What is the secret behind olive trees living thousands of years and resisting attacks from bacteria, virus, fungus and a range of microorganisms? It's the same cell-protecting super-antioxidants in olive leaf complex—a must for maintaining a healthy immune system...

                                             --Dr. Robert Wildman, The Nutritionist: Food, Nutrition & Optimal Health

 

Common Name:       olive leaf 

Botanical Name:       Olea europaea 

Parts Used:                leaves

 

Recorded evidence of olive leaf's medicinal use dates back thousands of years: it was used by ancient Egyptian and Mediterranean cultures to treat a wide variety of health conditions. Today, Olive Leaf is enjoying great popularity because of a growing body of evidence of the effectiveness of its powerful antioxidants against aging and disease.

 

Antioxidants have been heavily studied in the last several years. To fully understand what all the buzz is about, it's good to have a basic understanding of free radicals and antioxidants.

       

So-called "free radicals" occur as a result of our natural processes of breathing and metabolism, and from contaminants such as tobacco smoke, air pollution, pesticides, and herbicides.

       

In short, every molecule in our body has pairs of electrons circling it. When paired, the electrons keep the molecule stable. Natural bodily processes make one of those electrons break free, and the remaining, unpaired electron turns the molecule into what is known as a "free radical"— as it literally goes wild looking for another electron with which to pair. It will often steal an electron away from a stable molecule, which creates another free radical that must seek a match for its unpaired electron, and so on, in a cascading effect.

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This process is called oxidation, and cumulatively, it causes enormous damage - even to our DNA -- which contributes greatly to aging. Damaged DNA makes faulty cell duplication; the new cells are not quite right and do not function properly.

       

Over years of studying free radicals and aging, researchers further discovered that oxidation contributes greatly to all degenerative diseases, from Alzheimer's and cancer to heart disease and diabetes, and even immune dysfunction.

       

Enter antioxidants. They combat oxidation by donating one of their own electrons to the free radical, effectively stopping the cascade of oxidative stress. There are many powerful antioxidants, including vitamins C, E, and A and minerals like zinc and selenium. Plant and herb compounds, such as quercetin (found in apples and onions), and our favorite, curcumin, found in turmeric, are also great antioxidants.

       

Olive leaf is several times more powerful than these due to its phenolic compounds, which eat up free radicals, especially when the phenolics are combined, as occurs naturally in the olive leaf and—concentrated—as in the olive leaf complex.

       

One of the most powerful components of olive leaf complex is oleuropein, which has anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic, and antimicrobial qualities. Oleuropein kills many viruses, bacteria, yeasts and fungi by actually interfering with the processes that allow a virus to thrive and multiply, so it's especially useful for treating tenacious viral and microbial infections, such as candida, meningitis, Epstein-Barr virus, encephalitis, herpes, shingles, HIV/AIDS, chronic fatigue, tuberculosis, gonorrhea, and malaria, among others.

       

Luteolin, another key phenolic, has strong anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy activity. It has been found to be antimutagenic and antitumorigenic as well.

       

Studies have show that olive leaf's powerful blend of antioxidants provides health improvements in allergies and hay fever, high cholesterol, arthritis, poor circulation, fatigue, intestinal health, asthma, colds and flu, joint aches and pain, blood pressure, constipation, fungal infections, psoriasis and other skin problems, and cardiovascular health.

       

Olive leaf complex has also demonstrated blood sugar-lowering activity, making it helpful as an adjunct to dietary modification for people with Type 2 Diabetes.

       

YOU MIGHT LIKE TO TRY:

 

Adding olive leaf to your daily supplementation can provide powerful anti-aging and immune system benefits. Healthy Heart carries Barlean's Olive Leaf Complex with a full range of high quality phenolic compounds.

       

The recommended daily dose for adults is 1 tablespoon per day; for children, half the adult dose. However, do not give to children two years or younger without medical advice.

       

For conditions such as the common cold, flu, sinus infections and basic respiratory infections, the recommended dose is 2 teaspoons every 6 hours. For acute infections such as sore throat, swollen glands or fever, naturopaths recommend 3 teaspoons every 6 hours.

       

Contraindications, if any: None known.