We Tried The Starbucks Olive Oil Coffee. Here’s Our Review Of The Nutrition, Taste, And Health Benefits.
Olive oil is good for your digestive and immune health
Olive oil is generally considered good for you; it’s a mainstay of the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet, which may help prevent cardiovascular disease. It has antioxidants (as does coffee) so that’s a good thing. And olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, said Jamie Stang, the president of the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists.
“National dietary guidelines recommend that people choose healthier sources of fats, such as olive oil, when making food choices,” Stang told BuzzFeed News.
A 2022 Department of Nutrition study followed participants who consumed olive oil compared with people who didn’t. Higher olive oil intake was associated with a 19% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, a 17% lower risk of cancer mortality, a 29% lower risk of neurodegenerative disease, and an 18% lower risk of respiratory disease.
“Monounsaturated fat can aid in lowering the bad LDL cholesterol in our body. It also contains anti-inflammatory properties to reduce disease, such as heart disease,” said Colleen Moltzen, a certified dietician nutritionist based in New York. LDL is the “bad” kind of cholesterol in the body that you should try to reduce.
Additionally, olive oil may actually help with moving things along in the digestive tract. In a 2014 study published in the Journal of Renal Nutrition, the daily use of olive oil and flaxseed oil was effective in the treatment of constipation in patients who were undergoing kidney dialysis.
In a 2020 study of 40 people with ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease, olive oil helped reduce bloating, constipation, fecal urgency, and other symptoms compared with canola oil.
Since coffee on its own can help with digestion, this drink could be a win-win for people who are constipated. However, small amounts of olive oil aren’t likely to make a big difference, according to Stang.
“Adequate fluid intake is one of the main reasons people have constipation, along with low fiber intake and lack of exercise. Drinking more liquids could be one of the reasons that one of the drinks may help with constipation,” Stang said. “Oat milk has a little bit of fiber, too but probably not enough to make a difference for most people.”
Here’s the nutrition breakdown, including fat and calories
That said, olive oil is still good for you. However, some of the drinks might be too high in saturated fat and calories to be consumed as a daily drink, Stang said. For example, the Grande Oleato Cold Brew has 380 calories (19% of your daily intake, if you consume 2,000 calories per day) and 10 grams of saturated fat (50% of the daily value).
Other drinks in the Oleato line have similar nutritional profiles, although they are lower in calories and saturated fat. Any of these drinks are perfectly fine to consume, of course, but depending on your nutritional goals, some may take up more real estate in your daily caloric intake than is warranted given the other nutrients they contain.
Here is the nutritional info:
Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew (16 fluid ounces)
- Calories: 380
- Total fat: 34 grams (44% of the daily value)
- Saturated fat: 10 grams (50% of the daily value)
Oleato Caffé Latte with Oat Milk (16 ounces)
- Calories: 330
- Fat: 23 grams (29% of daily value)
- Saturated fat: 3 grams (15% of daily value)
Oleato Iced Shaken Espresso With Oat Milk and Toffee Nut (16 ounces)
- Calories: 250
- Fat: 17 grams (22% of daily value)
- Saturated fat: 2.5 grams (13% of daily value)
“The recommendation for most Americans is to switch to healthier fats sources but not to increase fat intake. There are exceptions where people may need a higher fat diet, but that is specific to medical conditions and not general public advice,” Stang said. “If you look at the nutritional content of these drinks, this is by no means a healthy drink recommendation.”
A general rule — 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil a day is enough to consume per day.
“Olive oil is a great part of a healthy diet,” Moltzen said. “One of the only downsides to consuming it daily may be the added calories. However, a teaspoon of olive oil should not make much of a difference.”
