Olive Leaf Extract is a very potent broad spectrum natural antimicrobial that has been used since ancient times to promote health and control infection. Olive trees (and their fruit and leaves) have long been a mainstay of Mediterranean culture, both as a healthy food source and a powerful medicine.
The Greek physician Hippocrates, also known as the "Father of Medicine," prescribed olive oil to treat muscular pains, ulcers, and cholera. The winners of the original Greek Olympics were crowned with a wreath of olive leaves as their reward. Over the ages, there have been numerous medicinal uses for olive oil.
The Benefits of Olive Leaf Extract
The therapeutic benefits of olive leaf extract are attributed to its bioactive compounds called oleuropeins. In the late 1960's, Upjohn was able to isolate ilinolic acid (an isolate of oleuropein) and found that it was so powerful that it stopped every virus that it was tested against including the common cold in humans.
The antibacterial action of oleuropeins is thought to stem from their ability to dissolve pathogen cell membranes and disrupt critical amino acid production, which interferes with their ability to replicate and prevents them from spreading.
Heart Healthy Too
In addition to their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, oleuropeins have been shown to promote relaxation of arterial walls, thereby reducing hypertension. Furthermore, a study from the University of Milan found that oleuropein inhibited oxidation of low-density lipoproteins, the "bad cholesterol" that is reportedly involved in the formation of various types of heart disease.
Research also suggests that Olive Leaf Extract is a potent fighter against disease. In fact, the herb is highly prized by many natural medicine experts for its ability to boost a weakened immune system. As such, olive leave extract is thought to be effective in helping the body to routinely combat numerous pathogens as well as help restore a flagging immune system.
In fact, physicians have reported that chronic fatigue and fibromylagia sufferers are often helped by olive leaf extract. People with these conditions have reported that Olive Leaf Extract boosted their energy, lifted their sprits, and provided them with a stronger sense of well-being within one month of taking olive leaf extract supplements.
Olive Leaf Extract has antioxidant properties that help protect the body from the continuous onslaught of free radicals. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which are highly reactive chemical substances that can cause cellular damage within the body if left unchecked.