DRINKING OIL What's the score on drinking olive oil?

Drink a quarter cup of olive oil daily? Why not? With celebs, social media stars, and new oil brands all espousing the benefits of sipping it daily, alongside top bars adding the ingredient to their cocktail lists, we ask, how has this staple of every kitchen managed to rebrand itself as a key wellness tool?

Another week, another drinks trend we can blame on TikTok. Well, at least in part. Yes, this week it’s ‘content creators’ sipping on olive oil that has the social media consuming masses enthralled. Take a glimpse at the aptly named @oliveoilqueen if you’d like to explore the trend a little more. Her video claiming that sipping on the stuff makes her less bloated has had over 3.5 million views. And she’s not the only one on the platform promoting the trend. It’s not an exaggeration to say there’s a whole movement of creators now talking up the health benefits of adding olive oil to their routines.

But, it can be argued, the concept of sipping olive oil for its health benefits is nothing new. Embedded in Mediterranean culture, in some regions sipping it daily is a long-established tradition. And a trawl through health food headlines reveals there’s been a few false starts when it comes to trying to take the trend mainstream, with headlines from 2015 and 2018 extolling its virtues, but landing nowhwere.

So why is this taking off now? Aside from the power of this relatively new social media platform, there’s also been a number of celebrities backing the trend. From Kourntey Kardashian (who always loves a health food trend) to Goldie Hawn, Selena Gomez, Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce, all have taken to social media or pontificated about the trend in interviews, making claims that range from the oil’s ability to keep them looking young, as well as easing painful periods and digestive issues.

Here come the health benefits

In the US, the FDA actually recommends drinking two tablespoons of olive oil a day. However, that’s usually consumed as part of a meal. Consuming the oil is also said to relieve bloating, aid upset stomachs, aid digestive issues, regulate blood sugar levels, reduce inflammation and with some brands even claiming it aids weight loss.

What’s clear is that these health claims have been key to oil’s renewed appeal, and consumer’s openness to embracing a new way of consuming it. For example, in its category disrupting branding, Saint Supply claims that its olive oil contains squalene, which it says helps stimulate healthy collagen connectivity, or put more simply, it boosts skin elasticity and prevents wrinkles. It’s also anti-inflammatory. Vitamin E is claimed to assist in reducing ‘oxidative stress’ and as a whole, the product is said to maintain a healthy heart too.

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