Have you heard about the benefits of drinking olive oil before bed? If not, you’re going to love this post.
Mary Poppins might sing the praises of a spoonful of sugar, but it’s a spoonful of olive oil that’s turning heads in the health world these days.
Everyone can use a boost when it comes to good health and the beneficial effects of natural foods.
People strive to live long, full lives, but healthcare costs can undoubtedly make things challenging. Following a healthy diet plays a significant role in your overall health, and adding things like olive oil into your routine can provide some valuable health benefits.
Benefits of Olive Oil
Many experts agree that olive oil possesses a wealth of benefits thanks to its healthy mix of antioxidants and oleic acid. Adding a tablespoon of olive oil to your diet can reduce the risk of Type II Diabetes, stroke, and Alzheimer’s Disease.
It also may have some anti-cancer qualities, and some studies suggest that good olive oil can help with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. The latter is thanks to scientific evidence pointing to olive oil’s potential anti-inflammatory properties.
Why Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Health Benefits?
When considering consuming olive oil for its health benefits, you’ll likely hear that extra virgin olive oil is best. The terms virgin and extra virgin basically refer to how manufacturers process olive oil.
Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed, so it maintains many of its natural components, like powerful antioxidants. Therefore, to get the maximum health benefits of olive oil, using extra virgin olive oil will give you the most vitamins, antioxidants, and natural ingredients.
12 Benefits of Drinking Olive Oil Before Bed
You can consume olive oil by cooking with it, adding it to salads, and more. But one popular suggested method for adding olive oil into your health regimen is to drink it before bed.
The general rule is to consume one to two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil daily, preferably on an empty stomach. But if the thought of drinking a straight spoonful of olive oil has you queasy, don’t fear.
You can try mixing it into some water to drink. However, the important thing is that you consume it regularly for the host of health benefits.
In short, simply ensure you get 4 to 6 teaspoons of olive oil a day via cooking, drizzling on a salad, etc., to reap the potential benefits.
1. Increases Your Intake of Healthy Fat
Olive oil contains Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids, and it also contains high amounts of monounsaturated fats, called oleic acid. Monounsaturated fats are a healthy cooking option since they’re very resistant to high heat.
Studies suggest that oleic acid has several benefits, including reducing inflammation and risks of certain cancers.
Monounsaturated fats might also have additional benefits, like aiding in reducing the risk of heart disease and improving insulin sensitivity.
2. Provides You with Powerful Antioxidants
Olive oil is rich in antioxidants, which are excellent for your overall health. They counterbalance free radicals in the body, leading to a host of possible benefits.
Making sure you get enough antioxidants could help fight certain cancers, reduce stress, and improve eye health.
Certain studies point to these benefits being more apparent when people get antioxidants from food instead of supplements. Therefore, getting them from olive oil becomes a reasonable option.
3. Olive Oil Promotes a Healthy Heart
Extra virgin olive oil is a primary ingredient in a Mediterranean diet, which studies have linked to a reduced heart disease risk.
Here are just a few examples of how olive oil might help improve heart health. Afterall, we are all looking for ways to avoid cardiovascular disease; right?
- Olive oil might lower your blood pressure
- Olive oil treatment can prevent too much blood clotting
- Reduces inflammation
- Can improve blood vessel function
- It could help increase your good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol)
4. It May Reduce Your Risk of Certain Cancers
The amount of antioxidants in olive oil is the driving force behind the belief that olive oil can help reduce cancer risk.
Many scientists believe that free radicals are a leading cause of cancer. Since antioxidants help neutralize free radicals in the body, many associate this property with a reduction in the risk for cancer.
There also appears to be a lower level of cancer in Mediterranean countries, which helps support olive oil’s role in cancer reduction. Although many studies are still needed to prove olive oil helps prevent cancer.
5. Could Aid Healthy Weight Loss Goals
No, olive oil isn’t a magic pill for weight loss. But where it can help aid you in your weight loss goals is by providing a healthier alternative to foods full of saturated fats.
The majority of the fats in olive oil are good, healthy fats with tons of benefits (like the monounsaturated fatty acids mentioned above).
Replacing less favorable cooking options with olive oil can help keep your weight loss goals on track. It makes it easier to stick to a low-fat diet, which can help limit weight gain. Plus, it delivers many more health benefits than the less-healthful alternatives.
6. Olive Oil May Help Relieve Constipation
Several studies have clinical trials showing a promising link between reducing constipation and consuming olive oil. However, further research is needed. But if you’re feeling a bit sluggish, it’s a good reason to give olive oil a try.
7. Provides Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Many studies have linked olive oil with a significant reduction in inflammation. Inflammation can cause an array of issues, from heart disease to diabetes to Alzheimer’s and much more.
Therefore, this anti-inflammatory quality could be one of the main reasons olive oil has so many health benefits.
Some studies even suggest that olive oil could act similarly to ibuprofen. Therefore, it indicates that people could get similar anti-inflammatory compounds through a more natural remedy.
For this reason, many people use olive oil to help with issues related to rheumatoid arthritis.
8. Olive Oil Before Bed Might Help You Sleep
Are you looking for ways to get a good sleep every night?
Instead of eating late at night, take a spoonful of olive oil to help curb an empty stomach. The thought is doing this will help you feel full without messing with your digestive system before bed. Therefore, you sleep better and feel more refreshed when you wake.
9. Could Help Fight Alzheimer’s Disease
More research is necessary to strengthen the link between olive oil and preventing Alzheimer’s Disease. However, some promising discoveries in numerous studies show a correlation between the two.
A common cause of Alzheimer’s is a buildup of specific plaques inside brain cells. But, olive oil appears to contain a substance that helps remove these harmful plaques.
10. Olive Oil May Reduce Your Risk for Stroke
Consuming monounsaturated fats is believed to help reduce one’s risk of stroke. But studies also have shown olive oil to be an essential source of these stroke-reducing monounsaturated fats.
In other words, olive oil appears to be the best, possibly the only, effective source of monounsaturated fat to have these results.
11. It May Help Fight Certain Infections
Many believe that olive oil features antibacterial properties, which makes it helpful in fighting off various infections.
Certain studies show that olive oil plays a role in reducing H. pylori infections.
While olive oil appears to get rid of certain harmful bacteria, some studies show that it might also promote the growth of good bacteria in the gut (like probiotics).
12. Olive Oil Could Help Reduce the Risk of Type II Diabetes
Consuming olive oil can have a positive effect on blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity.
A study published in Diabetes Care showed a significant reduction in diabetes risk in those who ate an olive oil-rich Mediterranean diet. Therefore, regular olive oil consumption could protect against Type II Diabetes.
These potential health benefits of drinking olive oil before bed are sure to make you want to keep a jar on your nightstand. But if you aren’t sure about swallowing a spoonful of olive oil, you can still reap many benefits by cooking with olive oil and incorporating it into various meals.
How do you use olive oil in your cooking routine? Share your tips in the comments below.
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