How to Start Your Day with Olive Oil

With all this talk of the great benefits of olive oil, let’s talk about how to take it. We know, of course, that it may be a bit difficult to start your day with an entire shot of olive oil on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. In fact, if oil is consumed in large amounts, it may actually upset the stomach that is not used to it, here are a couple more ways to go about it.

First, start with a tablespoon and increase the amount over time. Another option is to mix olive oil in a blender with a cup of warm water and the juice of a lemon. It makes it much more palatable and the lemon juice will help with the easier digestion of the oil. Plus, lemon juice has been linked to improved liver function. A healthy liver produces more bile, which in turn is needed for the proper breakdown of fats (and oils) in the small intestine.

A Healthy Heart

Olive oil is a key component of the Mediterranean diet, and there’s been plenty of research that demonstrates the benefits of olive oil, in particular extra virgin olive oil, for heart health including its ability to reduce blood pressure and improve healthy cholesterol levels, both of which contribute to a reduced risk of heart disease. A large review of some of these studies demonstrated how olive oil was the only source of monounsaturated fat that’s been associated with a reduced risk of both stroke and heart disease.