I Drank a Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Daily for 35 Days
Here’s What Happened to my body.
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The one constant in my life has always been olive oil. As far back as I can remember, my mother has a solution for everything with olive oil. — Norma Kamali
Drinking a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil became one of my 30-day challenges, a series created to build tiny, sustainable, healthy habits.
In just a few months, I’ve tried everything from walking 10,000 steps daily to incorporating lukewarm lemon water into my morning routine.
I will be sharing my detailed reviews in the next few weeks. I will also make sure to write about all the 30-day challenges I did this year so you can make them part of your New Year's goals.
But this time, it was all about olive oil.
Why only one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil?
Dietary fat’s health benefits are debatable. Experts, on the other hand, believe that olive oil, particularly extra virgin olive oil, is beneficial to health.
Extra virgin olive oil is the main source of fat in the Mediterranean diet, which is related to low mortality from cardiovascular disease.
According to the research, olive oil has benefits beyond cardiovascular disease.
Extra virgin olive oil contains two main types of fats.
i) monounsaturated fat
ii) polyunsaturated fat such as omega-6 & omega-3 fatty acids
Studies prove that both fats can help reduce bad cholesterol levels, which can lower the risk of strokes and heart disease.
Research shows that olive oil is also a great source of antioxidants, which help to fight chronic diseases and inflammation in the body.
According to my research, one tablespoon is enough to get all the health benefits without upsetting my stomach.
Micronutrients per tablespoon (three teaspoons) of extra virgin olive oil
One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil:
Calories: 126
Fat: 14 grams
i) saturated fat: 2.3 grams
ii) Polyunsaturated fat: 0.97 gram
iii) Monounsaturated fat: 10.4 gram
Protein: 0 grams
Carbs: 0 grams
Fiber: 0 grams
Free from Cholesterol,sugar, sodium & gluten
Vitamin E: 13% of the daily value (DV)
Vitamin K: 7% of the DV