Most people know that the oil of the olive berry is a powerhouse of antioxidant compounds shown to protect the cardiovascular system, lower the risk of a range of  cancers, and generally increase longevity and wellbeing. My kitchen is never without a bottle or two of this dark green liquid superfood.

There is another derivative of the olive tree than can be found in my kitchen - olive leaf extract. It’s one of my favourite herbs with a long and impressive list of proven benefits.  At the moment with seasonal flus, and now the new swine flu virus, doing the rounds, I recommend every home should have a bottle on hand.

Many health food retailers are billing olive leaf extract as the latest and greatest immune system booster. The truth is that this herb has been revered for its healing properties for thousands of year, and the subject of clinical trials since the early 1920s, when it was used overseas in the treatment of malaria.

In any case of bacterial or viral infection, olive leaf extract is a powerful ally. The leaf of the olive tree contains an active phytochemical called oleuropein. This is the chemical that spells death to viruses and bacteria alike. Oleuropein foils viruses in a number of different ways including: interfering with amino acid production processes needed for viruses to replicate; penetrating infected cells and irreversibly inhibiting the ability of the virus to replicate; neutralising enzymes needed for replication and growth of viruses.   Clinical trials have shown olive leaf extract has a significant benefit in the treatment of some real viral nasties such as herpes, HIV, pneumonia, flu, viral meningitis and shingles.

Olive leaf also works as a powerful natural antibiotic, through its ability to dissolve the outer lining of microbes. Some studies have shown olive leaf to rectify bacterial infections in cases of antibiotic resistance.  As a natural antifungal agent, oleuropein has also proven beneficial in the treatment of chronic, recurrent candida infections of the skin and vagina.

Antioxidants are the rage these days, as we learn more and more about the life-extending benefits of these naturally occurring compounds. While dark chocolate and green tea have become a daily antioxidant boost for many, few realise that the leaves of the olive tree are one of the most powerful antioxidant cocktails known to man, many times more potent than green tea, goji, grape seed or vitamin C.

It is these antioxidant compounds that account for some of the other therapeutic benefits of olive leaf extract. While it is boosting your natural immunity, olive leaf can also do impressive things for your cardiovascular system. As far back as 1962, researchers found that olive leaf extract effectively lowers blood pressure; increases blood flow through arteries by relaxing the smooth muscle lining the arteries; and helps restore normal heart rhythm in cases of arrhythmia. The antioxidant compounds in olive leaf also prevent the oxidation of cholesterol in the bloodstream (“bad” cholesterol only becomes a threat when it is attacked by free radicals and oxidised, so preventing this from happening will lower the risk of cardiovascular disease if you have high LDL cholesterol levels).

These cardiovascular protective effects will also benefit diabetics, with their greatly increased risk of heart and arterial disease. Benefits for diabetics also include the hypoglycemic (blood sugar lowering) effect of the antioxidant compounds in olive leaf.  Some small studies show that insulin requirements are reduced after as little as four weeks of use.   

Olive leaf is an extremely safe herb to use, with pharmaceutical trials in the 1970s demonstrating no toxic effect even when taken in doses several hundred times higher than the usual therapeutic dose. There has been little research on the safety of olive leaf use during pregnancy and breast feeding, so caution is recommended. There is no known interaction between olive leaf extract and pharmaceutical drugs, so it is safe to take along with prescribed medication, other than antibiotics and penicillin. Olive leaf may inactivate these drugs and so should not be taken at the same time.

When you’re looking for a good olive leaf extract, read the label and check out the oleuropein content - the higher the better. Always look for a formula containing at least 20 per cent oleuropein.

Lynda Wharton is a health and wellbeing writer, columnist and author. She also practises as an acupuncturist and naturopath.

lynda@lyndawharton.com

www.lyndawharton.com