dangerous Belly Fat
People who carry excess weight around the belly are at increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and some types of cancer. Reasearchers at Wake Forest University found that trans fats,* which has... - Rev Up Your Fat Burning Metabolism with Avocado
You can boost your fat burning metabolism by eating foods that contain L-carnitine. Avocado is a rich source of L-carnitine. As an added bonus, it is also an aphrodisiac. L-carnitine is an amino acid found... - 10 Healthy Foods to Help You Lose Weight and Feel Fu...
Historically, food has always been there to keep us healthy. Unfortuntately, the Western Diet has become filled with processed foods that contain partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and...
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Comments
Thank you Bk, I need all the help I can get to lose some of my eight. thank you for sharing your hub on the one tablespoon of Olive oil a day help you lose wight hub. thank you so much for your info.Godspeed. creativeone59
Thank you Bk - any excuse to have a l'il more olive oil! :)
It's sad that a lot of healthy fats have disappeared from our diet thanks to the 'skinny' look!
Hey BK, this is excellent information, as usual. It is a reminder for me to eat my salad a day with olive oil and lemon - my favorite way to get this incredible oil into my diet - thanks! Kartika
Thank you for your information and your great help. Hope this will shift my slim figure. It half sticks you would think it is cement.
I agreed with creativeone59. I need all the help I can get, LOL! Thanks for sharing, as always. Great hub!
Thanks for the tip BkCreative. I think I saw this Doctor on Oprah Winfrey who asked people who eat a slice of whole grain bread with a tsp of olive oil on it. Will try this early morning thing to boost my metabolism.
Thank you all for responding. I keep olive oil on hand but I realized I'm not necessarily using it everyday - so a few days ago I started doing the tablespoon in the morning. With cold weather and dry heat in my home my skin was starting to feel dry and itchy - I think the daily oil is making a difference in my skin.
I'd rather take this as a dose for health rather than a vitamin!
Thanks for the tip I'm going to try this for two weeks, and keep notes I'll tell you how it goes.
Good Hub, BKCreative - olive oil certainly is a great boon to overall health. It is exceptionally tasty, too - I like a little olive oil drizzled on a few slices of tomato, topped off with fragrant herbs. It is a wonderful breakfast :)
I love olives so if the oil can help me lose weight I will be one happy bunny
Would love to hear from you in two weeks Scott.Life! I started taking a tablespoon each morning for 4 days now - and do feel more energetic - and softer!
A little olive oil drizzled over tomato slices - and with herbs - three great benefits! Good idea sufidreamer!
I'd love to know how the olives work for you ethel smith. I wonder if you'd have to eat much more for the benefits. But as long as you enjoy the olives and are healthy - that is all that matters!
Thank you all for writing!
No worries - Bk. Adding a bit of feta is nice, too.
As for Ethel's olives, going from memory, they are 60 - 65% oil, depending upon the type. We will be picking our trees in a few weeks, so I look forward to some big, fat Kalamata olives :)
Love the feta - especially the fresh feta I ate while in Greece - so many kinds - and then all the kinds of olives and the nice thick coffee and on and on. Wish I was there right now!
Good info for ethel smith and others who prefer to eat olives.
Thank you sufidreamer!
Thanks for the information
so you just take a tablespoon of it straight off a spoon?
I am not sure just what it is about olive oil but I would believe there is something to it. I know a 75 year old man who backpacks for two weeks at a time out west. He has started just about every morning of his life with a bowl of oatmeal with olive oil in it. Sounds gross to me but it must be doing something.
You are welcome jacob!
Yes, erikalints - in the research, it says to take a tablespoon each morning on an empty stomach. I have developed the habit of starting my a.m. with a cup of warm water - and then I have the olive oil. So far I just feel better after just 5 days - more energetic, my skin feels better - it may be pyschological but I know olive has benefits.
You know Mitch King, I too am changing my eating habits - at one time I may have gagged at the thought of oatmeal with olive oil but now I may try it. In the research I used it came from an article that reported the oldest woman in the world (120 years) says she has up to a cup of olive oil per day. I'm sure she has other good habits - but again it can't hurt.
