Influencer's morning routine includes drinking olive oil and butter. Doctors say it's 'nonsense'

What’s your morning routine? Whether you’re an early bird or a ‘hit snooze until the last minute’ kind of person, we’re willing to bet it doesn’t involve downing a shot of olive oil first thing.

US influencer Katherine Saras, who lives in Austin, Texas, went viral recently for her TikTok video showing her own morning routine that does indeed involve having a shot of olive oil, as well as drinking butter and bone broth.

The clothing designer shared the video earlier this month, captioning it: "Morning routine (for a healthy [gut] microbiome)." She showed herself drinking and eating a variety of foods that she claimed contribute to optimal gut health.

That includes drinking a shot of olive oil on an empty stomach; snacking on a bowl of "organic sauerkraut"; eating a breakfast of yoghurt, flax seed powder, goji berries and cashews, washed down with bone broth; and having a mug of butter and coconut oil coffee.

Asked about the benefits of drinking a shot of olive oil first thing in the morning, Saras claimed that it "helps to line your gut, improves digestion, reduced inflammation just to name a few".

Saras’ post has been viewed more than 657,000 times on TikTok, and has since been shared on X, formerly Twitter, where even more people are weighing in on her routine.

"There is literally no need for you to do an olive oil shot," one person commented on TikTok, while another added on X: "Having a shot of olive oil is wild."

Are there any real benefits to Saras’ routine? The answer is a categorical no, says Dr Claire Merrifield, GP and medical director at Selph.

Dr Merrifield, who specialises in the gut microbiome, urges viewers not to take the video seriously and says there are little health benefits to the routine.

Addressing the most controversial thing Saras does - drink olive oil on an empty stomach - Dr Merrifield tells Yahoo UK: "Whilst extra virgin olive oil does have lots of health benefits, those benefits have been studied in the context of a Mediterranean diet, not just having a big shot of olive oil on an empty stomach.

"A shot of olive oil is 200 calories, and there’s no evidence that a shot of olive oil on an empty stomach has any beneficial effect on the gut microbiome. In fact, a high-fat low-fibre diet is detrimental to the health of the gut."

But what about the saurkraut snack? Sauerkraut is made of fermented cabbage and salt. Fermented foods are believed to have a positive effect on the gut microbiome by increasing probiotics and fibre, but Dr Merrifield warns that the evidence is lacking.

"Sauerkraut is a fermented food and there are some studies suggesting that it might be beneficial for the gut microbiome, but really not many," she explains.

"The most beneficial thing for the gut microbiome is to eat fibre and lots of fruit and vegetables."

One of the most normal things Saras eats is her bowl of yoghurt. Dr Merrifield reports that this does indeed have gut health benefits, but warned that the influencer’s regime is "quite fat heavy".

"Natural Greek yoghurt has far better evidence for gut health. It only contains 100 calories per bowl and 9g of protein, which is really important for health," she says. "Foods like yoghurt have far more evidence that they positively impact health than Sauerkraut. We should be aiming for 30g of fibre a day and around 2g of protein per kilo of body weight."

Finally, Saras’ butter and coconut oil coffee is plainly full of saturated fats, Dr Merrifield says.

"When it comes to drinking butter with coconut oil and coffee, really all you’re doing is increasing your saturated fat content without the enjoyment that would typically come with say, a piece of dark chocolate," she explains.

"A healthy dietary pattern involves reducing saturated fats and increasing dietary fibre as well as having adequate protein intake. Some people put butter or saturated fat in their coffee thinking it will help them feel full.

"The most satiating thing you can eat is protein so you’d be far better off having a protein shake or even better a handful of nuts which are packed with healthy fats and protein. A handful of nuts a day has been shown time and again to improve health."

She adds: "There is not a single scientific study to suggest that adding butter and coconut milk to your coffee has any health benefits. When we have a whole armoury of other foods which are packed with benefits I’d encourage you not to waste calorie space with unproven nonsense that doesn’t even taste good."

Dr Merrifield warns viewers not to "take any truth" from the video, adding that "thousands" of videos are posted to social media that make "absurd claims about daily routines and diets that can support our health".

These videos are "rarely created by health professionals" and usually have little to no evidence to back up their claims.

"Just because someone looks amazing or like they have an ideal life, I think we all know that it’s not just from a diet 'hack' no matter what juicy hooks they use to lure us into social media to buy their products," Dr Merrifield says.

"If you are looking for advice about your diet and how to look after your gut microbiome, the best thing to do is to speak with a doctor or health professional."

Read more about health and wellness:

• Britain’s most sugary wines, ranked (Yahoo Life UK, 3-min read)

• Apple Cider Vinegar: how social media gave rise to fraudulent wellness influencers like Belle Gibson (The Conversation, 5-min read)

• Doctor busts TikTok health myths (Cover Media, 2-min read)