Benefits of Olive Leaf Extract - How To Use It, The Benefits, And Possible Risks

Anyone who is at least with a bit of awareness in the fields of supplements and traditional medicine would agree that olive oil is pretty much considered by a lot of people as liquid gold. This is because not only has it lots of non-medicinal uses, but it also has numerous medicinal and therapeutic uses. Among other things, this is popular as a Mediterranean delight as well as their traditional medicine for a lot of conditions and ailments.

But what about olive...leaf? Is it as usable, beneficial, and wondrous as olive oil? In this article, you will learn how to use the best olive leaf extract supplements, what to use them for, and how this product can help your body in certain conditions.

Olive leaf extract - what is it?

Extracted from the leaves of olive trees, olive leaf extract has long been looked into as a chronic disease supplement, among other things. In recent years, it has gained a lot of popularity thanks partly to the attention that social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok had brought to it. People have made content claiming that it can lower blood levels, cholesterol levels, and other amazing things.

Olive oils contain what is called key polyphenols. This includes oleacein and oleuropein. Polyphenols are a subgroup of a compound commonly found in most leaves of plants. When used by humans, this has been suggested by some research to have effects that can even work against cases of heart disease and even cancer.

Historically and traditionally, olive leaf extract has been used for the treatment and prevention of common ailments such as colds, inflammation, and other forms of bacterial and viral infections. Nowadays, it is still used in its original fresh form, in the form of the leaves themselves extracted of its juices. It is also now easily available in the forms of processed syrup and capsules.

What does olive leaf extract do for you?

As a consumer, what are the benefits you can expect to get when taking in olive leaf extract? Here are some of them:

Weight loss

One of the main compounds that are in olive leaf extract is called oleuropein, which is a polyphenol that has long been suggested to be able to help in the prevention of weight gain.

There was a study back in 2016 wherein rat subjects that were obese were given oleuropein, all the while being given a  high fat and a high cholesterol diet. In a span of eight weeks, the subjects were found to have lower body weight, lesser fat tissue, and an overall better metabolic rate as opposed to those who were not given any doses of oleuropein as all.

However, there is still not much significant research done on this when it comes to its effectiveness in humans.

Better heart health

It has been found in some research that olive leaf extract can decrease the risk of acquiring heart disease and lessen the risks of an existing condition from further worsening. It has been found in a 2015 research that regular intake of it can help prevent LDL (bad) cholesterol from building up in your arteries. In turn, this can lead to increased blood flow and overall better circulation throughout your body.

In some studies, it was found that patients with conditions of arrhythmia were found to have a more normal heartbeat than those who did not take any form of olive leaf extract.

Blood pressure control

In a study published by the European Journal of Nutrition, men with existing hypertensive conditions, with their blood pressure ranging from 120/80 mmHg to 139/89 mmHg, were given olive leaf extracts to take for a span of six weeks. After the period of the study, the patients were seen with dropped and more normalized blood pressure, lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, and lower levels of other inflammatory markers overall.

Lower risk for type 2 diabetes

Another wondrous benefit of olive leaf extract that has long been believed by a lot of people, and is back by little research, is that olive leaf extract can help in the prevention of type 2 diabetes.

A study that was conducted in 2013 had 46 middle-aged men that were chosen at random who were overweight. They were given olive leaf extract to take for a span of 12 weeks. The catch with the research is that some were given real olive leaf extract, while some were given just a

“placebo” product, which means it was not the real thing.

After the research period, those who were given olive leaf extract were found with better insulin sensitivity and pancreatic responsiveness. Those who received only the placebo versions, however, did not exhibit these results.

People with poor insulin sensitivity and pancreatic responsiveness have long been seen to be at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Thus, better conditions of these would mean stronger resistance towards the disease.

How do you properly use olive leaf extracts?

There is currently no official recommended dosage of olive leaf extracts, regardless of where it be in its natural fresh form, or in the form of a supplement capsule. However, it is worth noting that in most of the researches that were done, patients were given doses of 500–1,000 mg per day, with some instances dividing these into multiple doses throughout the day.

Are there any olive leaf extract side effects?

One thing you should understand is that unlike a lot of supplements you can buy, olive leaf extract is, in fact completely natural. Not synthetic, and definitely not lab-grown nutrient. Thus, it is safe to say that in a general sense, take olive extract is safe. If anything, the most common “side effects” reported in using it were slight cases of headache and a little stomach discomfort--which can always happen to anyone at any time.

Gentle reminders

While olive leaf extract is completely natural and is generally safe, it is still a good idea to get professional opinion before taking anything. Regardless of what purpose you are looking to take it for.