Behind every public figure's appearance lies a personal wellness routine. This series examines the diets, exercise habits, procedures, and beauty and fashion choices of notable figures as practical lifestyle information.

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Actor Park Jun-myeon, 50, has drawn attention after revealing a morning wellness habit of drinking a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice on an empty stomach. The drink, popularly known as an "oleo shot," has gained word-of-mouth popularity for its purported benefits to vascular health and bowel function. Olive oil is widely recognized as a food that may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, though the effects vary depending on how it is consumed.

Park recently introduced the routine on his YouTube channel "Park Jun-myeon's Shyness." "I mix olive oil with lemon juice and drink it on an empty stomach," Park said. "I heard that olive oil cleans the blood vessels and improves bowel movements." Park added that the habit has been kept up for more than a year.

Olive oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and may help manage blood cholesterol levels. However, its effects on vascular health depend on what types of fat a person typically consumes and how their overall diet is structured.

The main fatty acid in olive oil is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat. When consumed in place of saturated fats found in butter and meat, oleic acid may help lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in the blood.

LDL cholesterol transports cholesterol through the bloodstream, but when levels become too high, it accumulates in artery walls and raises the risk of atherosclerosis. Plaques formed by the buildup of cholesterol and inflammatory cells can narrow blood vessels and obstruct blood flow, potentially leading to heart attacks and strokes.

A large-scale study published in 2022 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology supports the link between olive oil consumption and cardiovascular health. Researchers tracked 92,383 American adults for up to 28 years.

Those who consumed more than 7 grams of olive oil per day had a 19 percent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who consumed little to none. Overall mortality risk was also 19 percent lower, and replacing certain fats such as butter and margarine with olive oil was associated with a reduction in mortality risk.

The study was an observational analysis of long-term dietary habits and health outcomes. It did not examine the effects of drinking olive oil on an empty stomach or test whether it removes existing arterial plaque.

The American Heart Association recommends replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats for cardiovascular health. Cooking with olive oil instead of butter, or using it as a salad dressing, are practical ways to incorporate healthy fats into the diet.

The claim that the oleo shot aids bowel function also warrants scrutiny. Olive oil is digested in the small intestine, where it is broken down and absorbed as fatty acids — a process that differs from how pharmaceutical lubricant laxatives work by directly coating stool in the intestine. Clinical evidence on whether typical amounts of olive oil meaningfully relieve constipation remains limited.

Constipation is influenced by a range of factors, including intestinal motility, dietary fiber intake, hydration and bowel habits. When stool remains in the intestine too long, excessive water absorption can make it hard and difficult to pass.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recommends adequate dietary fiber intake, hydration and regular physical activity to manage constipation. The recommended daily fiber intake for adults ranges from about 22 to 34 grams, depending on age and sex.

Vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes are good sources of dietary fiber that help add bulk and retain moisture in stool. Establishing a consistent bathroom routine after breakfast can also support regular bowel movements.

The claim that olive oil must be consumed on an empty stomach also lacks sufficient backing. No robust clinical evidence in humans has established that mixing olive oil with lemon juice and drinking it in the morning on an empty stomach is more beneficial for cardiovascular health or bowel function than consuming it with meals.

To take advantage of olive oil's nutritional benefits, incorporating it into regular meals is an equally valid approach that does not require drinking it separately in the morning.

Those who drink oleo shots daily should also account for caloric intake. While olive oil provides healthy fats, its high energy density means even small amounts add up quickly. According to the US Department of Agriculture's nutritional data, one tablespoon (about 15 milliliters) of olive oil contains approximately 119 kilocalories. Two tablespoons would amount to roughly 240 kilocalories.

For people who already consume sufficient fat through their diet, adding olive oil on top may increase total daily caloric intake. For those managing their weight in particular, substituting other fat sources with olive oil is a more calorie-conscious approach than adding it on top of an existing diet.

Lemon juice also carries some caveats. While lemons contain vitamin C and citric acid, their high acidity means that drinking concentrated lemon juice on an empty stomach can trigger heartburn or acid reflux in some people.

The Cleveland Clinic notes that drinking undiluted lemon juice can irritate the mouth, throat and stomach. Repeated exposure to acidic beverages may also damage tooth enamel, and the clinic recommends diluting lemon juice with water or adding it to food rather than drinking it straight.

People with gastroesophageal reflux disease, or those who regularly experience heartburn after eating sour foods, should be especially careful about how much lemon juice they consume and how they take it. Drinking large amounts of olive oil at once can also cause nausea or abdominal discomfort.

For those who want to consume both olive oil and lemon juice together, using them as a salad dressing is a practical alternative. Pairing olive oil with vegetables can also aid the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients in a meal, while avoiding the discomfort of drinking oil directly.

Ultimately, what determines the health benefits of olive oil is not whether it is consumed on an empty stomach, but the overall quality of one's diet. Reducing saturated fat intake and building meals around olive oil, vegetables and whole grains is a more sustainable approach to long-term cardiovascular health.


rainbow@heraldcorp.com