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It boasts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and may even help protect against certain chronic diseases. While it’s commonly used as a cooking and dipping oil, some people believe that drinking it will allow you to reap its maximum benefits.

While drinking olive may offer several potential health benefits, there are downsides to consider.

High in calories and may cause weight gain

Olive oil is high in calories, containing 120 calories per tablespoon (15 ml).

Although the relationship between calorie intake and weight gain is complicated and depends on many factors, it’s well established that consuming more calories than you burn leads to weight gain.

Furthermore, a recent study found that increased MUFA intake also increased body weight, suggesting that olive oil could contribute to weight gain if consumed in excess.

For this reason, it’s important to control your calorie intake, regardless of the source of calories.

Other considerations

It’s important to consider the following when considering drinking olive oil:

• Provides more benefits when consumed with food. For example, consuming olive oil with tomato products significantly increases the absorption of disease-fighting antioxidants in tomatoes.
• Can displace healthy foods. Although olive oil is a healthy fat source, it’s not as nutritious as whole foods. Drinking too much may displace healthier foods, such as other healthy fats, vegetables, and proteins.
• Potential allergen. Although rare, olive pollen is a potential allergen, and olive oil can cause contact dermatitis in affected individuals.
• Many benefits not supported by research. Many of the purported benefits of drinking olive oil are not supported by research but instead endorsed by companies selling olive oil or personal anecdotes.