SEARCH:
Sign in | Join | Help
search Mercola.com
 
FREE Subscription 
The World’s Most Popular Natural Health Newsletter
Olive Leaf Extract Lowers Blood Pressure

blood pressure, heart disease, beta-blockers, olive oil, olive, olive leaf, anti-viral, anti-microbial, antibiotic, diabetes,anti-fungal, virus, bacteriaThe leaves of the olive tree have been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times, and research has suggested that olive leaf extracts have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Now it also appears that a supplement containing olive leaf extract could help lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

A study looked at 20 sets of identical twins with "borderline" hypertension -- blood pressure that is above the optimal level of 120/80, but below the cutoff of 140/90 used to diagnose high blood pressure. One member of each twin pair was given tablets containing olive leaf extract, while the other received no supplements but did get lifestyle advice on lowering blood pressure.

After eight weeks, supplement users taking 1,000 mg of olive leaf extract per day showed a substantial dip in their blood pressure overall, and lowered levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol. The twins who received no supplements showed no significant change in their blood pressure and a smaller improvement in cholesterol.


Sources:

Dr. Mercola''s Comments Dr. Mercola's Comments:

The medicinal use of the leaves from the olive tree (Olea europaea) dates back thousands of years. In fact, it’s the first botanical healing herb cited in the Bible (Ezekiel 47:12): “The fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.” There’s also recorded evidence that the ancient Egyptian and Mediterranean cultures used the leaves to treat a variety of health conditions. 

The Traditional Uses of the Olive Plant

According to an in-depth phyto-pharmacological plant review of the olive plant in the January-May 2007 issue of Pharmacognosy Reviews, olive fruit, oil and leaves can be a significant natural source for treating a wide variety of health ailments. Traditionally, the olive plant has been used as a: 

  • Diuretic
  • Hypotensive
  • Emollient
  • Laxative
  • Skin cleanser
  • Treatment of urinary infections, gallstones, bronchial asthma and diarrhea 

Most of the plant parts of the olive tree have been used in the traditional system of natural medicine throughout the world, for example: 

Traditional uses of olive leaves include 

  • Orally for stomach and intestinal diseases
  • Chewed as a mouth cleanser
  • Decoctions of the dried fruit and leaves taken orally for diarrhea and to treat urinary tract infections
  • Hot water extract of the fresh leaves taken orally to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and to induce urination (diuresis)
  • Hot water extract of the dried plant taken orally for bronchial asthma
  • Infusion of the fresh leaf taken orally as an anti-inflammatory 

Traditional uses of olive oil include 

  • Seed oil taken orally with lemon juice to remove gall stones, and for kidney inflammation associated with lead intoxication
  • Seed oil applied to the scalp nightly to prevent hair loss
  • Seed oil taken orally as a laxative
  • Applied externally as an emollient and skin moisturizer 

Confirmed Heart Health Benefits of Olive Leaf Extracts 

The possibility of a natural agent being able to help prevent heart disease and lower blood pressure is certainly worth noting, especially when you consider the damage that many, if not most, drugs can do. For example, beta-blockers -- a class of drugs frequently prescribed to manage high blood pressure and as cardioprotection after a heart attack -- have been found to cause type 2 diabetes by decreasing your insulin sensitivity.  

As molecular biologist and lead researcher Tania Perrinjaquet-Moccetti stated in the article above, no single ingredient of the olive leaf extract can fully account for its confirmed blood pressure benefits. Rather she attributes the benefits seen in this study to the synergistic blend of various bioactive components of the olive leaf, the most significant of these being a compound called oleuropein.

The cardiovascular benefit of oleuropein is actually not a new discovery. Oleuropein was isolated back in the 1950s by Panizzi et al, who established that it was one of the primary compounds responsible for the bitter taste of the olive fruits and the leaves. They also determined that oleuropein was the active agent responsible for the hypotensive action of the extracts of the olive plant, which acts as an antioxidant and helps relax and dilate your blood vessels.

