Today many scientists and researchers are convinced that olive leaf extract is destined to become the most useful, wide-spectrum herbal ingredient of the 21st century.
The benefits provided by olive leaves range from protecting both cardiovascular and immune system to boosting energy, promoting healthy blood pressure, preventing diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
The olive leaf is derived from the olive tree (Olea europaea), which is a native plant to the Mediterranean region. Olive leaves were used to mummify pharaohs, and their medicinal properties were first used in ancient Egypt. Olive leaves were also a symbol of divine power.
Olive leaf was first mentioned officially in Europe as medicine about 150 years ago that has been used in a form of tincture to cure advanced cases of fever and malaria. All you have to do is to boil a handful of leaves in a quart of water down to half its original volume. Then administer the liquid in the amount of a wineglass every 3 or 4 hours until the fever is cured.
The substance considered to be responsible for the therapeutic effects of olive leaf is a polyphenol antioxidant called Oleuropein.
The oleuropein is also found in olive oil. In fact, it is found throughout the entire olive tree and it is the bitter substance that is removed from olives when they are pressed
Based on scientific research and clinical data, it was found that the olive leaf extract is very useful in the treatment of a broad variety of health conditions including conditions related to a virus, retrovirus, bacterium or protozoan.
Such conditions are the flu, the common cold, candida infections, meningitis, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), encephalitis, herpes I and II, human herpesvirus 6 and 7, shingles (Herpes zoster), HIV/ARC/AIDS, chronic fatigue, hepatitis B, pneumonia, tuberculosis, gonorrhea, malaria, dengue, severe diarrhea, and dental, ear, urinary tract and surgical infections.
A list of the olive leaf’s most sustained health benefits
1.Cardiovascular health
High blood pressure: The oleuropein in Olive Leaf is primarily responsible for its modulating effect on high blood pressure. It works by targeting and improving arterial resistance or stiffness.Arterial health is an important indicator of overall cardiovascular health. Endothelial cells which line the arterial walls are largely responsible for ensuring adequate and even blood flow through the arteries, as well as regulating blood pressure.
Arterial health: Arterial health is an important indicator of overall cardiovascular health. Endothelial cells which line the arterial walls are largely responsible for ensuring adequate and even blood flow through the arteries, as well as regulating blood pressure.
Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) is directly related to endothelial dysfunction, which leads to the accumulation of plaque in the arteries. Over time these plaques can cause a blockage of blood flow thus triggering a heart attack or stroke. Olive leaf extract combats endothelial dysfunction in a variety of ways.
2.Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes is at epidemic levels. Chronic, elevated blood sugar leads to systemic oxidative stress, which gives rise to chronic inflammation that causes tissue damage and other bodily dysfunctions and it accelerates the aging process.
In animal and in lab studies, olive leaf extract has been shown to lower blood sugar via several pathways including, slowing down the digestion of starches and simple sugars in the intestine and increasing the cells ability to uptake glucose from the blood. Olive leaf protects healthy tissues from oxidative damage and increases the overall level of antioxidant activity throughout the body.
3.Cancer
As mentioned, because oleuropein improves antioxidant activity throughout the body it’s a potent cancer-preventative. Olive leaf extract protects cells from DNA damage due to oxidative stress, which is how malignant cells initially proliferate.
It also disrupts the chemical signaling pathways that tumors rely on to organize, as well as inhibiting tumor growth factors. Interestingly, in one recent study, animals with tumors were given oleuropein and within 9 to 12 days the tumors were gone.
4.Neuroprotection
Olive leaf extract is a vigorous anti-inflammatory agent, which protects the brain and central nervous system from strokes and other age-related degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
5.Arthritis
There are numerous Mediterranean folk remedies with many references to olive leaves and their extracts as an effective prevention and treatment for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout and plain old arthritis.
Gout: Gout occurs when there is an accretion of uric acid crystals in joints. Uric acid crystal accumulation indicates a problem with cells and their ability to properly recycle DNA and RNA. Oleuropein halts the buildup of uric acid by inhibiting the enzyme which is responsible for conv