Can Olives Help You Lose Weight?
Olives are a great source of antioxidants and healthy fats that can help with weight loss. Depending on the kind, one ounce of olives might have anywhere from 35 to 50 calories.
A acidic, salty snack, olives are a savory Mediterranean fruit that are often cured and consumed whole. Many people also like them processed into oil or tapenade, or on salads and pizzas.
Density of calories
Olives are particularly low in calories.
The quantity of calories in a food in relation to its weight or volume (in grams) is known as its "calorie density." Any food that has a calorie density of four or higher is generally regarded as high.
The calorie density of whole black or green olives is 1.1–1.5.
Low-calorie foods tend to make you feel fuller for longer and require fewer calories, so choosing them may help you lose weight (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).
good fats
Additionally, unsaturated fats found in olives are beneficial fats that are not the same as trans or saturated fats chemically. While all fats have the same number of calories, unsaturated fats have positive effects on your health (5Trusted Source, 6).
Specifically, substituting monounsaturated fats for carbohydrates and other fats in your diet may lower inflammation and lower your chance of developing heart disease (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).
Plant-based oils, almonds, avocados, and olives are examples of foods high in monounsaturated fats. According to several studies, eating a lot of monounsaturated fats directly contributes to weight loss (11Trusted Source).
Thirty-two women participated in a 60-day trial comparing regular diets with diets high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. In addition to lowering fat mass, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference, the diet high in monounsaturated fats caused weight loss of up to 4.2 pounds (1.9 kg) (12Trusted Source).
Moreover, a thorough analysis of low-calorie diets found that eating habits rich in fat tend to result in weight reduction more frequently than eating habits low in fat (13Trusted Source).
Mediterranean way of eating
The Mediterranean diet, which limits processed meals and places an emphasis on whole foods and fish, may facilitate weight loss. An important part of this diet is olive oil and other healthy fats—14, 15, and 16 trusted sources.
According to specific research, this diet may help people lose between one and five pounds (2.2 and 10.1 kg) (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).
However, other research has not found a direct link between it and weight loss (19Reliable Source).
Still, a number of health advantages of the Mediterranean diet seem to exist, including lowered blood pressure and a smaller waist circumference (19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source).
Nutritious facts about olives
The type of olive and the curing technique have an impact on the nutritional composition of olives. Nonetheless, most have little calories but a reasonable amount of salt and healthy fats.
The nutrients in 1.2 ounces (34 grams) of black and green olives are examined in the chart that follows. About ten tiny to medium-sized olives are included in each dish (24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source).
| Black olives | Green olives | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 36 | 49 |
| Carbs | 2 grams | 1 gram |
| Protein | less than 1 gram | less than 1 gram |
| Total fat | 3 grams | 5 grams |
| Monounsaturated fat | 2 grams | 4 grams |
| Saturated fat | 2% of the Daily Value (DV) | 3% of the DV |
| Fiber | 3% of the DV | 4% of the DV |
| Sodium | 11% of the DV | 23% of the DV |
A serving of ten green or black olives may have 35–95 calories, depending on the size of the fruits.
Specifically, olives are abundant in polyphenol antioxidants, which help your body combat dangerous substances known as free radicals. Additionally, it's thought that they may lower your chance of developing diseases like diabetes and heart disease (26Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source).
The key is moderation.
Due to their high salt and total fat content, olives should be consumed in moderation even though they have a low calorie density and can help with weight loss in a number of ways.
Furthermore, the calories in olives can build up rapidly if you don't pay strict attention to portion sizes.
It is ideal to maintain your consumption of saturated fat to 2-3 ounces (56-84 grams) each day, or around 16–24 small–to medium-sized olives, in order to stay below the suggested limits.
In summary
A delicious snack, olives are rich in antioxidants called polyphenols and healthy fats. They may help you feel fuller, which could contribute to weight loss because of their low calorie density.
Nevertheless, you should watch your portion sizes because olives have a high caloric content.
This well-known fruit from the Mediterranean region works wonders to substitute processed foods and high-calorie snacks in your diet.
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