What this latest research does do, however, is confirm the effectiveness of this traditional remedy and establish an effective dosage: 1,000 mg of olive leaf extract per day.

Participants taking half that amount, or 500 mg/day did not achieve any substantial drop in their blood pressure.

Epidemiological data obtained from other clinical studies indicate that oleuropein may also play a role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases by limiting the formation of arterial plaque, by inhibiting LDL oxidation. Other studies have shown that olive leaf extracts may also possess antispasmodic, vasodilator, and anti-arrhythmic properties. 

The Anti-Viral, Anti-Microbial Benefits of Olive Leaves 

But the usefulness of olive leaf extract doesn’t end there. It has also been found to be a potent broad-spectrum antiviral agent, active against all viruses tested, including: 

  • Rhinovirus
  • Myxoviruses
  • Herpes simplex type 1and 2
  • Herpes zoster
  • Encephalomyocarditis
  • Polio 1, 2 and 3
  • Two strains of leukemia virus
  • Numerous strains of influenza and para-influenza viruses.

One 2005 study published in the journal Antiviral Research proposed that olive leaf extracts could be used as a safe and natural antiviral. Common antiviral uses in the field of natural medicine include fighting colds and flu, yeast infections, and viral infections such as the hard-to-treat Epstein-Barr disease, shingles and herpes. 

In-vitro studies have also established that olive leaf extract is an effective antimicrobial agent against a variety of pathogens that cause intestinal or respiratory infections, including: 

  • Salmonella typhi
  • Vibrio parahaemolyticus
  • Stapholycoccus aureus, including penicillin-resistant strains
  • Klebsiella pneumonia
  • Escherichia coli 

It works by inhibiting the replication process of the pathogens, which disables the infection long enough for your immune system to eliminate it and prevent it from spreading.  

And, if all of that wasn’t enough, olive leaves also have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and anti-diabetic properties; have a beneficial impact on your thyroid; and the ability to inhibit cancer growth.  

Sounds almost too good to be true, doesn’t it?  

But then again, maybe it was mentioned in the Bible for good reason. Nature is certainly full of powerful preventative treatments and potential cures for a host of diseases.  

How to Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally, Without Drugs

Before I get into how you can lower your blood pressure, it’s important to make sure you’re getting an accurate reading to begin with.

A significant number of people may actually be receiving altered blood pressure readings because the arm cuff used is the wrong size – which is a problem particularly for overweight or obese patients -- or because your arm is incorrectly placed while your blood pressure is taken.

You’ll want to make sure your arm is slightly flexed at the elbow with your wrist held at heart level, and that the blood pressure cuff is an appropriate fit for your arm. Also do not move your arm while the test is conducted as this may also lead to a faulty reading.

High blood pressure is a serious issue that can kill or permanently impair you, and it should not be ignored. It usually kills people slowly, over time, but very elevated blood pressures can surely cause a stroke.

Normally, high blood pressure goes down quite quickly and easily by addressing these three important factors:

  1. Eliminate grains and sugars as described in my nutrition plan. This will lower insulin levels and normalize blood pressure in about 75 percent of people.
  2. Address the common stresses in your life that tend to elevate blood pressure. EFT is a simple, effective, and inexpensive tool that you can use to help in this area.
  3. Getting one hour of exercise a day seems to be an important contributor to the long-term benefits of those currently suffering from high blood pressure.
If you want to incorporate olive leaves as a natural adjunct, I’d recommend sticking with the fresh leaf liquid extracts for maximum synergistic potency. You can also prepare your own olive leaf tea by placing a large teaspoon of dried olive leaves in a tea ball or herb sack. Place it in about two quarts of boiling water and let it steep for three to 10 minutes. The tea should be a medium amber color when done.


