Olive oil is not a traditional cooking oil in most Indian homes. Its reputation comes largely from its place in the Mediterranean diet, which has been associated with better heart health. On social media, that reputation has helped turn it into a supposed magic bullet for heart health and metabolism. Some now suggest drinking a spoonful before a meal to prevent a rise in blood glucose. A recent mouse study has renewed interest in this practice.Researchers gave mice olive oil 15 minutes before glucose and compared their response with mice receiving water first or oil afterward. Mice given oil first had a smaller early rise in blood glucose. Other dietary fats produced similar responses, suggesting that the effect was not exclusive to olive oil.Most carbohydrate is absorbed in the small intestine. Fat slows stomach emptying, so food reaches the intestine over a longer period. Glucose then enters the blood more gradually. The carbohydrate and its calories are still absorbed, just later.A similar finding has been observed in a very small study involving six men with type 2 diabetes: olive oil before a potato meal delayed stomach emptying and the glucose peak. But the findings do not prove that a daily oil shot improves diabetes control or health over time. A lower early reading on a glucose monitor can be misleading and does not measure the long-term impact of the additional calories.The calories still countOlive oil provides about nine calories per gram, much like mustard, groundnut, and other cooking oils. A tablespoon supplies roughly 120 calories. Two tablespoons add about 240. Descriptions such as extra virgin or extra light do not change this substantially.If someone adds an oil shot but continues eating the same breakfast, lunch and dinner, the day’s energy intake rises. Feeling fuller might lead to eating less later, but this compensation cannot be assumed. The relevant question is whether the oil replaces another food, keeping overall calorie intake similar, or becomes an additional source of calories.Repeated calorie excess can increase body fat. Fat around abdominal organs and within the liver can contribute to insulin resistance. The liver may release more glucose than needed, while muscle takes it up less efficiently. Over time, blood glucose can become harder to control. Fatty liver, elevated triglycerides, and a larger waistline often accompany this pattern.Story continues below this adA smaller glucose rise after one meal does not offset the effects of chronic calorie excess. Nor does olive oil protect against weight gain when total energy intake consistently exceeds the body’s needs. The balance of carbohydrates, fats, and protein, along with physical activity, matters most.What is in the bottleOlive oil contains predominantly oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid. Replacing some saturated fat, such as butter or ghee, with unsaturated fat can improve cholesterol levels. This fatty acid profile explains much of olive oil’s value.Extra virgin olive oil is obtained mechanically without refining and retains more polyphenols, compounds with antioxidant activity. Virgin olive oil is also unrefined but meets different quality standards. Refining reduces flavor and removes much of the original polyphenol content and antioxidant property while largely retaining the fatty acid composition.Products labeled simply as olive oil are usually a blend of refined and virgin oils. Extra light refers to a milder flavor, not fewer calories. Olive pomace oil comes from the residue left after extraction and is refined before becoming an edible product. Its polyphenol content should not be assumed to match that of extra virgin oil.Story continues below this adPREDIMED, a large Spanish trial, followed nearly 7,500 older adults at high cardiovascular risk. Those assigned a Mediterranean diet enriched with extra virgin olive oil had roughly a 30 percent lower risk of the combined outcome of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death than those advised to reduce dietary fat. The study only supports using extra virgin olive oil within a Mediterranean dietary pattern. It does not establish an additional benefit from drinking oil before meals. The Mediterranean diet also includes vegetables, legumes and nuts. Its benefits cannot be attributed entirely to olive oil, or extended automatically to every type of olive oil.Can it take the heat?Heating can reduce olive oil’s polyphenols, particularly at higher temperatures or with prolonged exposure. In one experiment simulating cooking in a pan, total polyphenols fell by about 40 percent at 120 degrees Celsius and 75 percent at 170 degrees. These figures describe that experiment, rather than every dish cooked at home.Heating does not instantly destroy the oil’s nutritional value. Its monounsaturated fat is relatively resistant to oxidation, and good extra virgin olive oil can perform well during ordinary cooking. A higher smoke point alone does not mean an oil resists oxidation better.Refined olive oil and refined blends generally have higher smoke points than virgin oils, giving more room for cooking at higher temperatures. However, they begin with fewer polyphenols. Extra virgin oil can be used to cook vegetables over moderate heat, in dressings, or added after cooking.Story continues below this adIn an Indian kitchen, briefly cooking a sabzi and repeatedly heating oil for deep frying are different exposures. Letting oil smoke in an empty kadai or repeatedly reheating it increases degradation. No grade of olive oil makes repeated overheating harmless. Food deep-fried in olive oil still absorbs fat and calories.An oil shot is no weight loss treatmentThe mouse study also reported increased GLP-1 release after olive oil. But suggesting that this makes olive oil shots a substitute for GLP-1 medicines goes well beyond the findings. Medicines such as semaglutide and tirzepatide have undergone extensive international clinical trials involving many thousands of participants. Researchers have measured their effects and benefits over years in large clinical trials and real-world studies.Semaglutide has reduced cardiovascular events in people at risk and slowed kidney disease progression in people with type 2 diabetes. GLP-1 trials have also demonstrated improvements in liver inflammation and scarring in metabolic liver disease.A finding in mice can help explain how digestion works and suggest questions for further research. It cannot justify replacing an established clinical treatment with olive oil shots. Olive oil can be part of a healthy meal. For weight loss and blood glucose control, a balanced diet and regular physical activity remain central. Sometimes, a medicine backed by clinical evidence is needed too.Story continues below this ad(The author is Secretary, Endocrine Society of Delhi; Senior Consultant, Endocrinology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi)