It comes from the olive tree, is evergreen and originates from the Mediterranean. It is best known for its green or black fruits (olives), these can be eaten or pressed to yield olive oil. The oil is used widely in cooking and has some medicinal uses. It is thought to be one of the major health preserving parts of the Mediterranean diet, although the leaves have other properties which are important in herbal medicine.
Olive leaf contains oleuropein and various flavanoids including rutin, apigenin and luteolin. Oleuropein appears to be the active that accounts for the leafs ability to lower blood pressure and dilate blood vessels. It also has antioxidant properties and may protect against hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) caused by oxidation of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol. It is thought to be diuretic, astringent, febrifuge (reduces fever) hypoglycaemic, mildly antispasmodic, antibacterial, vulnerary (wound healing) and a liver tonic.
Historically it has been used to treat a number of conditions including:
Traditionally olive leaves were infused with boiling water to make tea for internal use, however today it is available in capsules or tablets and are standardised to yield between 6% and 15% oleuropein.
The safety of olive leaf during pregnancy and lactation has not been sufficiently studied and should therefore be avoided unless otherwise directed by a qualified herbalist. It should be taken with food, as some people find it causes mild digestive discomfort when taken on an empty stomach. At the time of writing there are no other well -known side effects, drug interactions or contra-indications.
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