Table of contents:
- Benefits of olive leaf extract for health
- 1. Potential to improve heart health
- 2. Efficacious for the treatment of type 2 diabetes
- 3. Potential to prevent cancer
- 4. Potential to lower blood pressure
- 5. Potential as a herpes drug and improve brain health
You must be familiar with olives, right? The olive tree, which is often used for its fruit, is extracted into oil which is known as the best oil for cooking. In fact, apart from the fruit, olive leaves also have benefits after being extracted. What are the benefits of olive leaf extract? Come on, find out the answer in the following review.
Benefits of olive leaf extract for health
Olive is a tree-shaped plant with the Latin name Olea europaea.This plant is no more than 15 meters tall with a single silvery green leaf.
Apart from that, olives also have small, bell-shaped flowers that are hairy white in color. Then, the fruit is round, which can be harvested while still green or purplish.
This part of the green olives is then extracted into olive oil. Meanwhile, when they are purple, olives are more often used as artificial dyes. Not only the fruit, olive leaves also have benefits when they are extracted.
Here are some of the health benefits of olive leaf extract according to several major studies.
1. Potential to improve heart health
One of the risk factors for heart disease is high cholesterol levels. The cholesterol in question is LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) or you may be more familiar with bad cholesterol.
The higher the cholesterol level, the greater the chance of buildup and narrowing of the heart arteries. Gradually, this can lead to atherosclerosis.
Journal studiesPhytotherapy Research,shows that olive leaf extract may have benefits in heart disease.
In this study, researchers gave olive leaf extract for 8 weeks regularly to a mouse. The result, showed that the mice experienced a decrease in bad cholesterol. These findings suggest that olive leaf extract may help prevent heart disease.
2. Efficacious for the treatment of type 2 diabetes
A report reviewing the benefits of olive leaf extract for type 2 diabetes. Researchers who tested the efficacy of olive leaves in these animals found several results, namely:
- Reducing the risk of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels)
- Reducing hyperinsulinemia (too much insulin in the blood)
- Reducing oxidative stress (imbalance of free radicals that harm the body)
- Reduces bad cholesterol levels
3. Potential to prevent cancer
Apart from improving heart health, olive leaf extract also has benefits in preventing abnormal cell growth in the body.
A study in the journalMolecular Nutrition & Food Researchfound that the antioxidant properties of olive leaf can stop the growth of cancer cells. The existence of these findings makes scientists continue to explore the potential and prove the effect of olive leaves on cancer.
4. Potential to lower blood pressure
Not only cholesterol, heart disease is also a risk for people who have high blood pressure (hypertension). The 2017 research published in European Journal of Nutrition showed that olive extract had a systolic and diastolic blood pressure lowering effect.
That means, olive leaf extract can help reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack.
5. Potential as a herpes drug and improve brain health
Herpes is a skin disease caused by the herpes virus. This disease causes the appearance of sores around the mouth or genitals. To cure this disease, patients need to take antivirals.
However, a study on African Journal of Microbiology Research found that olive leaf extract has antiviral and antimicrobial properties, potentially reducing the ability of the virus to attack other healthy cells. To treat it, you need to put 1 or 2 drops of olive leaf extract on the injured skin area.
Apart from being a herpes drug, olive leaf extract also provides benefits for brain health. A study onInternational Journal of Molecular Sciencefound that the antioxidant properties, namely oleuropein from olive leaf extract can prevent damage to cells in the brain.
Although it has many benefits, further research may be needed to prove its efficacy. Better, you consult your doctor first before using olive leaf extract as a treatment.
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