Thanks for your comments!
It does seem like everyone I know who cooks with olive oil are very healthy people.
Good point Artemus Gordon! It seems they all have healthy skin and nice hair. Thanks for commenting!
I cook with olive oil, use it in dressings and some homemade creams. Great stuff!
Sounds great Godslittlechild! I'll try it in a homemade cream too! Thanks for writing!
BkCreative, I use pure virgin olive oil all the time. I am going to try this. Thanks for sharing as always great tips! Blessings!
Thanks for the compliment DeBorrah K. Ogans - and so far I am feeling pretty good just adding this tablespoon in the a.m.
My cousin from NC who is nearly 80 years old just told me he does this. He is a perfect specimen of good mental and physical health. So I am sold!
The model Giselle, married to Tom Brady, apparently has a spoonfull a day. I am pretty sure she does it, lol. But I have always wanted to try it for about a month and see how it does.
Interesting The Sablirab - I didn't know about Giselle - and I just read that quite a few women on the dancing show are using olive oil to keep their weight down. I figure it can't hurt - and I do feel more energetic.
Thanks for writing!
This is a very informative hub. Thank you! I was wondering how to eat it in the morning? Any suggestions? I usually only cook with it. Best, GPAGE
Hi GPAGE, I usually stir fry with olive oil or drizzle it over some foods before I eat the food. But I have decided to try it as recommended in the research - a tablespoon in the a.m. - and I tell you - it makes me feel so full. It's been 6 days only and my hair feels less dry and I have more energy.
One hubber (above) wrote that he knows of a man who puts in on his oatmeal - that's a idea you may want to try - I may try that.
Thanks for writing!
I always cook with olive oil instead of butter! I grow them at home too! Great Hub.
Interesting info here. I use EVOO to cook with but I've never heard of actually drinking it like this for health benefits. Very interesting!
I use olive oil instead of tomato sauce for all of my pasta dishes.
How great to be able to grow your own olives, stricktlydating! And once I stopped using butter, I find I don't miss it. Thanks for the compliment!
This is new to me too, Hope WIlbanks, actually drinking it. But I guess if we drizzle it on salads and other foods, it's the same. Glad you found the information interesting. I'm trying the tablespoon each morning so I can be consistent.
Sounds good Unique Kids Stuff. I prefer olive oil now too and seem to be losing my taste for tomato sauce on my pasta. I can't go back.
Thanks for writing!
Great informative Hub! Many people are thinking that this is only for external purposes! You have also added great useful links.
Thanks so much for writing ratnaveera! I'm glad you found the hub informative!
Yes, I believe that Olive oil is a good source of healthy fat.
But I think that virgin coconut oil is still the best healthy oil. Scientifically studies that it has enzymes that can control HIV to become full grown AIDS. In fact, it increase of CD4+ T cells and become almost no trace of the virus.
It also controls weights of obese people taking it regularly.
True about virgin coconut oil. It was misunderstood here in the US and condemned - but now we know its many amazing benefits. I've written hubs that included coconut oil as well as the many benefits of coconut milk and water.
All foods have different benefits and I think our environment and blood type should play a role in what we eat. Of course it should be quality, always.
Thanks for writing!
I lowered my cholesterol with extra virgin olive oil, and it had been dangerously high for years. I have it almost every day in salad and add applecider vinegar and either orange marmalade or splenda and add herbs you like instead of salt and you will never miss the salt. Good to add diced celery and apple too.Yum
Hello Pollyannalana! - thanks so much for writing and sharing your olive oil success so we can all benefit!
I'm so glad this has worked for you. We hubbers will effect some positive health changes! Thanks again!
Thanks for the tips. I am not over weight, but I have high cholesterol. Shall be sending this to family and friends as well.
You're welcome einron! And thanks for sharing with your family and friends!
