From our founder

30 days on a glucose monitor, with and without my olive oil shot

I logged every meal for a month. Here are my readings, then what the published research says.

Maya, founder of AlyaMaya, founder of Alya
My sushi-day peaks
108mg/dLolive oil shot, Jan 11
168mg/dLno olive oil shot, Jan 17

This isn’t a perfectly controlled experiment.

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Maya's CGM readings on Jan 11, peak 108 mg/dLMaya's CGM readings on Jan 17, peak 168 mg/dL
Jan 11 (olive oil shot, peak 108) ↔ Jan 17 (no olive oil shot, peak 168)
How I tested it
  • Some days took a shot of high-polyphenol extra-virgin olive oil 30 minutes before carb-heavy meals.
  • Some days skipped it entirely.
  • Logged every meal.

This isn’t a perfectly controlled experiment. I wasn’t able to eat the same thing every day.

Another pair of days

Maya's CGM readings on Nov 14, peak 110 mg/dLMaya's CGM readings on Nov 16, peak 145 mg/dL
Nov 14 (olive oil shot, peak 110) ↔ Nov 16 (no olive oil shot, peak 145)

Screenshots from my CGM app, as posted on my Substack.

When your blood sugar spikes, you feel it in your body. It’s hard to ignore.

Maya, founder of Alya

Read more about my journey →

In Maya’s words

“It’s olive oil, but with superpowers.”

“They are called polyphenols.”
“Take one 30 minutes before a meal.”
01

Olive oil and your body’s own GLP-1

GLP-1 is a hormone your own gut releases when you eat. It prompts insulin release and holds back glucagon, which helps limit how far blood sugar rises after a meal.1 Fat is one signal known to prompt it: when researchers delivered 2-oleoyl glycerol, a fat your body makes as it digests olive oil, into the small intestine of eight healthy volunteers, their GLP-1 went up.2

Ten healthy young adults had higher GLP-1 after a meal made with 80 grams of olive oil (far more than a morning shot) than after one made with butter.3 And 25 healthy adults had higher GLP-1 two hours after a Mediterranean-style lunch with 10 grams of extra virgin olive oil added than after the same lunch without it.4 None of these studies tested Alya.

THE SCIENCE, PART 1 OF 3
Two people taking Alya olive oil shots in the sun
The lunch study 4
Who
25 healthy adults
What
10 grams of extra virgin olive oil added to lunch
Measured
GLP-1 and blood glucose, 2 hours later
02

Blood sugar after a meal with olive oil

From my log, Jan 11. I started with my olive oil shot, then I ate a bagel, and then sushi. The entire day was remarkably flat, with glucose sitting at 75-85 through the morning and early afternoon.

In that lunch study, the 25 adults had lower blood glucose two hours after the meal with extra virgin olive oil than after the meal without it, and a smaller rise in glucose than when corn oil replaced it.4

Twenty healthy adults who took 20 mg of oleuropein, one of the polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil, right before lunch had lower blood glucose and higher GLP-1 two hours later than after a placebo.5 Both were single meals in small groups, and that’s all they show.

THE SCIENCE, PART 2 OF 3
A hand pouring an Alya shot on a stone table
The polyphenol study 5
Who
20 healthy adults
What
20 mg oleuropein, an olive polyphenol, before lunch
Measured
Blood glucose and GLP-1, 2 hours later
03

And the bloating?

From my notes. It was particularly challenging to eat heavy foods I’m not used to. On those days, I felt noticeably more lethargic, bloated, and tired.

What the research supports: olive oil polyphenols reach your colon, where gut bacteria break some of them down. Researchers showed this in the lab, then found those breakdown products in people who took a polyphenol-rich olive oil every day for three weeks.6

What it doesn’t: we found no study in healthy adults that measured bloating after olive oil, so I won’t tell you the science proves it.

THE SCIENCE, PART 3 OF 3Shop & save 20%
Two people relaxing with Alya olive oil shots by the sea
What we found 6
Supported
Gut bacteria break down some olive oil polyphenols
Not found
A trial in healthy adults that measured bloating
What’s in the shot

One tablespoon of single-origin extra virgin olive oil

Alya is organic, unfiltered and single-origin, with 1,800+ polyphenols and a smooth, peppery taste. It’s directly sourced from one family farm in northern Tunisia, harvested early and delivered within weeks so it keeps its freshness and potency.