Related Links:



Comment on This Article Community Comments (72)
 
 
Posted On Sep 04, 2008
I have used olive leaves for years at the first sign of any infection,  works great.  Ground up and placed in gelatin capsules or sprinkled on food.  Makes a wonderful tea which you can drink or when cool pour in an ear.  However I would use a few drops of hydrogen-peroxide in the ear,  as I've done that for over 50 years with no problems.  Olive leaves work very well as a poultice on infected sores on your skin.  Get olive leaves at any good health food store or order them on line.  (peach leaves are almost as good) just pick them off the peach tree any time and wash and use, or dry and use later.

 
Dandy
Novice User Novice User, Joined On 9/2006
Dandy  
Replied

samurai
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 4/2007
samurai  
 
Posted On Sep 04, 2008
Thank you, Dan.


WWJD
Novice User Novice User Joined On 9/2007
WWJD  
 
Posted On Sep 25, 2008

Do you use the peach leaves as a poltice for your skin, or as a tea? Will it help high blood pressure like olive leaf?



KelleyEidem
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 11/2007
KelleyEidem  
 
Posted On Sep 25, 2008

You're so right, Dandy, about its potency against infections!

I like to tell people that the olive tree can live 1,000 years without suffering from any fungus attacks. Many tress are not so lucky. There must be something in the olive tree that keeps the fungi away.

In my recipe for flattening the tummy effortlessly while ending food cravings, olive leaf extract is a mainstay because it helps wipe out yeast overgrowth.

hubpages.com/.../How-to-Flatten-Your-Tummy-and-End-Food-Cravings-EFFORTLESSLY

I was unaware that it could lower blood pressure. How neat is that!

Let me give major kudos to Dr. Mercola for this issue of his email newsletter. Each article is a blockbuster.

Bravo!

The best to you.

Kelley Eidem


 
 
 
Posted On Sep 05, 2008
As far as controlling blood pressure goes, the mind is a powerful ally. I can lower my blood pressure at will if I make a conscious effort.
It is possible that the supplement worked in part because the twin who received it believed it would.

 
BeeGirl
Savvy User Savvy User, Joined On 4/2008
BeeGirl  
Replied

stoic
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 3/2007
stoic  
 
Posted On Sep 05, 2008
Oh, there's that word: "belief".... basis of the wonderful placebo effect....
But, paradoxical, as in, "Be spontaneous!"....
Doesn't 'to believe' require some ignorance, some naivete, or some manipulation, in order to pull it off?


Miss Bliss
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 3/2008
Miss Bliss  
 
Posted On Sep 05, 2008
pretty close stoic...'to believe' does involve manipulation of the sensual/viseral experience, but not necessarily ignorance...choice is evident...or is it? :))


BeeGirl
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 4/2008
BeeGirl  
 
Posted On Sep 05, 2008
Well, sure. But many is the time I've succeeded because I was naive enough to believe I would and ignorant of the reasons as to why I shouldn't.
Or am I misunderstanding what you're saying?


Miss Bliss
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 3/2008
Miss Bliss  
 
Posted On Sep 05, 2008
...I always believe that no one is ever really truly ignorant of any outcome nor is there an event called spontaneity...don't I just sound like Chopra??LOL

It may just not have floated up to consciousness yet...lol


stoic
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 3/2007
stoic  
 
Posted On Sep 05, 2008
B (eleif?)Girl...the parts are these:

the paradox: belief cannot be willed...where does it come from? somewhere/someone/something else....with receptivity a function of 'I don't know', 'I defer', 'I fear', etc....'give me structure or lock me up - cuz I gotta have it'...will do good sir/madame - happy to oblige (happier still to take my cut...).....

Whats an onion-peeler to do...when theres nothing left to peel? Buddha...?

Oh, it bugs me....

I have 2 courses from the Teaching Company on the way...."Free Will & Determinism" and "No Excuses: Existentialism & The Meaning Of Life"....guess I'll know, be able to relax, soon, lol.....



