Benny Blanco Says Olive Oil Can Help Prevent Hangovers — Is He Right? 2 Dietitians Weigh in

The record producer claimed that consuming olive oil before drinking can prevent hangovers on 'The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,' but does it really work?

Benny Blanco just shared a pretty easy hangover hack, but does it actually work? 

The 36-year-old producer, who's been recently making headlines for his romance with Selena Gomez, 31, appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon earlier this month and shared his secret to avoiding the unpleasant next-day side effects of drinking: olive oil. 

In the segment, Blanco said that he learned the trick from a friend. "These old guys from Italy came in. They said, ‘Before you drink, you take a shot of this, you can’t get hungover. Impossible.' " Both Fallon and Blanco humorously tested out the theory and took a shot of olive oil before taking a sip of their alcoholic beverages.

Despite Blanco’s claims, olive oil may not actually be the best solution to preventing hangovers. Registered dietitian Megan Huff tells PEOPLE that there isn't direct scientific evidence to support that olive oil has a guaranteed results against the unpleasant aspects of alcohol overconsumption.

“Only 20% of alcohol is absorbed by the stomach,” she explains. "So, the rest will be absorbed through the small intestine. From there, it undergoes metabolism by the liver and will still lead to hangover symptoms such as dehydration and headaches."

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Kim Shapira, another registered dietitian and founder of the Kim Shapira Method, tells PEOPLE that since "extra virgin olive oil is a high-fat monounsaturated oil, it will slow down digestion and thereby, slow some alcohol absorption."

Shapria theorizes that the reason people speculate that olive oil will help slow down alcohol absorption is because of the antioxidants it contains. “These antioxidants help with maintaining the immune system and decrease inflammation overall,” she says.

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She further explains that some people may also be missing alcohol dehydrogenase, a key enzyme that helps the body break down alcohol.  Explains Shapira, "Women actually have less of this enzyme than men and as we age, we end up with even less. So people who have high levels of alcohol dehydrogenase, don't have the common hangover symptoms someone else may have, and they're [maybe] mistaking it for olive oil."

So what’s truly the best way to prevent a hangover? Both Huff and Shapira recommend simply staying hydrated.

“Reach for water or coconut water — they are both excellent choices for hydration,” Huff says.  “Electrolyte drinks are also effective since they replenish vital electrolytes.”

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