Diet & Nutrition

A Detailed Guide to Olive Oil: Health Benefits, Nutrition Facts, Other Uses, and More

Jessica Migala
By Medically Reviewed by 
Reviewed:
Medically Reviewed
olive oil, which has many health benefits
Olive oil is a staple in the Mediterranean diet, which has been linked to better heart health.iStock

Olive oil and its trendy moniker EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil) is known as one of the healthiest foods you can eat, thanks to its ties to the Mediterranean diet. Here’s what you need to know about its place in your everyday routine.

What Is Olive Oil and What Is Its History? 

Olive oil is oil pressed from olives. Its use dates back 6,000 years, originating in what are now Iran, Syria, and Palestine, before making its way to the Mediterranean, with its well-known olive groves.

Historically, olive oil has been used in religious ceremonies and medicine, and it has become an important ingredient in food for many cultures.

In the United States, you can buy three types of olive oil: extra-virgin olive oil, olive oil, and light-tasting olive oil. Extra virgin, which makes up 60 percent of all the olive oil sold in North America, can be used for both cold or finishing preparations as well as in cooking. Olive oil can be used in a variety of cooking styles, and light-tasting olive oil has a neutral flavor, so you can use it in cooking and baking when you don’t want the characteristic peppery taste of olive oil.

How Olive Oil Is Made

Olive oil is made from olives that grow on olive trees, most often those in the Mediterranean region.

After harvest, olives are crushed into a paste, which is put through a centrifugation process to separate the oil.

The final product is stored in stainless steel tanks that are protected from oxygen and sunlight. When bottled, the oil should go into a dark glass bottle to keep it fresh.
You can also buy extra-virgin olive oil that is cold-pressed from ripe olives mechanically, without using high heat or chemicals, per standards set forth by the International Olive Council. This is said to preserve chemicals in the olives called phenols, which are one reason that olive oil is thought to have such powerful health properties.

On the other hand, refined olive oil uses heat or solvents, resulting in a tasteless oil that can be blended with other oils.

Olive Oil Nutrition Facts: What Do You Get Out of 1 Tablespoon?

In each tablespoon (tbsp) of extra-virgin olive oil, you’ll find:

  • Calories: 120
  • Protein: 0 grams (g)
  • Fat: 14 g
  • Saturated fat: 2 g
  • Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs): 10 g
  • Polyunsaturated fat (PUFA): 1.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 0 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Sugars: 0 g
Since olive oil mostly consists of heart-healthy unsaturated fats, with a small amount of saturated fat, it fits into the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate guidelines.

One benefit of using fat in your cooking — particularly with vegetables — is that the fat helps your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins, like A, D, E, and K, from the meal.

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How Olive Oil Compares With Other Popular Oils

You have a choice for what oil you use to cook with, but know that each oil has about the same number of calories (around 120) and fat (around 14 g) per tbsp; it’s their fat makeup that differs. Here’s how olive oil stacks up against other culinary oils:

  • Avocado Oil Because avocados are mostly made up of MUFAs, avocado oil is the most similar to olive oil nutritionally. It contains 1.6 g of saturated fat, 9.9 g of MUFAs, and 1.9 g of PUFA.

  • Canola Oil A mostly unsaturated fat, canola oil is pretty similar nutritionally to olive oil, particularly because it has 8.9 g of MUFAs. Where it differs is the PUFA content, with canola oil packing 3.9 g. It also contains 1 g of saturated fat.

  • Grapeseed Oil This oil is mainly made up of PUFA (9.5 g), with 2.2 g of MUFAs and just 1.3 g of saturated fat.

    (Both MUFAs and PUFA have been linked to heart health by helping to improve blood cholesterol levels.)

  • Coconut Oil The tropical oil differs vastly from olive oil. Most of its fats (11.2 g, or about 83 percent) are saturated, and it has less than 1 g of MUFAs and a scant amount (0.2 g) of PUFA.

One study comparing middle-aged adults who consumed about 3 tbsp of extra-virgin coconut oil, butter, or extra-virgin olive oil for four weeks found that butter increased levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol more so than coconut or olive oil.

Both coconut and olive oil surprisingly didn’t change LDL levels, but coconut oil did boost HDL ("good") cholesterol concentration more than olive oil. The jury is still out on the overall healthfulness of coconut oil.

Common Questions & Answers

Can you put olive oil on your body?

Research suggests that it may actually aggravate your skin. If you want to use olive oil, look to products and soaps formulated with olive oil, rather than using it straight from a bottle.

Can you drink olive oil?

It’s not recommended. While it’s not unsafe, 1 tbsp contains 120 calories. If you were to have 1 ounce of olive oil, you’d be drinking 240 calories in one gulp. On a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s more than 10 percent of your daily calories right there. Keep your daily goals in mind as you’re determining how much olive oil to use.

Can I use olive oil for cooking?

Yes, absolutely. The smoke point for extra-virgin olive oil is between 350 and 410 degrees F. That’s high enough so that you can safely sauté with it. For higher heat uses, grab an oil with a higher smoke point. For cold uses (salad dressings, a finishing drizzle on dishes), it’s fine to add a splash of olive oil straight from the bottle.

What are the benefits of olive oil?

Olive oil is rich in MUFAs. Replacing foods high in saturated fat (like butter) with MUFAs can help lower risk of heart disease by way of lowering cholesterol, as well as improve blood sugar control.

What are the side effects of olive oil?

You can safely eat olive oil in moderation; because 1 tbsp contains 120 calories, eating it in excess can cause weight gain. High heat can oxidize olive oil, creating free radicals, so only use it when cooking in temperatures under 410 degrees F.

