Health Benefits of Olive Leaf Extract

Many of us are familiar with olive oil and its benefits, but we are not too familiar with the extraordinary benefits of olive leaf extract (OLE). Called oleuropein, the main component of olive leaf extract is derived from olive leaves, Olea Europaea. It is considered by many to help prevent cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and other conditions.

Cardiovascular Health

Olive leaf extract has been shown to be safe and has been widely used as a traditional medicine in countries such as Greece, Spain, France, Turkey, Israel, Morocco and Tunisia. In Egypt, it has been used for hundreds and even thousands of years. It is commonly consumed as a supplement and as a tea.

Heart disease is the number 1 killer in Europe, the United States and Asia. Unfortunately, as more countries adopt the Western lifestyle in place of their ancestral diets, heart disease will continue to progress. In the United States alone, deaths from heart and vascular disease needlessly kill nearly 1 million people each year.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have been associated with cardiovascular disease. In a 2016 study in Food Research International, led by Dr. Mata Navarro and colleagues, it was shown that olive leaf extract inhibited the formation of AGEs, thus helping to prevent heart disease and vascular disease.

Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes or diabetes, as it is known, is a condition that affects millions of people around the world. Diabetics suffer from high blood sugar (glucose) levels, causing oxidative damage to blood vessels, nerves and organs such as the kidneys and eyes. Diabetes increases the risk of having a heart attack, stroke, leg amputation and kidney failure.

Ninety-five percent of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes and five percent have type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is primarily a lifestyle disease, while type 1 is due to autoimmune destruction of the pancreas.

The polyphenols in olive leaves improve insulin sensitivity, which means that insulin works more efficiently. In a 2013 study in New Zealand, 46 men were selected to receive a capsule of olive leaf extract or a placebo for 12 weeks. Those who received the olive leaf extract showed a 20% improvement in insulin sensitivity. Many studies support the idea that olive leaf extract helps regulate blood sugar fluctuations.

Cancer

A hundred years ago, cancer was rare in the United States, Russia, Japan and China – now it is a leading cause of death worldwide.

At the beginning of the 20th century, three percent of the population in the United States suffered from cancer. By 1950, 20% of the American population had developed cancer. By 2000, 38% of the population had cancer. Doctors predicted that by 2020, one in two people will be diagnosed with cancer. A poor diet and lack of exercise are major factors, while toxins in the environment, which cause oxidation, also play a huge role. Nutrients, such as olive leaf extract, can help prevent cancer, according to studies.

Olive leaf extract is known to contain higher amounts of micronutrients that are polyphenols. These micronutrients are more than those in extra virgin olive oil. In one laboratory study, 25 healthy cells were given olive leaf extract, which led to anti-cancer activity. In a different study, eight weeks of daily consumption of olive leaf extract showed a decrease in cancer genes. In other words, the cancer genes were turned off.

Other studies have shown that polyphenols are anti-inflammatory and protect against DNA damage caused by oxidation. This explains how olive leaf extract can help prevent disease.

Neuroprotection

Olive leaf extract has antioxidant and neuroprotective [protects the brain] effects. A 2017 animal study on metabolic brain disease showed benefits. In this study, the test subjects who received olive leaf extract significantly improved their balance, muscle strength and antioxidant levels in the brain. The findings support that olive leaf extract has brain-protective properties and may be useful in preventing the loss of specific brain cells called dopaminergic neurons, which can lead to Parkinson’s disease. For this reason, it has been suggested that olive leaf extract may be helpful for patients with Parkinson’s disease and may offer protection against Alzheimer’s disease.

A study conducted and described in the European Journal of Pharmacology on animals showed that olive leaf extract could also reduce the long-term complications caused by a stroke.

Antiviral, Antifungal and Antibacterial Properties

In a 2015 Mycology Current Medical study, it was found that olive leaf extract exhibits anti-yeast effects against Candida albicans. Candida albicans is a pathogenic yeast that is located on the skin and in the human intestinal flora. The findings showed that olive leaf extract has the strong ability to kill viruses and may be useful in the treatment of virus-caused infections.

Antibacterial Properties

A 2017 study published in the Journal of Food Medicine showed that olive leaf extract has antibacterial properties against gram-positive bacterial strains such as staphylococcus and streptococcus.

Weight Loss

A 2014 study on evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine found that olive leaf extract may help against obesity by turning off fat-producing genes (thermogenesis). The results of the study support that taking olive leaf extract may aid in weight loss.