Somewhere between a mirror and a viral clip, a small ritual has taken hold: a spoonful, or a shot glass, of olive oil swallowed each morning in pursuit of clearer skin and calmer insides. It is a familiar human impulse, the wish for a quick and certain remedy, set against a slower truth that a healthy diet builds its benefits over years rather than mornings. Science communicator Megan Meyer, speaking from Durham, North Carolina, reminds us that the olive itself has earned its good name through the whole meal it belongs to, not through a single concentrated gulp.
Olive Oil Shots Are Trending, but Experts Warn They Could Backfire on Your Waistline
Keep the oil in the meal, not in the shot glass.
Mark
Why is this trend catching on at all?
Mimi
Megan Meyer says it's novelty plus virality, and people want quick fixes. Changing a whole diet is slow, and so are the results.
Mark
But olive oil does have real benefits, right?
Mimi
It does. A 2022 JACC study found adults eating more than half a tablespoon a day had a 19% lower risk of death from heart disease.
Luke
Careful, though. That's an observational study of olive oil in the diet, not of shots. It can't show that the shot format does anything.
Mark
What about Harry Jowsey's less puffy face?
Mimi
That's his own report after one week. Another user called it a great way to lower inflammation.
Luke
Both are anecdotes. Nothing in the reporting measures puffiness or inflammation in anyone.
Mark
So what's the downside?
Mimi
Calories, mainly. Meyer says a shot or two can add several hundred a day, and fat on an empty stomach may cause reflux, bloating or loose stools.
Luke
Worth noting that's her assessment, not a trial result. "Several hundred" is her estimate, and the article gives no weight-gain data from people actually doing this.
Mark
And her alternative?
Mimi
Eat it with meals: sautéing, dressings, a drizzle on soups and sauces. Extra virgin has more polyphenols than refined.
O Pulso
- Olive oil shots are spreading fast across social media, carried by influencers who swear by glowing skin and reduced inflammation.
- Enthusiastic testimonials are racing ahead of the evidence, and the trend's appeal rests on personal stories rather than controlled trials.
- Health communicator Megan Meyer is pushing back, warning that one or two daily shots can add several hundred calories and steadily lead to weight gain.
- Digestive complaints such as bloating, acid reflux, and loose stools are a real risk, especially for anyone with gallbladder trouble or a sensitive stomach.
- Meyer's counsel is to move the oil back onto the plate, using it for sautéing, dressings, and drizzles, where its heart-protective benefits are best documented.
Somewhere between a mirror and a viral clip, a small ritual has taken hold: a spoonful, or a shot glass, of olive oil swallowed each morning in pursuit of clearer skin and calmer insides. It is a familiar human impulse, the wish for a quick and certain remedy, set against a slower truth that a healthy diet builds its benefits over years rather than mornings. Science communicator Megan Meyer, speaking from Durham, North Carolina, reminds us that the olive itself has earned its good name through the whole meal it belongs to, not through a single concentrated gulp.
Every morning for a week, reality star Harry Jowsey took a shot of olive oil mixed with lemon juice, then reported to his followers that his face looked less puffy and his skin more even. He is one of many voices in a growing trend that has also drawn in figures like Kourtney Kardashian and Hailey Bieber. Fans of the practice keep returning to one word: polyphenols, plant compounds that research links to fighting oxidative stress and inflammation.
Not every health professional thinks the jump from those compounds to a daily shot of oil makes sense. Megan Meyer, a science communication consultant in Durham, North Carolina, explained to Fox News Digital that trends like this spread because they are novel, viral, and offer quick fixes. Real dietary change is slow and hard, and its results take even longer to appear.
Meyer does not dismiss olive oil itself. Extra virgin oil generally carries more polyphenols than refined versions, and as part of a balanced diet it can support the heart. A 2022 observational study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology linked more than half a tablespoon a day with a 19 percent lower risk of death from heart disease, benefits she attributes largely to monounsaturated fat and polyphenols.
The trouble, she says, is the shot itself. A couple of them a day can add several hundred calories, which over time can mean weight gain, and taking that much fat on an empty stomach can bring cramps, reflux, or loose stools. Her bottom line: skip the shot, and enjoy the oil in sautéed vegetables, salad dressings, or drizzled over soup.
Every morning for a week, reality television personality Harry Jowsey downed a shot of olive oil mixed with lemon juice, then told his social media followers what he saw in the mirror: "less puffiness" and "more even skin." His account is one of many feeding a trend in which people swallow olive oil straight, a practice that Kourtney Kardashian and Hailey Bieber have also been associated with for its supposed health benefits.
Another social media user described a similar experience and called the habit "a great way to lower inflammation." The word that comes up most often among the trend's fans is polyphenols, compounds produced by plants. According to the National Institutes of Health, polyphenols can help fight oxidative stress and reduce inflammation, which may lead to a range of health benefits.
Some health professionals say the leap from those facts to a daily shot of oil is not justified. Megan Meyer, Ph.D., a science communication consultant based in Durham, North Carolina, spoke to Fox News Digital about why such habits catch on. In her view, trends like this spread because they are novel and go viral, and because people are drawn to quick, convenient fixes. Improving a diet, she noted, can be difficult and slow, and its effects usually take even longer to show.
Meyer does not dismiss olive oil itself. She pointed out that polyphenol content varies considerably: extra virgin olive oil tends to contain more than a light-tasting, refined olive oil. And as part of a healthy diet, olive oil can support heart health. A 2022 observational study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that adults who consumed more than half a tablespoon a day had a 19% lower risk of death from heart disease. Meyer said those benefits are largely tied to the oil's monounsaturated fat and polyphenols.
A shot, she said, should be safe for most healthy people. But she advised that anyone with gallbladder problems, chronic reflux or a sensitive stomach should probably skip it.
The larger concern is calories. One or two shots a day can add several hundred calories to a person's intake, Meyer said. Because eating more than the body burns leads to weight gain, she said, a daily shot or two will most likely cause people to gain weight over time. She also warned that taking that much fat on an empty stomach may bring an upset stomach, acid reflux, bloating or loose stools.
Her bottom line is that she does not recommend olive oil shots, though she encourages eating the oil in other ways. "Olive oil is delicious," she said, and she suggested using it for sautéing, as the base of dressings, or as a drizzle over soups and sauces.
The claims driving the trend rest largely on personal testimonials like Jowsey's rather than controlled trials, while the best-documented benefit, the heart-health finding, comes from an observational study of olive oil in the diet more broadly. For now, the advice from Meyer is to keep the oil in the meal, not in the shot glass.
Citações Notáveis
Taking an olive oil shot or two every day can add several hundred calories to your daily calorie consumption.— Megan Meyer, Ph.D., science communication consultant
Olive oil is delicious.— Megan Meyer, Ph.D.
Quer a matéria completa?
Leia o original em New York Post ↗