Want to know the benefits of drinking olive oil before bed? Read the article to get all the ABCs related to olive oil, its benefits, and why you should add it to your diet.
As it is rightly said, “health is wealth”, health, in fact, is the only wealth we have. Imagine a life without good health. Awful, right? Stress, poor lifestyle, ugly eating habits, and irregular sleep are some of the main culprits of poor health. Besides having a good lifestyle, s optimum health.
Why should you have fats in your diet?
Sleep, and exercise, it is also imperative to have a well-balanced diet to achieve important as it is to have carbs, protein, and other micronutrients in your diet, it is equally necessary to add healthy fats too. But are fats healthy?
Well, with ongoing rumors, fats have been highly despised by people over time. Little do we know that they have been consumed since eternity and help in the absorption of micronutrients, maintaining brain health, and preventing chronic diseases.
So, what fats should be consumed on a daily basis? Nuts, seeds, avocados, and several healthy oils like coconut, sunflower, olive oils, etc. are some of the healthiest options.
As today’s topic is about the benefits of drinking olive oil before bed, let’s see,
Why is olive oil widely consumed all over the world?
Olive oil being an excellent source of fat, has been included in our diets for many centuries ago. Besides having it in our meals, people also use it to make medicines, cosmetics, soaps, and other skin products.
Also, the Mediterranean diet has plenty of olive oil in it. And no doubt why the Mediterranean people have the least cancer cases in their regions.
Not only it is a good source of healthy fat, but it also has several nutrients which fight inflammation, cancer, and other chronic diseases.
Let’s dive a bit deeper into the subject, and find out why olive oil is a healthy option.
What are olive oils rich in?
Here is why olive oil is one of the healthiest oils on the planet.
Rich in MUFAs
(Monounsaturated Fatty Acids)
Olive oils have approximately 73% of monounsaturated fatty acids, making them the richest source of MUFAs among all oils. Besides that, it has 14% of saturated fats and 11% of polyunsaturated fats.
As monounsaturated fatty acids help to prevent several chronic diseases, it is wise to add them to your diet.
Rich in polyphenols:
So, what are polyphenols? Polyphenols are compounds that help in reducing inflammation, heart conditions, and cancer-causing cells in the body. Olive oils have a very good amount of polyphenols in them.
Rich in antioxidants:
Olive oil is also rich in several anti-oxidants that prevent inflammation and protect the oxidation of cholesterol in the blood.
Good source of Vitamin E and Vitamin K:
In each serving of olive oil, you can get a fair amount of both these vitamins.
Vitamin E, also known as the “beauty vitamin”, is great for your skin, eyes, heart health, and inflammation. Vitamin K is also important for clotting blood and maintaining good bone health.
But, is it healthy to drink olive oil before going to bed at night? If yes, then why? We shall find that out, but before that, let’s see why you should add olive oil to your diet.
Why should you add olive oil to your diet?
Here is a list of reasons why you should add olive oil to your diet.
Reduces the risk of heart disease.
According to WHO, heart disease is the most common cause of death in the world. As disastrous as it seems, it is worse than that. But, to everyone’s surprise, people in the Mediterranean areas, had significantly lower heart disease cases.
This made researchers conduct extensive research on the Mediterranean diet. Studies found that the Mediterranean diet prevented the risk of heart disease. And one of the key ingredients in the diet was – olive oil.
No doubt you can get multiple benefits of drinking olive oil before bed or by just adding it to your diet.
Reduces inflammation:
Chronic inflammation leads to various health conditions like type-2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and cancer.
Olive oils are rich in polyphenols and various anti-oxidants that help in reducing inflammatory markers in the body.
Want to know about an anti-inflammatory diet? We already have an article on an anti-inflammatory diet to help you fight inflammation.
Increases good fats in your body:
Though we all eat a lot of fats daily, most of it is saturated. But eating a high amount of saturated fats increases the risk of heart disease. So, the best way is to add unsaturated fats to your diet.
As olive oil is rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids(MUFAs), it increases good cholesterol (HDL) and reduces the bad cholesterol (LDL) in your blood.
Besides having it in dietary form, you can even take a spoonful of olive oil at bedtime to meet your daily requirements.
Keeps cancer away:
As the research on the Mediterranean diet states, the people following this diet have the least risk of having cancer.
Another study showed that people who took olive oil in their diet had a reduced risk of having cancer, especially breast and colon cancer. Mediterranean diets also keep the risks of skin cancer at bay.
As we have discussed earlier, the polyphenols present in olive oil kill cancer-causing cells and prevent them from spreading. So, taking olive oil at night before you sleep or in the daytime during your meals is a good way to add it to your diet.
Great for constipation:
Constipation is a nightmare for many people. With poor lifestyle choices, it has become a global pandemic that no one talks about. But is taking olive oil at night for constipation effective? Yes, it is.
Not only it’s just a claim, but studies found that the people who took olive oil in their diet saw significant improvement in their bowel movements.
Improves sleep quality:
Taking olive oil at night improves your sleep quality. Some research shows a link between having olive oil in your diet and sleep.
It helps you relax immediately, keeps you full, and helps you sleep better.
Fights several chronic conditions:
Be it Alzheimer’s, Rheumatoid Arthritis, or type-2 diabetes, eating olive oil regularly may also help you fight these chronic conditions as well.
Now let’s tackle the last part of the article-
Should you consume olive oil before bed at night?
While adding olive oil to your diet is very healthy, there is not enough research to show any extra benefits of drinking olive oil before bed. However, if you drink some olive oil before bed, here are some benefits you might experience.
- Better sleep quality
- Relaxes your body
- Keeps you satiated for hours
The Bottom Line
Being one of the healthiest oils on the planet, people have consumed olive oil for centuries. It is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, polyphenols, antioxidants, and vitamins.
Regular consumption of olive oil helps in preventing heart ailments, increases good cholesterol (HDL) in your blood, reduces blood pressure, improves sleep quality, fights cancer, and enhances your skin health.
There might be a lot of benefits of drinking olive oil before bed. It can help you sleep better, keep you full for hours, and soothes your body. With so many benefits, we should add it to our diet. Let’s go!
FAQs
- What is olive oil rich in?
Ans: Olive oil is rich in healthy fats like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, polyphenols, and several anti-oxidants.
- Should you have olive oil at night before bed?
There are many benefits of drinking olive oil before bed at night time- better sleep quality, satiety, relaxation, etc. Though there isn’t enough research to support this, it is still a good choice to add it to your diet.
- Is olive oil good for your body?
As olive oil is an excellent source of MUFAs, vitamins, antioxidants, and polyphenols, it helps you fight several diseases and preserves your overall health.