Miss Bliss
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 3/2008
Miss Bliss  
 
Posted On Sep 05, 2008
....sorry stoic if I was not meant to answer...but if I may....

"what does and onion do when there is nothing left to peel?"

....my humble answer--'become something other than an onion'


BeeGirl
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 4/2008
BeeGirl  
 
Posted On Sep 05, 2008
Well, stoic, there's belief and then there's belief, lol. And then there's the lack of. But I see your point.
By  the way, I don't think Buddha is going to be much help since he said, "Believe only what you yourself test and judge to be true."



stoic
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 3/2007
stoic  
 
Posted On Sep 05, 2008
"Get a(nother) job, you bum!" Is that it, SMB, lol.....


stoic
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 3/2007
stoic  
 
Posted On Sep 05, 2008
My point to the jolly asian cherub would then be: belief & truth have no truck with each other...

and he would smile & say, " its all illusion".....


which may explain the saying: "if you meet the buddha on the road - kill him"...the guy can be seriously irritating, lol......


Miss Bliss
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 3/2008
Miss Bliss  
 
Posted On Sep 05, 2008
stoic...OY!  LOL   The onion, oh grasshopper, will no longer need peeling if it no longer is an onion.....lol 



stoic
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 3/2007
stoic  
 
Posted On Sep 06, 2008
 "there's belief and then there's belief"...
really, BeeGirl? are you sure about that...? (serious question)


stoic
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 3/2007
stoic  
 
Posted On Sep 06, 2008
SMB...

I used to hang out with Epictetus & the guys...we grew our hair out, flew our freak-flags, got 'sent to our rooms' - or beheaded - by the dubya of the day....

Every so often, some son of Protagoras would come along to sport & contest.....

Fess up, you've been following me, haven't you? lol....... 


Miss Bliss
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 3/2008
Miss Bliss  
 
Posted On Sep 06, 2008
stoic...ah, reason as the means to end suffering...."whatever gets you through the night is alright" ~Lennon

"If you work at that which is before you, following right reason seriously, vigorously, calmly, without allowing anything else to distract you, but keeping your divine part pure, as if you were bound to give it back immediately; if you hold to this, expecting nothing, but satisfied to live now according to nature, speaking heroic truth in every word which you utter, you will live happy. And there is no man able to prevent this." -Marcus Aurelius




Miss Bliss
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 3/2008
Miss Bliss  
 
Posted On Sep 06, 2008
Beegirl, I agree with you. I can make my b/p and pulse drop significantly with thoughts of intention, too. I have witnessed it many times with laboring mother's and panic stricken post surgical individuals....

I haven't been able to master breathing under water though....lol 


stoic
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 3/2007
stoic  
 
Posted On Sep 06, 2008
Alright SMB...! Sophist AND Stoic philosophy? You must be one of those dual signs, like BeeGirl.  lol....


Miss Bliss
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 3/2008
Miss Bliss  
 
Posted On Sep 07, 2008
Stoic...Beegirl is a dual sign?  Oh do you mean
astrologically or philosophically?   Hmmmm......us cusper's
 always seem to flit and float don't we?

Reason is one thing, belief is another....my home is
with that which cannot be named....:))

(This is bringing back some interesting growth
memories of my much earlier life at University many
moons ago when my Major was Religion and my
Minor was Philosophy....one based on faith, the other on logic.
As a 25year old novice at Life(still am)
.....nearly drove meself bonkers...LOL)





stoic
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 3/2007
stoic  
 
Posted On Sep 07, 2008
SMB...yup, you are a wriggly one. lol....


Miss Bliss
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 3/2008
Miss Bliss  
 
Posted On Sep 07, 2008
...and so are you Mr. Stoic....lol

I had a feeling that you were a rational entity...



BeeGirl
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 4/2008
BeeGirl  
 
Posted On Sep 08, 2008
Oh well done, stoic. I’m laughing at myself as much as in admiration. I sure thought I was sure - but the more I tried to explain what I meant, the more I found myself going in circles, coming back to what you said. And now I know less than I did before. So, if you find the answer, you have to tell me, lol!