What Studies Suggest About the Health Benefits of Olive Oil

Olive oil is largely known as one of the best fats you can eat, particularly for heart health. One study looked at more than 7,200 women age 55 and older who were at a high risk of heart disease. It found that those who consumed the most olive oil in the context of a Mediterranean diet had as much as a 35 percent and 48 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, respectively, compared with those who consumed the least amount of the oil.

For each 10 g of extra-virgin olive oil (nearly 1 tbsp) eaten a day, risk of cardiovascular disease fell by 10 percent and death from cardiovascular disease fell by 7 percent.
It may be that the MUFAs, phenols, and vitamin E in olive oil are heart protective. The oil is also known to be anti-inflammatory; may improve blood vessel function, cholesterol, and insulin sensitivity; and lower high blood pressure, the researchers point out. But some perspective: Olive oil is just one component of a healthy Mediterranean diet. Other foods consumed heavily on the diet, including fruits and vegetables, nuts, and legumes, are known to boost heart health as well.

Along with a healthier heart, olive oil may be a boon to your longevity. One study found that people who ate at least a half tablespoon of olive oil per day had a 19 percent lower risk of morality compared with those who never or rarely ate olive oil.

In addition, the researchers also found that olive oil consumption was associated with a lower risk of death from heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. The authors recommend replacing margarine, butter, mayonnaise, and dairy fat with olive oil.

Can Adding Olive Oil to Your Diet Help With Weight Loss or Not?

Maybe — but you need to eat it in the context of a healthy diet. And you can’t overdo it. Olive oil is a healthy fat, but it’s still a fat, so moderation is key to avoid weight gain. There isn’t much data on the effect that olive oil alone may have on weight loss, but there are studies that suggest that a Mediterranean diet that includes olive oil may help prevent weight gain with age and reduce your risk of becoming overweight or obese.

The authors also point out that the diet’s focus on unsaturated fats, such as olive oil and fatty fish, encourages the body to burn fat, which may in part be why following a Mediterranean plan buffers weight gain.
There are possible weight loss benefits to eating a diet rich in MUFAs, research suggests. In one small study on 32 obese women, those who consumed 15 to 20 percent of their total calories from MUFAs (like those in olive oil) moderately reduced their weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and body fat compared with a control group that ate a similar number of calories and macronutrients.

Another possible benefit: olive oil’s peppery smell. In another small study, men were instructed to eat either a plain low-fat yogurt or a low-fat yogurt that contained an olive oil extract (which had no fat).

Researchers measured participants’ brain flow 30 minutes and two hours after they ate the yogurt. They found that the yogurt with the olive oil extract could activate areas of the brain that are normally triggered by fat. The thought is that it may trick your brain into thinking that you’ve consumed a higher-calorie food, possibly boosting satiation and decreasing hunger. So don’t be afraid to take a whiff while you’re cooking.

Tips for Selecting and Storing Olive Oil for the Best Quality

While it seems as if buying olive oil means going to the store and grabbing one off the shelf that fits your budget, it’s more complicated than that.

What You Need to Know About Olive Oil Fraud

The unfortunate reality is that olive oil fraud is a real thing. In one report that analyzed 50 samples of olive oil collected in California from various places like food stores, superstores, and Amazon, 13 failed at least one California olive oil standard.

Meaning: It’s not high-quality or even true olive oil.

How to Pick a Good Olive Oil

To avoid getting duped, check the label and read the ingredient statement (what it contains), look for the country of origin and authenticity seals (like USDA Organic or NAOOA Quality Seal), and follow the best-by date.

Don’t buy dusty bottles or use oil that has an orange tint to it, which can indicate damage. Also, use within 8 to 10 weeks of opening. An unopened bottle can last for two years if stored properly.
When storing, it’s best to keep olive oil in a cool, dark place.

Though it may be tempting to keep it next to your stove for easy access, the heat can turn the oils rancid quickly. That’s why the pantry is an ideal spot. Also, ensure that the bottles are sealed, as oxygen exposure also degrades the oil. If you’re going to keep it in a decanter to keep on a table, use small bottles. This will ensure that you use up the oil while it’s fresh.

Other Surprising Uses of Olive Oil: Can You Use It on Your Skin, Hair, and More?

Unfortunately, you might not want to turn to olive oil as a beauty booster. While it seems as if it would make for a great natural moisturizer, research suggests that it may do more harm than good. In research, 19 adults without atopic dermatitis (inflammatory skin conditions like eczema) applied six drops of olive oil to their forearms twice daily for five weeks and found that it actually broke down the skin’s protective barrier and caused mild redness.

That said, when formulated into skin products and soaps, olive oil as an ingredient can moisturize in similar ways to hyaluronic acid (a known skin plumper in anti-aging products) and provide protective, anti-aging antioxidants, suggests one study.

Likewise, applying olive oil straight on your hair may leave a thin oily coating on strands, according to a research overview.

If you’re interested in using olive oil on your hair, it’s best to buy hair products containing the oil rather than using it straight from your pantry.
One surprising use: as an ear wax softener.

If you have an ongoing problem with ear wax, you can put a few drops of warm olive oil on the outer ear canal to help remove buildup.

Are There Any Health Risks or Side Effects of Olive Oil?

One problem you may run into with olive oil is weight gain if you were to eat too much. Because olive oil comes with so many health benefits, it can be easy to assume that the more you eat, the better you’ll feel. But be sure to remember that it is an oil with about 120 calories per tbsp, so overeating it can lead to weight gain. Because it’s so calorie-dense for such a small amount, it can also be easy to overuse.

Another concern is cooking with olive oil. Extra-virgin olive oil has a smoke point of 350 to 410 degrees F.

 Higher temps will break down the free fatty acid content of the oil, producing free radicals. But the good news is that stove-top cooking hovers about 350 degrees F. In other words, you’d likely burn your food if you went over the smoke point of olive oil.

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

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