Olive Oil and Lemon Juice: A Simple Elixir With Massive Health Benefits

Are you waking up feeling tired and sluggish? Before you reach for that cup of coffee, try starting your day with this refreshing olive oil and lemon juice drink. This tasty concoction includes olive oil, water, and a whole lemon. Here’s how this vibrant beverage can boost your well being…

Both lemons and olive oil are well-known for their natural health benefits.

Lemon juice is loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories like vitamin C and flavonoids (1, 2). The lemon peel (the skin around the lemon) is also packed with vitamin C. That said, lemons boast the following health benefits:

• Rich source of antioxidants

• Aids digestion

• Boosts the immune system

• Reduces inflammation

• Helps prevent kidney stones

• May help reduce risk of heart disease

• May help lower blood sugar levels

• May help improve skin quality

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) amplifies this drink's health benefits even more. The main ingredient in EVOO is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) that’s great for heart health and is rich in vitamins K and E (5).

In addition to this, EVOO has the following health benefits (6, 7, 8):

• High in healthy monounsaturated fats

• Rich source of antioxidants (helps zap free radicals)

• May help reduce inflammation

• May help lower blood pressure*

• May help reduce risk of heart disease

• May help improve cognitive function

• May help reduce risk of some cancers

• May help protect the skin from UV damage

• May help prevent gallstones

*Research indicates that consuming olive oil over other oils (especially harmful vegetable oils) can lead to a decrease in LDL (bad) cholesterol and an increase in HDL (good) cholesterol (9).

Both olive oil and lemon juice have been found to have helpful weight management properties, thanks to olive oil’s MUFAs and vitamin C’s role in promoting carnitine, a compound that helps break down fat to be used as energy (10, 11, 12).

These two ingredients are also a dream team when it comes to neutralizing free radicals, compounds that could otherwise damage your cells and potentially lead to health issues (13, 14, 15, 16).

So how can you get a healthy dose of both lemon and olive oil each day? One of our favorite ways is through this olive oil and lemon juice drink…

• 1 whole lemon

• 4 cups filtered water

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  

Optional Add-Ins:

• 3 to 5 ice cubes

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1-inch piece raw ginger root

• 1 scoop NativePath Collagen Peptides

• pinch of stevia powder, to taste, if you’d like additional sweetness (aim to use pure stevia leaf extract instead of stevia packets)

1. Clean lemon well. Cut into quarters and add to a blender (a Vitamix works great).

2. Add cold water followed by olive oil, ice, and any add-in options. Blend on high for one minute.

3. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove lemon seeds and pulp, which can be discarded.

4. Your beverage is now ready to be enjoyed!

Notes:

• This recipe makes 2 to 4 drinks.

• If you’re wondering how much olive oil and lemon juice per day is best, we recommend drinking one 6- to 8-ounce glass per day. Leftovers can be stored in mason jars and refrigerated for several days.

Lemon juice and olive oil are a fantastic combination for improving immunity, fighting free radicals, managing weight, and boosting your health. Drink it daily with breakfast for maximum benefits.