Does Extra Virgin Olive Oil increase Body Weight ? Dr. Domenico Pratico', MD, FCPP
- Dr. Domenico Pratico
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Let’s face it, like any other type of food, adding extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), which is a type of fat, to the diet increases the total calories of our overall eating plan.
It is estimated that a tablespoon of EVOO contains about 119 calories.
Frankly, these are a lot of calories for such a small volume (about 15mL)!
Considering that 2-tablespoons is on average the recommended daily intake of EVOO to get its full health benefits, we would need to consider an additional 240 calories to our regular dietary plan, which should be around 2000-2500 calories/day.
In this regard, there are 2 questions that I hear often:
Since EVOO belongs to the fat food category adding it every day to my diet would put me at risk of gaining weight?
Is there a low-calorie EVOO I could use?
I will answer the second question, the easy one, first. There is no low-calorie EVOO, or, as a matter of fact, there is no low-calories olive oil, or any oil in general.
To answer the second question, which does not have a simple answer, I need to discuss and present you with a summary of the scientific information we have available so far on this very important topic about olive oil and body weight.
The facts
A recently published study looked at more than 120,000 individuals of both sexes who were participating longitudinal studies (Nurse’s Health Study and Health Professional Follow-up Study) and investigated whether overtime olive oil consumption was associated with evidence of weight gain. The results showed that the weight gain in individuals using olive oil daily was less, particularly when compared with the subjects in the study who used butter or margarine instead.
Other clinical studies have also shown that regular consumption of olive oil, besides improving general health, could actually be instrumental for better weight management.
Interestingly, another large clinical study looking at the effect of the Mediterranean diet with EVOO, at Mediterranean diet with nuts or at a low-fat diet concluded that only the group with a Mediterranean diet that had also EVOO had the most weight loss.
I also want to point out some evidence which would support the intriguing idea that if one substitutes for a dietary regimen rich in sugars (carbohydrates) with olive oil, nuts or seeds there is a beneficial effect on weight loss in addition to better health parameters such as blood pressure and total sugar levels in the blood (glycemia).
In summary, my answer to the question of whether using the recommended 2 tablespoons of olive oil/EVOO every day puts an individual at risk to gain weight is also “no”.
There is no clinical evidence that daily intake of 2 tablespoons of EVOO results in weight gain.
There is at least half century of clinical research which consistently has shown that chronic use of this “good fat” is beneficial for cardiovascular health, chronic diseases as well as brain health and overall wellness. After all, olive oil has been used by humans for more than 3 thousand years and it is not an accident that it is also called “liquid gold” and in ancient Greece considered as a gift from the gods to us!
As I said in a previous blog, we all should do a “Double Dribble” of EVOO every day!
Not only are two tablespoons of EVOO (incorporated in the daily diet) an excellent source of healthy ingredients; they can take us on a glorious trip around the world.
And remember, as I always say, it is never too early and never too late to start a new dietary habit, particularly one as beneficial as incorporating daily EVOO into our diet.
LOVEEVO!
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Domenico Praticò, MD, holds the Scott Richards North Star Charitable Foundation Chair for Alzheimer’s Research and serves as a Professor and Founding Director of the Alzheimer’s Center at Temple, as well as a Professor of Neural Sciences at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.
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