Extra virgin olive oil or EVO is all in range. It’s considered the queen of all oils as it provides you with a number of health benefits. People around the world use it for cooking, dressing, roasting, sautéing, and even baking.
If you have used this oil ever, you must have heard that drinking it before bed can be beneficial, but is it really true? Yesss! Experts believe that drinking olive oil before bed is the wisest time to take it, which can provide you with numerous health benefits. Many professionals swear to drink olive oil at night. But one thing to be noted is that don’t trust any olive oil; if you want to enjoy all the benefits, then you should pick the good stuff.
Keep reading the article to know how you can benefit your health just by taking a sip of olive oil every day.
Drinking olive oil before bed
Olive oil is a natural medicine, and drinking it every day can help you treat many digestive problems. Healthline [1]https://www.healthline.com/ explains that “according to anecdotal stories drinking olive oil can help detoxify your body, soothe your stomach and also helps in weight loss. Some experts believe that drinking olive oil is more beneficial than eating it as a part of any meal.
There is not any specific research on whether drinking olive oil is more beneficial than eating it as part of any meal. However, plenty of research showcases the nutritional value of olive oil.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil before Bad
Before we see the benefits of olive oil, it’s good to know why extra virgin oil is worth drinking more than its other types.
Extra virgin oil or EVOO is made with minimal processing. Simply the producers crush olives and separate the oil from the pulp as it is cold-pressed and unheated, which means that the delicate nutrients, including polyphenols, remain.
Now, what are the polyphenols? These compounds in olives offer several health benefits, including lowering the risk of heart disease and slowing the development of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Some of the polyphenol compounds present in the EVOO are oleuropein[2]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3002804/, hydroxytyrosol[3]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5874578/, and oleocanthal[4]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4139846/, which have anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties.
Regular olive oil is still a healthier option than most other cooking oils, but it is not as potent as EVOO or Extra Virgin Oil. In 2018, one study showed that regular olive oil contains less beneficial compounds like polyphenols.
Nevertheless, both regular olive oil and extra virgin olive oil contain 83 % oleic acid, which is higher as compared to other oils. Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid, also known as healthy fat, and it helps fight cancer and inflammation.
Top 6 Benefits of Drinking Olive Oil before bed
Below you can find a list of all the health benefits of drinking olive oil before bed.
1.Increase the level of healthy fat
Drinking olive oil before bed is very beneficial as it helps you get the right fat daily. Although many of us think that we get plenty of fat and that, in fact, drinking more of it will not be good for our diet, it is not true.
Researchers explain that many of us tend to fall short on polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat, which we should all be getting for at least 25 % of our diet.
Olive oil is the richest plant-based source of poly and monounsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids help to reduce the risk of many heart disease as well as helps to manage cholesterol level. That’s why drinking olive oil before bed can help reach the recommended daily amount.
Moreover, these kinds of fatty acids can also be obtained from nuts, seeds, and plant-based products. However, if you are afraid of getting acidic reflux, then drinking EVOO is ideal!
2.Reduces the risk of heart diseases
In one study, researchers found that people following the Mediterranean diet, which includes a high amount of olive oil, have a very lower chance of heart disease.
Even more, many researchers have also exclaimed that having olive oil in one’s diet is far better than having a diet without fat.
To enjoy all the benefits of olive oil, you should be well aware of the recommended daily amount of olive oil, as taking its overdose can put you at risk. If you are not taking enough Olive oil, be sure to take a small dose every day before going to bed.
3.Helps you to sleep better:
For Mediterranean people, it was very common to drink olive oil as they believed that drinking it before bed could help them to sleep better.
But have you ever thought about why? Why drinking it at night can give you good sleep? Well, this is because when you drink olive oil at night, it helps your body to gain a good feeling of being full without eating so late or so much.
Research shows that eating a heavy meal before sleeping is not good because after eating a heavy meal, your digestive system has to work harder to deal with the food as you lay down, which sometimes causes discomfort and keeps you awake.
Thus, studies have found that it is way better to eat light and rich food at night and a heartier meal in the morning, as it will keep your body running on good energy throughout the day.
No one likes to sleep with an empty stomach, so instead of taking a heavy meal, olive oil can be a quick, healthy option that can make your body feel full without a heavy meal.
4.Helps you with inflammation
One of the best health benefits of drinking olive oil at night is that it helps with inflammation. Do you know that drinking olive oil can help you to stay away from certain kinds of sleep?
Everyone must have experienced inflammation at some point in their life, for which they must take medications that help relieve pain and stress. However, olive oil is a natural and great way to reduce inflammation.
Although drinking olive oil may not work immediately like medication, it can be a great way to keep certain genes and proteins that fuel inflammation at bay. These genes can lead you to certain diseases such as heart disease, obesity, cancer, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, etc.
5.Promotes Weight Loss:
A recent study found that if any person with excess body fat takes 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil can experience a significant weight loss and blood pressure reduction.
Another study recommended that one should drink olive oil instead of eating it as a part of any meal to treat obesity.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that olive oil is an energy-rich and high-calorie food. You should substitute olive oil for other sources of calories in your diet, or you may gain weight.
6.Helps to treat constipation:
Another great benefit of drinking EVOO at night is that it can relieve constipation. According to an estimation, constipation may affect approximately 34 % of adults over the age of 60.
In a four-week study, researchers gave each participant one tablespoon of olive oil and found that constipation patients experienced significant relief. Moreover, from that time, olive oil was considered as effective as mineral oil, which was effective for this condition.
How much olive oil should I drink a day?
The amount of olive oil that you should take depends on your age, body and health condition. However, as a general thumb rule, taking olive oil between one and two tablespoons a day is a good amount to consume.
What happens if I drink olive oil every day?
Eating extra virgin olive oil every day can be very beneficial for your health as it can help to keep your heart healthy, balance your high blood sugar level, reduces the risk of certain diseases, improves your skin quality, and helps you to reach your healthy fat level, maintain your weight, helps you sleep good, benefits are endless.
Does drinking Olive Oil help with Insomnia?
Olive oil is anti-inflammatory which can make you feel full and help balance blood sugar levels; indeed, it may also help with Insomnia.
However, no specific study has proved that drinking olive oil can help to sleep better, but a number of people have sworn by the magical health benefits of olive oil over the years.
Final Notes
There are plenty of health benefits that you can enjoy if you drink olive oil before going to bed; however, considering its amount is necessary. However, be sure to add high-quality olive oil to your diet if you really want to enjoy its benefits.