Lately, more people have been walking into our Fort Collins and Estes Park shops with a very specific question: “What’s the highest-polyphenol olive oil you have?” I love this question. But I have also been wondering who sent everybody. A celebrity? A podcast? Something making the rounds on social media?
Because while olive oil shots might be having a moment, this is something I already do. while I haven't traded all of my tequila shots for olive oil, my daily shots are ½–1oz shots  of our most robust, highest-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil available at the moment. Sometimes I take them at home before I leave for work, other times I take them at our Fort Collins or Estes Park shops, if I'm there in the morning. 

One of the compounds that interests me most is oleocanthal. There is real research behind that interest. There is also a difference between what scientists have demonstrated and what a wellness video might promise. So let’s talk about both—and what to ask before buying a bottle.

Are olive oil health shots actually good for you?

An olive oil health shot is a small serving of olive oil consumed straight, usually about 1–2 tablespoons. Extra virgin olive oil provides monounsaturated fats and naturally occurring phenolic compounds. It can be a useful part of a healthy eating pattern, but drinking it as a shot has not been shown to offer special benefits over using it in meals. (ref:www.bhf.org.uk). If taking a small serving straight helps you use good olive oil consistently, that can be your preference. If you would rather put it on beans, vegetables or lunch, that counts too.

Who is promoting olive oil shots?

Yes, famous people are talking about them. Kourtney Kardashian’s wellness website, Poosh, has described her routine of taking a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil every other morning. Longevity entrepreneur Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint also publishes content about olive oil shots and his daily EVOO consumption. poosh.com
That gives the practice visibility in both celebrity wellness and longevity circles. My best guess is that those conversations, along with social media interest in polyphenols, are contributing to the questions we hear in our shops. But I cannot tell you which video or person brought a particular customer through our door.
Celebrity routines can start a conversation. Choosing an oil still deserves a closer look at the bottle and its harvest information.

Why I take olive oil—and why oleocanthal interests me

Before I had my hip replaced, I was in a tremendous amount of pain. When I say I was living on olive oil and NSAIDs, that is how that period felt to me. Olive oil was part of my routine alongside the medication I was taking. This experience is personal. It does not tell us how much, if any, pain relief came from the olive oil, and I would never want someone to read it as a reason to replace medical treatment.

What drew me to robust extra virgin olive oil was the research on oleocanthal, a naturally occurring phenolic compound associated with that distinctive peppery feeling in the back of your throat. In a 2005 study published in Nature, researchers found that oleocanthal inhibited COX-1 and COX-2, enzymes involved in inflammation, in laboratory testing. Ibuprofen also acts on these enzymes. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov .That is an interesting scientific connection. It does not mean a shot of olive oil works like a dose of ibuprofen in a person, or that researchers have established an olive oil dose for treating hip pain or arthritis. Oleocanthal has demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity in laboratory research. That is a good reason to be interested in it, while recognizing that olive oil and pain medication serve different roles.

What are polyphenols in olive oil?

This is where we get a little technical. Polyphenols is the familiar term used for a group of naturally occurring plant compounds. In olive oil, you may also see the term “biophenols” on an analysis sheet. These compounds contribute to an oil’s flavor, stability and antioxidant properties. Oleocanthal is one member of olive oil’s broader phenolic family. Other compounds include hydroxytyrosol, oleacein and oleuropein derivatives. A total-polyphenol result describes a broader measurement; it does not tell you the amount of every individual compound.

There is human research supporting interest in these compounds. In the EUROLIVE randomized trial, oils with different phenolic contents produced differences in certain cholesterol and oxidative-damage markers. These were measured risk factors, rather than proof that a daily shot prevents disease (ref:pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). A 2023 randomized crossover study also reported improvements in some inflammatory and oxidative markers with an oleocanthal- and oleacein-rich EVOO in people with obesity and prediabetes. That finding applies to the studied oil, participants and conditions; it does not establish a treatment for everyone. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Does the highest-polyphenol olive oil have the most oleocanthal?

Not necessarily. Total polyphenols and oleocanthal are different measurements. An oil can have a high total-phenol result without having the highest oleocanthal concentration. If oleocanthal specifically is your priority, ask whether the batch has an analysis that measures it separately.

This is one of the most useful distinctions we can make at the tasting counter. “Highest polyphenols” is a reasonable starting question. “What does this analysis actually measure?” is the next one. You will often see results expressed in ppm or mg/kg. When expressed on the same mass basis, 1 ppm equals 1 mg/kg. Compare results from comparable testing methods, and check which harvest or batch they describe. A number without that context tells you less than it appears to.

