Can Olive Oil Before Meals Help Control Blood Sugar?
Olive oil may help reduce the initial rise in blood glucose levels, according to a medical journal report.
LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Oct, 2026) New research has examined the possible effects of olive oil on blood glucose levels. Drinking olive oil on an empty stomach has gained popularity on social media, with claims of improving skin health, slowing the effects of aging, and overall health benefits. However, strong scientific evidence supporting these claims remains limited.
According to a recent study, consuming olive oil before a carbohydrate-rich meal may slow the rate at which blood glucose rises after eating. In experiments on mice, researchers observed that olive oil seemed to slow the movement of glucose from the stomach into the small intestine, potentially helping to minimize the initial sharp increase in blood sugar.
The findings, published in the medical journal Diabetes, suggest a potential connection between dietary fats, intestinal hormones, and the nervous system. Since the primary experiment was conducted on mice, the results cannot be directly applied to humans.
During the study, researchers gave mice olive oil 15 minutes before administering glucose and compared the results with mice given water beforehand. A third group received olive oil after being given glucose. Mice that consumed olive oil before glucose exhibited a smaller rise in blood sugar, and researchers also noted slower gastric emptying—the process by which food moves from the stomach to the small intestine.
Similar effects were observed in mice with Type 2 diabetes and in mice with severe insulin deficiency. Researchers recorded changes in intestinal hormones, including glucagon, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), within 15 to 30 minutes of olive oil consumption.
The study's lead author, a professor at Japan's Kyoto University, stated that the order in which nutrients reach the intestines may trigger a coordinated response between hormones and the nervous system, affecting the rate at which glucose enters the bloodstream. Slower glucose movement may cause blood sugar to rise more gradually initially after a meal, but this does not necessarily imply that the body absorbs less glucose overall.
A few limited human studies have reported similar outcomes, although the overall scientific evidence remains insufficient. Nutrition expert Jennifer Pellien cited a small study involving 6 men with Type 2 diabetes who consumed 30 milliliters of olive oil 30 minutes before a carbohydrate-rich meal. The study found that consuming olive oil beforehand slowed gastric emptying, delayed the rise in blood glucose, and increased GLP-1 hormone levels. By contrast, these effects varied among individuals who drank water or consumed olive oil with their meal.
These findings imply that the sequence in which food is consumed may influence blood sugar levels.