As you probably know, millions of people around the world worry about their high blood pressure everyday. In the United States, doctors deliver the bad news to their patients, along with a prescription. But medication isn’t the only option. What about the complementary ways to fight this epidemic? Well, one option hides in the leaves of the humble olive plant! Today, researchers praise the subtle benefits of Olive Leaf Extract for High Blood Pressure. Here’s the whole story….
The medicinal use of the olive leaf runs deep through human history.
In fact, people used the leaves of the olive tree medicinally for thousands of years. The tree’s leaves treated health problems in Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece. Even at the first Olympic Games, each winner got a wreath of olive leaves to celebrate their strength (no gold medals there!). Actually, the Bible first cited the leave’s healing qualities. Talking about the olive tree, it says, “The fruit [olive] shall be for meat, and the leaf for medicine.” And those stories about the “tree of life”? They likely refer to an olive tree!
Olive leaf extract comes from the dried olive leaf. It’s most often put into a capsule form for easy use. Olive trees themselves can thrive for thousands of years. So it’s thought that their outer elements, like the leaves, have especially powerful disease-fighting agents.
Now, olive leaf extract is hailed for a big benefit: lowering blood pressure.
Indeed, clinical studies today show that olive leaf extract lowers blood pressure in people with hypertension (that is, high blood pressure). In fact, one study found that results from olive leaf extract were comparable to those from Captopril, a popular blood pressure med.2 That sounds pretty great!
Another study of 40 sets of twins had similar results… The twins who took daily doses of olive oil extract had lower blood pressure.3 In addition, it also lowered their cholesterol levels! Studies of animals using olive oil extract find the same results.4
So what is it about olive leaf extract that works so well? Well, scientists can’t say exactly. No single element of olive leaf extract reduces high blood pressure. Instead, it seems that the power of the extract comes from its blend of antioxidants and other elements. The bottom line? This simple leaf works in a potent way!
The most remarkable compound in olive leaf extract is oleuropein. Research teams first discovered this in the 1950s. At the time, they were looking at how and why olive oil in general reduces blood pressure.1 They found that this compound in the olive tree lowers blood pressure by widening the blood vessels.
As a result, researchers recommend about 1,000 mg per day as an effective dosage of olive oil extract.
Plus, the olive leaf extract has a host of other benefits.
Medications can create bad side effects that you never wanted. But olive leaf extract has decidedly positive side effects.
The same extract that lowers blood pressure can also be used as a diuretic, as needed. It has been found to be an anti-inflammatory and fights off bronchial asthma. In addition, it can help to treat urinary tract infections. Plus, its properties also support gut health and healing from intestinal diseases. Overall, it fights off viruses and other sickness.
Get started with your daily dose of olive leaf extract.
So how to begin? First, look into adding a daily dose of olive leaf extract into your daily health routine. This small addition may have big results. Then, it’s especially good if you are also choosing heart-healthy foods and exercising to lower blood pressure. Finally, your health is always in your own hands. Make good decisions each day, and your body will respond!
REFERENCES
(1) Panizzi L., Scarpati M.L., Oriente E.G. Structure of oleuropein bitter glycoside with hypotensive action of olive oil. Note II. Gazzetta Chimica Italiana. 1960;90:1449–1485.
(2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21036583
(3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18729245
(4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26593388