How to Drink Olive Oil for Fat Loss and Lower Cortisol

TL;DR

Extra virgin olive oil activates PPAR alpha, a gene that increases fat oxidation, ketone production, and mitochondrial function while lowering triglycerides. A 2015 study in Diabetes Care found it reduces post-meal glucose and insulin by improving GLP-1 and slowing gastric emptying. The polyphenol oleocanthal blunts cortisol output and lowers inflammation, but up to 70% of shelf olive oil is estimated to be oxidized or adulterated.

Transcript

If you're struggling with belly fat, brain fog, or low energy, it might be because you're using olive oil completely wrong. Most people are wasting its fat burning, cortisol killing, age reversing power, and they have no clue. But if you drink it like this with the right timing, food pairings, and type, you could melt stubborn fat and flip your bod... Read More

Key Insights

• Extra virgin olive oil activates PPAR alpha, a gene that increases fat oxidation, ketone production, and mitochondrial function while lowering triglycerides. This is presented as the mechanism behind why Mediterranean populations eating high-fat olive oil diets stay lean.
• A 2015 study in Diabetes Care found extra virgin olive oil reduces post-meal glucose and insulin by improving GLP-1 and slowing gastric emptying. The result is fewer glucose spikes, less insulin, less fat storage, less hunger later, and a faster shift into a fat burning state.
• The cortisol belly is described as real because visceral fat has twice as many receptor sites for cortisol than other areas of the body. Visceral fat is called the most inflammatory fat, applying pressure to the kidneys, heart, pancreas, liver, and disrupting fat burning and sleep.
• Oleic acid and the polyphenols in high quality olive oil blunt cortisol output through improved HPA axis regulation, the communication between the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenals. One study cited showed high polyphenol olive oil lowered cortisol markers within hours.
• Oleocanthal, a polyphenol found only in the right type of olive oil, works like ibuprofen on COX enzymes without the side effects. Inflammation drops on consumption without the liver having to metabolize it, insulin receptor sites open up, and fat burning gets turned on.
• Oleocanthal in the right olive oil activates autophagy within brain cells. Autophagy is described as a cellular cleanup process that seeks out aging cells and mitochondria, repairing them so they burn fat and produce energy efficiently instead of staying inflamed.
• Up to an estimated 70% of olive oil on shelves is oxidized, adulterated, cut with seed oils, or mislabeled. Oxidized oil is said to increase inflammation, weight gain, liver stress, and hormone disruption, which is the reverse of the intended benefit.
• A New Zealand study tested eight oils and found extra virgin olive oil produced the least polar compounds, followed by coconut oil, while grape seed oil was worst, then canola, rice bran, and sunflower. Polar compounds indicate how inflammatory and potentially carcinogenic a heated oil becomes.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does olive oil help burn belly fat?

Extra virgin olive oil activates PPAR alpha, a gene that increases fat oxidation, ketone production, and mitochondrial function, and lowers triglycerides. It also lowers insulin, the fat storage hormone. Since lowering insulin is described as the number one goal for pulling fat from organs including visceral fat, less insulin means less fat storage and a quicker shift into a fat burning state. The polyphenols additionally reduce chronic inflammation, which otherwise blocks fat burning hormones from being heard by cells.

Q: What does the 2015 Diabetes Care study say about olive oil and blood sugar?

The 2015 study in Diabetes Care found that extra virgin olive oil reduces post-meal glucose and insulin by improving GLP-1 and slowing gastric emptying. In practical terms this translates into fewer glucose spikes, less insulin release, therefore less fat storage, and less hunger later in the day. The video frames this as getting GLP-1 style benefits without the side effects associated with GLP-1 medications, and notes the body enters a fat burning state much more quickly as a result.

Q: Why does cortisol cause belly fat?

Cortisol is the stress hormone, and the cortisol belly is described as real because visceral fat, the fat around the organs, has twice as many cortisol receptor sites as other areas of the body. Visceral fat is called the most inflammatory fat on the body and applies pressure to the kidneys, heart, pancreas, and liver. High cortisol disrupts fat burning and destroys sleep, which is why people wake up wired in the middle of the night.

Q: How does olive oil lower cortisol?

Oleic acid and the polyphenols in the right type of olive oil blunt cortisol output through improved HPA axis regulation. The HPA axis is the communication line between the hypothalamus and pituitary in the brain and the adrenal glands. High quality olive oil helps this communication, lowers inflammation at the cell level, and increases vagal tone, which governs the parasympathetic rest, digest, and detoxification state. One study cited showed high polyphenol olive oil lowered cortisol markers within hours.

Q: What is oleocanthal and why does it matter?

Oleocanthal is a polyphenol found in olive oil, though not in all olive oils, only the right type. It works like ibuprofen on COX enzymes but without the side effects, because the liver does not have to metabolize it. Inflammation drops as soon as it is consumed, insulin receptor sites open up so cells can hear the message of insulin, and fat burning gets turned on. Oleocanthal also activates autophagy within brain cells.

Q: Can you cook with olive oil?

Yes, according to a New Zealand study that debunks the smoke point objection. Eight oils were tested in two trials: gradual heating to 464 degrees Fahrenheit (240 Celsius), and deep frying at 356 degrees Fahrenheit (180 Celsius) for six hours. Extra virgin olive oil produced the least polar compounds, the metric indicating how inflammatory and potentially carcinogenic a heated oil becomes. The polyphenols protect the oil during cooking, so real organic first harvest cold pressed olive oil is safe to cook with.

Q: Which cooking oils are the worst according to the study?

On polar compounds, the most important metric because more polar compounds mean a more inflammatory and potentially carcinogenic oil, grape seed oil was the worst, followed by canola oil as second worst, rice bran oil third worst, and sunflower oil fourth worst. On the separate oxidative stability metric, the worst performers were grape seed oil, rice bran oil, and sunflower oil, while coconut oil scored best for stability and peanut oil was second.

Q: How do you know if your olive oil is real?

It is estimated that up to 70% of the olive oil on shelves is oxidized, adulterated, cut with seed oils, or mislabeled. Buying a cut or oxidized oil increases inflammation, weight gain, liver stress, and hormone disruption. The markers of quality named are organic, first harvest, and cold pressed. First harvest pressing yields less oil but produces higher polyphenol and antioxidant content. The video also suggests an olive oil taste test using a shot glass or tablespoon of whatever oil is in your pantry.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Olive oil is described as a metabolic tool rather than a simple condiment. Human studies are cited showing extra virgin olive oil activates PPAR alpha, a gene that increases fat oxidation, ketone production, and mitochondrial function while lowering triglycerides. This is offered as the reason Mediterranean populations eating high-fat olive oil stay lean.

• Lowering insulin is presented as the number one goal for burning fat and pulling fat from organs such as visceral fat. A 2015 study in Diabetes Care found extra virgin olive oil reduces post-meal glucose and insulin by improving GLP-1 and slowing gastric emptying, meaning fewer glucose spikes, less fat storage, and less hunger later.

• A New Zealand study heated eight popular oils to 464 degrees Fahrenheit (240 Celsius) and deep fried them at 356 degrees Fahrenheit (180 Celsius) for six hours, measuring oxidative stability and polar compounds. Extra virgin olive oil produced the fewest polar compounds, followed by coconut oil, so real olive oil can be cooked with.