The olive oil coffee allegedly has some side effects
Some people claim that Starbucks’ new product line is overly waking up their bodies.
According to this article, Starbucks introduced a line of drinks in Italy named Oleato, which blends coffee with olive oil. Three varieties are available in the Oleato line: Oleato Iced Shaken Espresso, Oleato Caffé Latte, and Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew. On March 23, every beverage landed in Chicago, Seattle, and New York City.
Partanna extra virgin olive oil whose name comes from a city in southwestern Sicily is poured into each beverage. This, according to Starbucks, gives your beverage a “sweet and lush” flavor and makes it “velvety smooth”.
Yet, it appears like it might be a bit too smooth. As the beverages were introduced, several consumers who had tried them posted on social media to discuss an unforeseen consequence: increased trips to the bathroom. Bowel issues, stomachaches, diarrhea, and, in some severe cases, vomiting were reported by Reddit users.
Why? First off, these drinks contain a considerable amount of caffeine. For instance, the caffeine content of a grande beverage in the series varies from 170 mg to 255 mg.
That portion shouldn’t surprise anyone since it’s coffee. Yet there’s a different story with the fat content. In a single grande cup from the Oleato line, the amount of fat varies from 17 g to 34 g. In contrast, a typical, grande latte with 2% milk has 7 g while a grande cup of plain coffee has 0 grams. 14 g of fat are included in one tablespoon of olive oil.
Of course, fat is a necessary nutrient and gives your food a ton of taste. Eating fat with meals slows down digestion, which increases satiety and prolongs the sense of fullness. Fat, however, can “exacerbate the urgency to run to the bathroom” if you consume too much of it too quickly, especially in the morning when many people drink their coffee on an empty stomach. Brigitte Zeitlin, MPH, RD, CDN, says. According to Zeitlin, fats like olive oil can increase colonic motility and “help smooth the insides of the bowel, making it easier for stools to pass through”.
It along with the coffee can really wake up your digestive system. As said by gastroenterologist Rabia De Latour, MD, an assistant professor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, coffee also promotes gut contractions. (Maybe this explains why some people, even when there is no olive oil around, find themselves rushing to the restroom after their first cup of coffee in the morning).
According to Dr. De Latour, coffee also includes acid, which increases the production of gastrin, a hormone created in the stomach. High levels of the hormone gastrin can cause diarrhea because it causes a muscular contraction that pushes waste through the intestinal tract. It’s hardly surprising that things can get more active when olive oil is added to the mix.
However, according to Zeitlin, the combination of the two items may make the effects worse for those who are sensitive to caffeine. It will likely result in a speedier and/or more urgent run to the restroom, she says. As a result, you can experience gastrointestinal problems as well as some of caffeine’s undesirable side effects, such as anxiety, a rapid heart rate, and headaches.
Yet, this does not imply that trying these drinks is harmful. We understand that its unusualness warrants inquiry; if you’re fascinated by coffee and olive oil, you should definitely look into it. And there’s a good chance it won’t even cause you any stomach discomfort.
Make a plan to test it out if you’re concerned about how your stomach could respond. Try a little bit of the coffee that has been infused with olive oil to start, and “drink it slowly,” advises Zeitlin. As Zeitlin advises, try to eat a meal or snack along with it to “minimize the potential adverse effects.” You can simply stop drinking it if you begin to have digestive problems. It all comes down to being aware of how your body responds and how much you can take.
Hence, if you’re interested in trying Starbucks’ new Oleato range, go ahead, but maybe make sure you’re close to a toilet just in case.
