I’ve been watching the TikTok olive oil trend probably too closely to be healthy. I had a minor obsession with it this week, so I decided to dive into it, fall down that rabbit hole, and then share what I discover when I climb back out again.
What is the TikTok Olive Oil Trend?
Though it has long been considered to be a healthy fat, the TikTok olive oil trend takes things to another level – as that social platform does tend to do. But just because it’s taking things to another level, it doesn’t mean that level is wrong. A lot of the things that they say in the videos make a lot of sense. So, I wanted to dig into the information and see if I could find out if there was anything to it.
The TikTok olive oil trend is pretty straightforward. It just has to do with taking a sip of the stuff – particularly good quality varieties of it – first thing in the morning. It makes me think about books and shows that were set in the late 1800s that always had parents or mean nannies forcing kids to take a spoonful of caster oil (to this day, I have no idea what that is) to cure them or punish them or pretty much anything else. It was a real “take your medicine” for kids in books set at that time. Now, here we go doing it to ourselves voluntarily!
Is the TikTok Olive Oil Trend Healthy?
Essentially, when it comes down to it, there are worse things you could do to yourself. The TikTok olive oil trend is on to something in that yes, that is a healthy fat, and a bit of it each day can be good for you. But what it seems to forget in many of the videos is the broader picture.
Remember that nutrition is complex. You can’t just eat one thing and believe that it will solve all your problems – or even one big one. You need to keep the combination of foods you eat in a day in mind.
So, while olive oil contains a number of plant compounds that are great for our health, taking it as a shot first thing in the morning is a bit short-sighted. The reason is that for most of us, it’s completely unnecessary, and by eating it this way, it only makes it more challenging to balance your nutrition for the rest of your day, and even to get the most out of other foods that you eat.
Should You Be Doing Morning EVOO Shots?
If that’s how you want to start your day, you do you. I’m not a doctor, nutritionist or dietitian. That said, here’s how I understand it.
Yes, the TikTok olive oil trend does have it right that a bit of the stuff is good for you each day. However, we eat a lot of other foods throughout the day that have fat-soluble vitamins in them. Dark leafy greens, tomatoes, carrots and a lot of other great veg all contain vitamins that need to be eaten with fat so that the body can absorb them. Without fat, the vitamins risk going straight through you.
This means that you’d either need to eat even more fat with your veggies later on – risking eating too much fat in a day – or you’ll miss out on nutrition from the foods you’re actually eating.
Instead, get a good quality extra virgin olive oil and whisk a good balsamic vinegar into it. Sprinkle it over a fantastic mixed green salad with all the veggies you want to top it. You’ll get all the benefits from the trend as well as the nutrients from each of the vegetables.