How to choose extra virgin olive oil for a daily shot

Start with extra virgin olive oil, then look at freshness, analysis and flavor together.

• Ask about the harvest. A harvest date tells you when the olives were picked. A best-by date answers a different question.
• Look for batch-specific information. Ask which oil the phenolic result belongs to and when it was tested.
• Read the measurement. Total biophenols, individual oleocanthal and oleic acid are different things. Oleic acid is a fatty acid, not a polyphenol.
• Taste it. Robust oils often bring bitterness and a peppery finish. Those sensations are useful clues, but tasting cannot provide a laboratory number.
• Store it well. Keep the bottle tightly capped and away from heat and light.

Our Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Chile is one example of a robust oil with published harvest and biophenol information. Our selection changes with harvests, so ask us to compare the oils available when you shop rather than assuming one variety will always have the highest result. rockymountainoliveoil.com

Why does some olive oil make you cough?

That little peppery catch at the back of the throat can surprise people. Oleocanthal is associated with this distinctive throat pungency, which researchers have explored in sensory and receptor studies.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov It can be a welcome part of a fresh oil’s flavor. But a cough is not a certificate of quality or a way to calculate oleocanthal content. You also do not need to chase the most intense sensation to choose an olive oil you enjoy. Take a small sip and give yourself time to taste it.

How much olive oil do I take?

My personal routine is about ½–1 US fluid ounce, or 1–2 tablespoons (roughly 15–30 mL), a day. I choose from our most robust, highest-polyphenol oils available at the time because that is my preference.
That is my routine, rather than a prescribed dose. There is no established olive oil shot dose for treating inflammation or joint pain.

A tablespoon of olive oil contains about 120 calories, so that serving adds roughly 120–240 calories. Consider the olive oil already in your meals and your overall needs. Using olive oil to replace some saturated fat, such as butter, is a more useful nutritional goal than simply adding more oil to everything you already eat. www.bhf.org.uk. If drinking it straight bothers your stomach, use it with food. For persistent pain or questions about medication, talk with your clinician rather than adjusting treatment around an olive oil routine.

Do you need to take olive oil on an empty stomach or add lemon?

You do not need either step to include EVOO in your diet. There is no established evidence that taking it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach makes it more beneficial than having it with food. www.bhf.org.uk
Lemon can make it taste brighter if you enjoy the combination. It does not turn olive oil into a proven detox, fat-burning drink or pain treatment. The routine should work for you. It does not need extra rules to be worthwhile.

You can put that good olive oil on dinner, too

I take mine straight, but I also want people to enjoy the bottle they bring home. A robust EVOO is wonderful spooned over warm white beans, drizzled onto roasted vegetables or stirred into a simple vinaigrette.
Try a little as a finishing drizzle over our Rosemary Tomato Apple Soup. You get to enjoy the oil’s flavor with an actual meal.

The PREDIMED trial supports a Mediterranean dietary pattern supplemented with EVOO in people at high cardiovascular risk. It studied an overall way of eating, rather than the special effects of swallowing oil from a shot glass. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Where can you buy high-polyphenol olive oil?

At Rocky Mountain Olive Oil, we help customers compare extra virgin olive oils by harvest, flavor and the analysis available for each oil. Visit our Fort Collins shop or Estes Park shop, or browse our EVOO selection online. Tell us what you are looking for: the highest total-biophenol result currently available, a robust peppery oil or information about oleocanthal specifically. Those questions help us guide you toward an informed choice.

I'm so happy people are asking more about what is in their olive oil. Come taste, ask questions and find a bottle you want to use—whether your daily serving ends up in a little glass or on dinner.

Frequently asked questions about olive oil health shots

Is drinking olive oil better than putting it on food?

There is no established evidence that drinking it straight gives you extra health benefits. Using EVOO in meals is a practical way to make it part of a balanced diet.

Is high-polyphenol olive oil the same as high-oleocanthal olive oil?

No. Total polyphenols describes a broader measurement. An individual oleocanthal result requires analysis that measures that compound specifically.

Is olive oil a natural replacement for ibuprofen?

No. Oleocanthal has shown ibuprofen-like effects on inflammatory enzymes in laboratory research, but olive oil has no established equivalent dose or proven role as a replacement for prescribed pain treatment.

Which olive oil has the highest polyphenols at Rocky Mountain Olive Oil?

The answer can change with the harvest and available batches. Ask our team to compare the current oils and their published analyses rather than relying on a permanent ranking by variety.

Can olive oil shots help you lose weight?

They are not a proven weight-loss method. Olive oil is calorie-dense, and its place in your overall eating pattern matters more than consuming it as a shot.

xoxo,

Andi