Contents 11
- The amounts side by side
- PREDIMED: 4 tablespoons a day, inside a whole diet
- Does more oil mean more benefit?
- The Harvard cohorts: half a tablespoon and up
- The EU claim: 20 g of a polyphenol-rich oil
- Olive oil and weight
- How to use 1-4 tablespoons a day without thinking about it
- Who should be careful
- FAQ
- Related
- Sources
By the Nutriveda editorial team · Sources checked 2026-11-04
Short answer: the studies that people quote used very different amounts. The big Mediterranean diet trial, PREDIMED, asked people to use at least 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil a day. The large Harvard cohorts saw lower death rates from about half a tablespoon a day upwards. The only EU-authorised health claim for olive oil is based on 20 g a day, about 1 1/2 tablespoons. For most people, 1-2 tablespoons a day used in place of butter, margarine or other spreads is a sensible place to start, and up to 4 is what the trial tested inside a full Mediterranean diet.
The amounts side by side
| Amount | Grams | Energy | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | about 4.5 g | 40 kcal | Lowest group of olive oil users in the Harvard cohorts (up to 4.5 g a day) |
| 1/2 tablespoon | 7 g | 62 kcal | Highest intake group in the Harvard cohorts (more than 7 g a day) |
| 1 tablespoon | 13.5 g | 119 kcal | USDA standard tablespoon of olive oil |
| About 1 1/2 tablespoons | 20 g | 177 kcal | Daily intake in the EU health claim for olive oil polyphenols |
| 2 tablespoons | 27 g | 239 kcal | A practical everyday amount |
| 4 tablespoons | 54 g | 477 kcal | Minimum target in the PREDIMED olive oil group |
Data: energy from USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, “Oil, olive, salad or cooking” (FDC 171413): 884 kcal per 100 g, 13.5 g per tablespoon. Grams for the other amounts are calculated from that. Real spoons vary, so if the number matters to you, weigh it once and remember what your spoon holds.
PREDIMED: 4 tablespoons a day, inside a whole diet
PREDIMED was a Spanish trial in 7,447 adults at high cardiovascular risk who did not yet have heart disease. One group followed a Mediterranean diet with extra virgin olive oil, one a Mediterranean diet with nuts, and the control group was advised to cut down on all fat. The olive oil group received about 1 litre of extra virgin olive oil a week free of charge and was asked to use at least 4 tablespoons (about 50 ml) a day.
After a median of 4.8 years, the olive oil group had about 30% fewer major cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death combined) than the control group (hazard ratio 0.69). The results were republished in 2018 after problems with randomisation at some sites, and the conclusion held.
Two things are worth keeping in mind. First, the trial tested a diet, not a dose of oil: people also ate more vegetables, legumes and fish, and less processed meat and pastry. Second, 4 tablespoons is a lot of energy (about 477 kcal, close to a quarter of a 2,000 kcal day), and in the trial it replaced other fats rather than being added on top.
Does more oil mean more benefit?
A follow-up analysis of the same PREDIMED participants (Guasch-Ferré et al., BMC Medicine, 2014) compared people by how much olive oil they actually used. Those in the top third of total olive oil intake had about 35% lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those in the bottom third (hazard ratio 0.65), and for extra virgin olive oil the figure was 0.61. Each extra 10 g a day of extra virgin oil was linked to about 10% lower risk. This is an observational analysis inside a trial, so it shows a link, not proof that the extra spoon caused the difference.
The Harvard cohorts: half a tablespoon and up
A larger study followed 60,582 women from the Nurses’ Health Study and 31,801 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study in the United States for 28 years (Guasch-Ferré et al., Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2022). People who used more than 7 g of olive oil a day (about half a tablespoon) had 19% lower risk of dying from any cause during follow-up than those who rarely or never used it, and also lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease (19%), cancer (17%), neurodegenerative disease (29%) and respiratory disease (18%).
The most useful finding for everyday cooking: replacing 10 g a day of margarine, butter, mayonnaise or dairy fat with the same amount of olive oil was linked to 8-34% lower risk of death, depending on the cause. Compared with other plant oils combined, olive oil showed no clear difference. So the benefit seems to come largely from what olive oil replaces.
The limits: this is an observational study, the participants were US health professionals, and olive oil users may differ from non-users in other ways that the analysis could not fully remove.