Every batch is independently lab-tested, and we publish the polyphenol levels of every harvest. Alya is verified at 1,876 mg of polyphenols per kilo, about 7.5 times the EU’s threshold for an olive oil to make a polyphenol claim.

One shot on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before your first meal, every morning. That’s the entire protocol.

Subscribe & save 20%THIRD-PARTY LAB TESTED BY WORLD OLIVE CENTER
A woman smelling an Alya olive oil shot

Tested and verified

THIRD-PARTY CERTIFIED
1,876mg/kg polyphenols, third-party certified
7.5xthe EU threshold for a polyphenol claim
1tablespoon, one shot every morning

Third-party lab tested by World Olive Center.

Hands holding an Alya box of olive oil shots
Clinician
Reviews

460 clinicians shared this on FrontrowMD
without compensation. View clinicians

Read their reviews

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4.9 · 120 reviews

Daily Olive Oil Shots

The essential Alya starter kit. Alya is your daily shot of medicinal-grade extra virgin olive oil. Organic, unfiltered, and single-variety, it’s loaded with 1800+ polyphenols to fuel your health. With a smooth yet peppery taste, you know it’s working.

STEADY ENERGY*GUT HEALTH*METABOLIC SUPPORT*
Supply

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What to expect from your daily ritual

A woman taking an Alya shot

Every morning

One shot

One shot on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before your first meal, every morning.

A bowl of olives on a sunlit table

Stay consistent

Steady daily intake

Polyphenols work best with steady, daily intake.

An open Alya box among olive branches

2–4 weeks

Notice the difference

Most people notice improvements in energy and digestion within 2-4 weeks of consistent daily use.*

A woman drinking an Alya shot in the sun

Over time

4.9 · 120 reviews

From those who take it daily

★★★★★

I love it! I’ve been feeling great... less bloated and fewer sugar cravings. It’s amazing!

Dana, 36 VERIFIED BUYER
★★★★★

Since I started taking Alya 2 months ago, I don’t have cravings like I used to. I feel much more stable after meals, no crashes.

Dave VERIFIED BUYER
★★★★★

I always felt lethargic after meals. After I started taking Alya a few weeks ago, I have much steadier energy throughout my days.

Yasmine VERIFIED BUYER

Sources

Every research statement above is numbered to one of these peer-reviewed papers. They studied olive oil, its fats or one of its polyphenols, not Alya.

  1. Holst JJ. The physiology of glucagon-like peptide 1. Physiol Rev. 2007;87(4):1409-39. PubMed 17928588 · doi:10.1152/physrev.00034.2006
  2. Hansen KB, Rosenkilde MM, Knop FK, et al. 2-Oleoyl glycerol is a GPR119 agonist and signals GLP-1 release in humans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96(9):E1409-17. PubMed 21778222 · doi:10.1210/jc.2011-0647
  3. Thomsen C, Rasmussen O, Lousen T, et al. Differential effects of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids on postprandial lipemia and incretin responses in healthy subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;69(6):1135-43. PubMed 10357731 · doi:10.1093/ajcn/69.6.1135
  4. Violi F, Loffredo L, Pignatelli P, et al. Extra virgin olive oil use is associated with improved post-prandial blood glucose and LDL cholesterol in healthy subjects. Nutr Diabetes. 2015;5(7):e172. PubMed 26192450 · doi:10.1038/nutd.2015.23
  5. Carnevale R, Silvestri R, Loffredo L, et al. Oleuropein, a component of extra virgin olive oil, lowers postprandial glycaemia in healthy subjects. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2018;84(7):1566-74. PubMed 29577365 · doi:10.1111/bcp.13589
  6. Mosele JI, Martín-Peláez S, Macià A, et al. Faecal microbial metabolism of olive oil phenolic compounds: in vitro and in vivo approaches. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2014;58(9):1809-19. PubMed 24990102 · doi:10.1002/mnfr.201400124

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

This page shares one founder’s experience and published research. It isn’t medical advice.