Lemon can help a body get vitamin C, and olive oil is famously healthy for one’s heart. Photograph: Magdalena Niemczyk/ElanArt/Getty Images/Image SourceLemon can help a body get vitamin C, and olive oil is famously healthy for one’s heart. Photograph: Magdalena Niemczyk/ElanArt/Getty Images/Image SourceInfluencers are drinking shots of olive oil and lemon juice. Should you?Wellness enthusiasts on TikTok and Instagram claim the combination bestows glowing skin and better digestion
A shot of lemon juice and olive oil might be delicious on a salad – but would you drink it straight up?
That’s what wellness enthusiasts on TikTok and Instagram are doing, claiming it bestows glowing skin and better digestion, and supports the dubious process of “detoxing”.
Wellness shots have become “a revolving door for trends”, as dietician Lauren Manaker puts it; over the years, knocking back apple cider vinegar, ginger-turmeric blends, wheatgrass, aloe vera and carrot juice have all come in and out of vogue.
Could there be real benefits to this one? We asked experts.
First of all, what does it taste like?
Personally, I would happily add gin to vinaigrette and call it a dirty martini, so I wasn’t too worried about the bitter pungency of combining one tablespoon each of lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. When I made myself the concoction, it went down easy.
Dietician Michelle Routhenstein warned me that acid reflux can be an issue for some, due to the acidity of lemon and the peppery sharpness of the oil, but I escaped that fate.
Is there evidence that olive oil and lemon shots improve health?
A little. It’s more to do with the oil – a tablespoon of lemon juice only nets you around 6% of the 75mg of vitamin C you need daily.
Research shows that following the Mediterranean diet, which features roughly four daily tablespoons of olive oil as its main source of fat – as well as plenty of other healthy foods like vegetables and fish and very little red meat, butter or refined grains – can reduce the odds of a major heart event, like a heart attack or stroke, by 25%.
Olive oil’s beneficial role in heart health and the Mediterranean diet comes down to two things, says Routhenstein, whose practice centres on heart function and cardiometabolic risk. First, it’s a monounsaturated fat. Saturated fats, found in butter and red meat, raise LDL cholesterol – the bad kind that builds up as artery plaque. Monounsaturated fats help lower bad cholesterol and keep artery walls flexible and functional.
Beans, beans, the magical fruit: how healthy are they really?Read moreOlive oil also contains unique polyphenols, a category of plant-based antioxidants, which help to reduce cell damage and inflammation, notes Routhenstein. In a typical daily diet, most people get more than 1,100mg of polyphenols, mostly from coffee, tea and fruit. A tablespoon of olive oil contains 7-15mg, depending on how it was made and the olives used. Extra-virgin (minimally processed) and cold-pressed (processed without heat) olive oils retain the highest concentration of polyphenols.
There’s no target daily amount for polyphenols, but more is good news when it comes to supporting overall health.
Note that one tablespoon of olive oil contains about 14g of fat and 120 calories, roughly the fat and energy content of half a medium avocado.
Is drinking these ingredients any better than eating them?
Lemon juice and extra-virgin cold-pressed olive oil are nutritious on their own.
But part of what makes them so healthy is that each, through different mechanisms, helps us absorb healthy compounds from fruits and vegetables, Routhenstein says. For instance, green leafy vegetables contain lutein and zeaxanthin, and tomatoes contain lycopene – all fat-soluble antioxidants more available to our bodies when eaten alongside a fat like olive oil. Vitamin C supports iron absorption from plant foods like spinach and kale. By ingesting olive oil and lemon juice on their own, you are missing the opportunity to up your intake of other nutrients.
Drinking these ingredients in a shot does have the benefit of keeping them raw. The polyphenols in olive oil are heat-sensitive, as is vitamin C.
Routhenstein’s advice? Pour your shot over a salad.
Do olive oil and lemon shots promote healthy skin?
Influencers claim that olive oil and lemon shots can make your skin clear and glowy. Does that check out?
The Mediterranean diet has shown promise for helping relieve certain inflammatory skin conditions like acne. But that may be more to do with what the diet cuts out than the olive oil it includes, explains dermatologist Dr Lauren Kole – namely, large portions of high-glycemic simple carbohydrates. These are “sugary, starchy, processed foods”, like doughnuts and fries, which have the “highest association with acne exacerbation” of any foods.
Graphic with three lines of text that say, in bold, ‘Well Actually’, then ‘Read more on living a good life in a complex world,’ then a pinkish-lavender pill-shaped button with white letters that say ‘More from this section’The polyphenols in olive oil are anti-inflammatory, and vitamin C supports collagen, but Kole says there’s little data behind the theory that dietary additions can beautify otherwise healthy skin. “There’s much, much more benefit to using those active ingredients in appropriate topical formulations,” such as skincare serums that incorporate oleocanthal and vitamin C, than taking wellness shots, she says.
Can olive oil and lemon juice aid in digestion?
“When it comes to bowel regularity, olive oil can act as a natural lubricant for the digestive system,” says Manaker. Research shows that extra-virgin olive oil is a valid treatment for constipation.
Lemon juice has also, in some studies, been shown to increase the production of gastric juices – the acids that break down food in our stomachs – and the speed at which that food moves into the small intestine. But bear in mind that having too much gastric acid in one’s stomach is also assocated with ulcers and acid reflux, and may cause stomachaches.
Should anyone avoid lemon juice and olive oil?
Certain groups of people should approach this trend with caution, notes Manaker – and not just those prone to acid reflux.
“Individuals with gallbladder issues, such as gallstones, may find that consuming a concentrated amount of olive oil triggers discomfort or pain, as it can stimulate bile production,” she explains. Similarly, people with fat malabsorption issues or certain digestive conditions, like Crohn’s disease, might struggle to process the oil effectively.
If you take medications that affect blood clotting, like coumadin, or blood sugar levels, like metformin, consult your healthcare provider before hopping on this trend, says Manaker. “Olive oil can have mild blood-thinning and glucose-lowering effects.”
Otherwise, a shot of olive oil and lemon juice is a low-risk wellness trend to experiment with. If taking them makes you feel good – well, cheers!
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