The Tamesis
Extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemons have long dominated the world of healthy cooking and home remedies. Now, the two have found a new role: nightly wellness photos circulating on social media. Pour this simple combination into a cup instead of drizzling it over your salad, and it’s considered a small but powerful nightly ritual that can support everything from glowing skin to smoother digestion.
When taken together at night, extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice are said to work synergistically to create a mildly cleansing antioxidant blend. Enthusiasts claim the combination supports the immune system, boosts collagen production, and helps the body recover overnight.
Timing seems to be key. This rich-flavored blend is ideal for taking before bed to support digestion, promote regularity and promote deeper sleep.
postprandial effect
Here’s how it works: Olive oil helps lubricate the intestines, while lemon juice stimulates gastric juice production. Together, they promote smoother digestion and more efficient intestinal transit, which can translate into feeling less full at night, leading to a happier rest.
A tablespoon of oil mixed with the juice of half a lemon has also been described as having a supportive effect on the liver. In the health community, this drink is considered to have draining, detoxifying and purifying properties, aiding the body’s natural detoxification process and helping to combat occasional constipation.
Fans point to broader effects beyond digestion: The anti-inflammatory compounds in olive oil and the plant antioxidants and vitamins in lemon have been linked to heart health, joint comfort and healthier cholesterol levels.
At first glance, all the claimed benefits include:
- Support digestion
- Helps with occasional constipation
- Detox support
- Supports normal liver function
- anti-inflammatory activity
- joint comfort
- Support healthy cholesterol levels
- cardiovascular support
- Brighter complexion
Why bedtime?
Evening is considered an ideal time to perform this ritual. Some health influencers note that olive oil contains small amounts of compounds related to the body’s sleep-wake cycle, and its soothing, satiating qualities may help you feel more relaxed. Not to mention: When your digestion is running more smoothly, you’re less likely to feel bloated or uncomfortable at night, which in turn can make it easier for you to drift off to sleep—even after a big meal.
Does it really work?
All of this does sound great, but is there any scientific evidence to back up all of these claims? Well, sort of – but only loosely.
Of course, olive oil and lemon juice do provide many health benefits on their own. Research shows that olive oil is consistently associated with cardiovascular benefits when used as part of an overall diet. And, there’s even some emerging clinical trial evidence that extra virgin olive oil can improve bowel movement frequency and constipation.
As for lemon juice, it’s well known that lemon juice apparently contains vitamin C, which is necessary for collagen synthesis and a strong immune system; however, there’s not a lot of evidence that drinking a little lemon juice at night will have any noticeable effect on your skin or immunity, especially if you’re already getting enough vitamin C in your meals during the day.
There’s also not a lot of evidence when it comes to liver detoxification. While olive oil does contain small amounts of melatonin, the reported concentrations are very small, and there is no conclusive evidence that a tablespoon of olive oil before bed provides enough melatonin to affect sleep. The same goes for the liver. Regardless, the whole function of the liver is to detoxify, and the most effective way to support this is to reduce alcohol intake, maintain a healthy weight, and eat a balanced diet.