Well it cannot hurt, may do me good so I think I will give it a try tomorrow. Thanks.
good information
sounds fine if you mix it in somthing
Olive oil makes for the best salad dressing once you get used to it. It also is a great replacement for butter on bread.
That's the idea Peter Dickinson - I think of this like a vitamin - instead of a pill I take a tablespoon in the morning. Can't hurt!
Thanks for writing Truth From Truth!
I do like dipping bread in olive oil - sometimes I mix a bit of vinegar! Good eating gramon1!
Olive oil, olive oil, one I must try. I seem to have tried everything else. Actually I did try it years ago, and I think it worked, but back then I could lose weight easily. But let's see how it works with this concrete that I'm carrying around. Thanks for the tip. Very good hub.
Concrete fastfreta? - hilarious!!!
Well, I can truthfully say I feel full after my tablespoons I've been doing it for 7 days now. I have my usual cup of warm water (maybe with lemon if I have it on hand - and that soothes me). Then I get around to the tablespoon of oil - and I feel full for quite some time. I mean, I have to remind myself to eat - by then it's brunch not breakfast.
So I can truthfully say - the olive oil is sating me - and that should count for something!
Thanks for writing fastfreta!
I love olive oil - when I cook, I use it. I'm going to try the "daily spoonful" and see how it benefits me.
Hope it works out for you lewgard! Nice to meet you and thanks for writing!
great hub, thx
great hub, thx
Wow, awesome Hub! I put olive oil on my hair once a week but who knew it was good for your metabolism? Very cool!
Thank you for writing theherbivorehippi! It's time for me to add it to hair care too! A friend does the best oil treatments and her hair looks fabulous!
Too bad olive oil is also one of the most expensive. Interesting, though. I especially like the fast metabolism :)...always a plus!
I think there's definitely something to this. I love cooking with olive oil and have taken oil supplements before. This is probably one of the more inexpensive routes a person could choose. Thanks for sharing this information on keeping healthy.
Hello annmary! There are so many brands of olive oil on the shelves, I can always find a good bottle on sale. It is working so well for me. I'd rather give up something else!
There is definitely something to it wannabwestern! I have been practicing everything I preach/write about. No more calorie counting, I feel better, my weight has stabilized where I am happy. Good food stuff always works! Thanks for writing.
Good for you for promoting good food stuff! Thanks very much for the info. How do you store your o o?
I love olive oil and use it all the time, but I don't thin a spoon of anything will help you lose weight.
Maybe eating with a smaller spoon would work, but like anything, moderation is the real key to weight loss.
I could lose a few myself, my weakness is my wife and I eat out for entertainment...that's no good LOL
Hi RTalloni - I store my olive oil on the shelf. I seldom buy giant sizes so it's not a matter of it sitting for ages and getting rancid.
Jawa Lunk - I've been doing the tablespoon for a week now - I'd say my stomach seems flatter - I feel better - my skin and hair feel better. Of course I am making an all around effort to eat better, including eat out rarely - but I'd rather take a tablespoon of healthy olive oil than supplements that are unregulated.
Thanks for writing!
Great article. God knows I need it! Thank you ;)
Very interesting. This confirms the rumors I have been hearing.
Nice to meet you FarrahZimer! You're very welcome!
Glad the rumors are confirmed Rubes - for all of us!
Good post.it's interesting topic
Very informative. Will take the time to read you links after the weekend.
Thanks rajagiriworld!
Glad you found it informative bddonovan! Thanks for commenting!
well come to my city
We have recently added olive oil to our diet, I really do like it and we are also trying to lose weight. So far my wife and I have each lost over 16 pounds.
I'm so glad you wrote Putz Ballard! You have lent credibility to adding olive oil to the diet. Thanks for the information!
Veronica Allen says:
3 weeks ago
It's so good to hear from you again! I just purchased a whole bottle of virgin olive oil the other day (you know I love the stuff), so in addition to cooking with it, and using it as a skin moisturizer, I'm going to be taking a "(table)spoonful of olive oil" every day. Thank you so much for this great information. You always deliver.