The Mediterranean Diet has long been known to improve overall health and wellness. Many don’t know that olive oil, a significant player in the Mediterranean diet, contains a unique compound called oleuropein, which provides the oil’s characteristic astringent taste. The olive tree (Olea europaea) produces oleuropein generously in its leaves as well as in the olive fruit. With exceptional processing techniques, the extraction of a stable, standardized form of oleuropein is available in supplement form, usually called olive leaf extract. Oleuropein is a polyphenol that may help lower bad cholesterol and blood pressure (oleuropein acts as a natural calcium channel blocker), prevent cancer, protect against oxidative damage, expel harmful organisms and help guard against cognitive decline. Additional anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of olive leaf extract offer promise in fighting atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and even arthritis.
“(I have) yet to discover another herbal substance that accomplishes anti-microbially what this substance [olive leaf extract] achieves.”
Biochemist Arnold Takemoto
Surprising Health Benefits of Olive Leaf Extract
- Supports healthy blood pressure
- Supports arterial health
- Promotes healthy blood glucose levels
- Supports healthy cholesterol levels
- Protects against oxidative damage
- Supplementing with 500 mg of olive leaf extract once daily resulted in significant reductions in hemoglobin A1c levels
- Studies show that oleuropein’s antioxidant effects help it battle cancer formation at its earliest stages
- Oleuropein inhibits the production of the “protein-melting” enzymes that cancer cells need to invade healthy tissues and metastasize to distant parts of the body
- Olive extracts help protect the brain and central nervous system from the destruction brought on by strokes and age-related degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases
- Scientific evidence has proven that olive leaf extracts can interfere with the development of several different kinds of arthritis, including gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis
- In vitro studies have found olive leaf extract is effective against over 50 common disease-causing organisms, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa such as herpes, influenza A, Polio 1, 2, and 3; Salmonella typhimurium, Candida Krusei, and Coxsackie A21.
- Amoeba, cryptosporidia, giardia, pinworm, tapeworm, ringworm, malaria protozoa, and roundworm are some more familiar parasites that Olive Leaf Extract kills.
Although olive leaf extract can kill a broad range of infection-causing agents, it does not harm the beneficial bacteria in your body. Many studies show it to be very safe, non-toxic, and effective, even for children.
If used in a high enough dosage, olive leaf extract can expel worms from the intestines and is helpful for those with harmful organisms in the gut. Biochemist Arnold Takemoto, speaking to the Townsend Newsletter for Doctors and Patients, put it this way: “(I have) yet to discover another herbal substance that accomplishes anti-microbially what this substance [olive leaf extract] achieves.”
Cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil and olive leaf extract should be considered an essential addition to your health and wellness routine.
CAUTION: The proven blood-pressure-lowering effects of olive leaf extracts are potent enough to warrant caution if you take prescription blood pressure drugs. If you are on blood pressure medication, it’s essential that you speak to your practitioner before starting supplementation.
Research & References
Available at: http://www.tesisenred.net/bitstream/handle/10803/7208/tvk.pdf?sequence=1#page=30. Accessed March 8, 2013.
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†Results may vary. Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. Oasis Advanced Wellness/OAWHealth does not dispense medical advice, prescribe, or diagnose illness. The views and nutritional advice expressed by Oasis Advanced Wellness/OAWHealth are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service. If you have a severe medical condition or health concern, see your physician of choice.