The EU claim: 20 g of a polyphenol-rich oil
The only health claim the EU allows for olive oil itself is: “olive oil polyphenols contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress” (Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, after an EFSA opinion in 2011). It may be used only for oil with at least 5 mg of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives per 20 g, and the label has to say that the effect comes with 20 g of that oil a day.
What this means in practice: the polyphenol content differs a lot from bottle to bottle, so 20 g of one extra virgin oil is not the same as 20 g of another. Most supermarket oils do not carry the claim. If polyphenols are the reason you buy the oil, look for a fresh harvest date, dark glass and a bitter, peppery taste. More on choosing and storing it in our extra virgin olive oil entry.
Olive oil and weight
Olive oil is pure fat, and fat has the most energy per gram of any nutrient. Two tablespoons a day on top of your usual diet add about 240 kcal. In PREDIMED, the oil was part of a change to the whole diet, not an addition to it. If weight loss is your goal, measure the oil rather than pouring it, and let it replace butter, cream sauces and spreads.
How to use 1-4 tablespoons a day without thinking about it
- Breakfast: bread or toast with a teaspoon of oil and tomato instead of butter.
- Lunch: 1 tablespoon on a salad or a bowl of lentils or chickpeas, with lemon.
- Dinner: 1 tablespoon to roast vegetables or start a soup, and a small drizzle to finish.
- Snack: hummus, which already contains olive oil, with raw vegetables.
That is 2-3 tablespoons with no extra effort. Recipes that work this way: red lentil soup with lemon and roasted autumn vegetables.
Who should be careful
- People counting calories. Measure, at least for a week, to see what your “drizzle” really is.
- People with gallbladder or fat digestion problems. Large amounts of any fat in one meal can cause discomfort; ask your doctor what suits you.
- People on blood thinners or other medicines. Normal food amounts of olive oil are not known to be a problem, but talk to your doctor before any big change in diet.
FAQ
How much olive oil should I have per day?
There is no official daily recommendation for olive oil. Studies have linked benefits to amounts from about half a tablespoon a day (Harvard cohorts) to at least 4 tablespoons a day (PREDIMED). One to two tablespoons used in place of other fats is a sensible starting point for most people.
Is 4 tablespoons of olive oil a day too much?
It is what PREDIMED asked for, inside a Mediterranean diet that replaced other fats. Added on top of a usual diet, it is about 477 kcal a day, which can lead to weight gain.
Is it good to drink a spoonful of olive oil in the morning?
We found no study that tested drinking olive oil on an empty stomach against using the same amount with food. The studies above looked at olive oil as part of meals.
Does cooking destroy the benefits of olive oil?
Some aroma and polyphenols are lost with long heating, but extra virgin olive oil is stable at normal home cooking temperatures. Keep your best bottle for finishing.
Is extra virgin better than regular olive oil?
The fat is almost the same. Extra virgin keeps the polyphenols that refining removes, and in the PREDIMED analysis the link with lower cardiovascular risk was slightly stronger for extra virgin oil.
How much is 20 g of olive oil?
About 1 1/2 tablespoons, or 177 kcal.
Related
- Extra virgin olive oil per 100 g and per tablespoon
- Monounsaturated fat: foods per 100 g
- Polyphenols: foods and what the evidence says
- Olives per 100 g: salt, fat, how to choose
- Mediterranean diet for beginners: foods, 7-day plan and recipes
- Recipe: Red lentil soup with lemon
- Recipe: Roasted autumn vegetables
Sources
- Estruch R, et al. Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts. N Engl J Med. 2018 (republished). DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa1800389. doi.org
- Guasch-Ferré M, et al. Olive oil intake and risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality in the PREDIMED Study. BMC Med. 2014;12:78. DOI 10.1186/1741-7015-12-78. doi.org
- Guasch-Ferré M, et al. Consumption of olive oil and risk of total and cause-specific mortality among U.S. adults. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2022. DOI 10.1016/j.jacc.2021.10.041. Summary: healio.com
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, list of permitted health claims (olive oil polyphenols); EFSA Journal 2011;9(4):2033, DOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2033. doi.org
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Oil, olive, salad or cooking (FDC 171413). fdc.nal.usda.gov
This page is for information only and is not medical or dietary advice. If you have a health condition or take medication, talk to your doctor before changing your diet.