Let onion atoms lurk within the bowl, And,
half-suspected, animate the whole. —Smith, Rev Sydney





FLSTF1
Novice User Novice User Joined On 9/2008
FLSTF1  
 
Posted On Sep 25, 2008

I don't believe that each of the 20 twins receiving the olive leaf extract merely had positive thoughts of it, and just believing it would work, achieved specific results of lower B/P. (This would also hold true in a placebo effect for some) The facts are there that it DOES work for many of the conditions listed. I know it works for lowering blood pressure and other helping correct other illnesses as I have experienced it myself and in practice.


 
 
 
Posted On Sep 05, 2008
The best place to get olive leaf extract is Seagate Products. They manufacture their own and I have been using their products for a number of years. Check out their website. They have stuff for ear infections, sinus infections and other products and their quality as far as I am concerned is unmatched anywhere.

 
ruskar
Apprentice User Apprentice User, Joined On 12/2007
ruskar  
 
 
 
Posted On Sep 04, 2008
The article doesn't mention that Olive Leaf extract is also said to have anti-viral and anti-fungal properties and indeed I have had a lot of success in stopping colds and flu from developing by taking Olive leaf when I feel the first symptoms.

 
Aaltrude
Moderator User Moderator User, Joined On 4/2007
Aaltrude  
Replied

samurai
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 4/2007
samurai  
 
Posted On Sep 04, 2008
Can you buy it at like a Whole Foods Market?  Where do you get it?  Do you think it is good for childrens' ear infections?


Aaltrude
Moderator User Moderator User Joined On 4/2007
Aaltrude  
 
Posted On Sep 04, 2008
In New Zealand you can buy Olive Leaf extract at Health Shops. We have Olive Trees on our property and we use the leaves from these trees. We let them dry after picking them then make an infusion using two to four leaves and drink it as a tea. Our property is under organic certification therefore the trees are not sprayed.



Aaltrude
Moderator User Moderator User Joined On 4/2007
Aaltrude  
 
Posted On Sep 05, 2008
It might help children's ear infections. Our young dog has some minor ear problems in one ear (which we are sure are the result of the various mandatory treatments she had to undergo when we imported her from Australia to New Zealand) and we are successfully keeping it under control by crumbling one olive leaf per day into her food. Recently we changed her diet to eliminate a food we thought was disagreeing with her and accidentally omitted the olive leaf for a few days. She was favouring her ear again until we started putting the olive leaf back in her food. Our neighbour has an old arthritic dog which was very stiff and sore until he started using one olive leaf a day in his dog's food and now it is moving very freely in comparison to what it was like.


stoic
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 3/2007
stoic  
 
Posted On Sep 05, 2008
Does a number on gut flora, tho, so probably best to cycle with a good probiotic.


Miss Bliss
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 3/2008
Miss Bliss  
 
Posted On Sep 05, 2008
stoic...how so?   If the claims are to boast immune function wouldn't knocking out the gut be the last thing it would do...??


stoic
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 3/2007
stoic  
 

Islander
Moderator User Moderator User Joined On 3/2007
Islander  
 
Posted On Sep 05, 2008
Stoic, please check out tinyurl.com and drag it to your toolbar!


FLSTF1
Novice User Novice User Joined On 9/2008
FLSTF1  
 
Posted On Sep 25, 2008

Friend, in LARGE bright red letters it says: The Anti-Viral, Anti-Microbial Benefits of Olive Leaves -- and then goes into a couple of paragraphs about its properties of just that.



Julieanne
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 6/2007
Julieanne  
 
Posted On Sep 25, 2008

Aaltrude, it does mention anti-viral properties, but not anti-fungal.



Aaltrude
Moderator User Moderator User Joined On 4/2007
Aaltrude