You’ve probably heard the term ‘gut health’ mentioned numerous times on social media, TV and adverts recently. Your gut helps your body break down food and absorb nutrients, so keeping it healthy is important.
Eating certain gut-friendly foods often mean your skin, hair and nails will improve, as well as aiding weight loss and reducing your risk of joint pain.
It’s especially important to take care of your health when the weather is colder, as it can often suffer during this time of year. And according to one expert, taking just one shot of a surprising liquid every day can do ‘extraordinary’ things for gut health and even weight loss.
Abigail Roberts, sports nutritionist at Bulk, says olive oil is a ‘superfood’ that can have a huge number of benefits if you have a shot of it every day for 30 days.
She said: “Olive oil, particularly extra-virgin olive oil, is one of the biggest superfoods. It is packed with antioxidant compounds, like vitamin E, oleacein, and oleocanthal. As well as compounds called polyphenols, which are phenomenal for your hair, skin, joints, and weight.”
Because olive oil is so full of healthy fats, it can have ‘significant benefits’ for your hair, skin and nails. It also contains plenty of antioxidants and skin-friendly lipids that can help address skin concerns like dryness or rough-feeling skin.
Abigail added: “Whilst many people will spend a fair amount of money on skin creams and hair masks, they tend to forget about their diet. What we put inside our bodies is just as important as what we put on the outside.”
Olive oil can also aid weight loss, since it’s rich in monosaturated fatty acids. According to Abigail, these are known to help increase your metabolism, reducing your appetite, and reducing your body fat.
Previous studies have revealed a treatment group who were given extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) lost 80% more body fat than the control group who didn’t consume EVOO.
Abigail continued: “In the long-term, olive oil continues to have positive effects on the body and keep the weight off or stable.
“If you don’t want to shot it on its own, you can choose to incorporate it into a meal of your choice. For example, drizzle onto an eggs and avocado dish or a lunchtime salad.”
“Whilst there is no research to support whether it should be taken on an empty stomach, it is important to be aware that eating or drinking excessive amounts of oil at once can make you feel a bit nauseous.”
Not only this, but because olive oil contains antioxidants, it can help to boost gut health and repair its lining. The components in olive oil such as vitamin E, oleacein, and oleocanthal and polyphenols help to enhance and stimulate the diversity of the bacteria in the gut- especially the good bacteria.
Olive oil can also help encourage your intestines to absorb more vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat and helps to increase Bifidobacteria in the gut, which can increase the feeling of being full and have positive effects on weight and cholesterol.
Abigail warned: “However, it is important to remember that the key element to a healthy gut is fibre, as high fibre supports our gut microbe. Olive oil does not contain any fibre, therefore, pairing it with a high-fibre-content food such as quinoa or lentils is a perfect balance.”
However, consuming too much can have adverse effects, so it’s important to do it in moderation – ideally no more than 2-3 tablespoons at once, the pro suggested.
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