How Much Olive Oil Per Day?

Do you know that consuming olive oil frequently, maybe even every day, is good for you? But how much olive oil is too little to see the health benefits, and how much is too much? Discover how much olive oil you should eat per day and why consuming olive oil on a regular basis is beneficial for your physical health.

How Much Olive Oil Per Day?

As a general rule of thumb, between one and two tablespoons a day is a good amount of olive oil to consume. This goes for both olive oil that you drink for health benefits and also olive oil that you consume with food as part of your regular cooking process. While there is no established upper limit where an amount of olive oil becomes “bad for you” or “unsafe,” many people do find that if they eat or drink excessive amounts of oil, it can make them feel a bit nauseous. Oils are also relatively high in calories, which is another reason why you want to enjoy them in moderation.

If you do not like drinking olive oil straight up, there are many different ways to incorporate it into your diet. You can use it for saltine or fine foods, make it into a bread dipping sauce or incorporate it into a salad dressing. There are many possibilities for including this versatile cooking staple in your diet. You are only limited by your imagination and willingness to experiment as you cook.

Benefits of Olive Oil

As for why you might want to make extra virgin olive oil a regular part of your diet, this oil offers many health benefits and is, in fact, one of the healthier oils that you can choose. To start, olive oil has omega-3 fatty acids, which are important in preventing cardiovascular disease and also supporting brain health. Olive oil is also high in antioxidants, which helps protect your body from the negative effects of free radicals, which can contribute to disease.

Olive oil is also high in monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, while being low in saturated fats. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are better for you because they do not raise the “bad” cholesterol levels in the body. These are the fats that contain essential fatty acids like omega-3. They also contain vitamin E as well. These healthy fats are also found in other foods, such as fish and nuts, that are good for you, but olive oil is an especially good source of them.

Because of all these beneficial compounds, olive oil has anti-inflammatory effects, which is very beneficial for your physical health. It also helps regulate insulin and stabilize blood sugar levels, which will help regulate the effect that sugar has on your body. Consuming olive oil can also help you feel more full after meals and potentially help ward off cravings for sugar. Through all these mechanisms, consuming healthy fats, such as those in olive oil, also contributes to maintaining a healthy weight.

What Type of Olive Oil to Consume?

Not all olive oils contain equal amounts of these beneficial compounds. Certain refining techniques, such as the addition of heat or chemicals, can reduce the amount of antioxidants, healthy fats and other elements, in turn reducing the health benefits of the oil. To get the most out of your daily olive oil consumption, you should choose extra virgin olive oil – which is the freshest and least refined type of olive oil and, as a result, it contains the highest levels of beneficial compounds. If you are looking to make olive oil part of your daily diet, then you should absolutely go for extra virgin olive oil. If you are trying to drink your daily olive oil and are finding it a bit difficult, then starting out with a flavored olive oil, such as our LUCID lemon olive oil, can make it easier to get in the habit.

At Brightland, we harvest our olives at the peak of freshness to ensure that our customers get the greatest health benefits possible. We also package our olive oil in opaque glass bottles to protect the oil from UV rays’ damage and keep it fresh for longer. All of our oils are extra virgin olive oil, and we sell both unflavored and flavored olive oil to appeal to all palates. Order today!