There’s More to Olives than the Oil
Although I’m a huge fan of olive oil, there is more to the olive tree than the oil alone. The leaves and fruits are also excellent sources of polyphenols and other nutrients that can greatly enhance your life.
In fact, scientific and clinical research has discovered olive leaves and fruit contain concentrated levels of beneficial nutrients in even greater quantities than the oil. These include oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, oleanolic acid, and tocopherols, the most well known of which is alpha tocopherol, or vitamin E.
Healthy Aging and Vitality in Mind and Body
Since olives and olive oil are so prominent in the Mediterranean diet, many feel olive nutrients are largely responsible for the longevity and good health of people in that region. And they would be right.
Olives are rich in alpha tocopherol, the bioactive form of vitamin E best absorbed and retained by the body. This fat-soluble vitamin strengthens the structures and membranes of cells, preserving them from the detrimental effects of free radicals and oxidative stress, which has far-reaching effects.
For example, researchers have found that alpha tocopherol protects the nervous system, potentially reducing the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson’s disease.
This nutrient’s strong antioxidant activity also preserves muscle strength and improves muscle repair, so it’s an excellent partner to any exercise regimen. Alpha tocopherol also makes the energy output of skeletal muscles more efficient and increases fat oxidation and metabolism.
Likewise, the polyphenol hydroxytyrosol scavenges free radicals and activates superoxide dismutase and glutathione, two of the body’s own ‘master antioxidants.’ It is also a strong anti-inflammatory, so it protects against premature aging in multiple ways.
Cardio Strengthening
According to the American Heart Association, nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure, and many of them don’t even know it.
If your blood pressure numbers are getting higher, there are ways to keep them in check without prescription drugs: an anti-inflammatory, wholesome diet featuring plenty of fruits, vegetables, unprocessed proteins, and healthy fats; consistent, regular exercise; and time to de-stress. Supplementing with olive leaf and fruit extracts is another.
Olive leaf extract standardized for oleuropein has shown remarkable results in lowering blood pressure. One clinical study found olive leaf extract was equal to a prescription drug – and possibly even better, considering it also significantly lowered triglyceride levels, something the drug didn’t do. Another study found that olive leaf extract, at dosages up to 1,000 mg per day, lowered systolic pressure by as much as 13 points and diastolic pressure by an average of 5 points. It reduced LDL cholesterol levels as well. Of course, these results take time, so I would encourage you to stick with an olive leaf and fruit extract regimen for at least 3 months to start seeing consistent results.
In additional laboratory studies, oleanolic acid and other olive compounds reduced triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol by 70 percent! It also restored levels of healthy liver enzymes, which are often depleted by high fat diets or conditions like metabolic syndrome.
Alpha tocopherol from olive fruits also inhibits LDL cholesterol aggregation that could otherwise lead to blocked arteries, moderates the release of inflammatory cytokines that would otherwise raise blood pressure and harm blood vessels, and promotes nitric oxide release for better blood circulation.
Brain Protecting
One of the great attributes of olive leaf and fruit compounds like hydroxytyrosol and oleanolic acid is their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. This makes them especially strong allies in preventing damage to brain tissue and in stopping or slowing threats to cognitive function.
For example, oleanolic acid moderates the activity of microglial cells, immune cells that, when working properly, guard against pathogens and injury in the brain. Left unchecked however, or in higher levels than needed, they may play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Additionally, oleanolic acid is a strong inhibitor of inflammatory proteins. A laboratory study found that pretreatment with the compound reduced interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels up to 93 percent, and tumor necrosis factoralpha (TNF-a) up to 82 percent. This can have a profound protective effect because any inflammatory damage on neural cells could create serious cognitive issues.
Hydroxytyrosol activates nuclear factor E2-related factor 2, commonly known as “Nrf2.” Nrf2 is critical to healthy aging and cognitive function because it strengthens the body’s natural detoxifying actions and protects neural pathways. Laboratory research shows that hydroxytyrosol can partially restore glutathione levels in brain cells and inhibit their injury and death. With this kind of potential, it’s possible that olive leaf and fruit compounds may be on the front line of brain-related medicine in the near future.
Cancer Fighting
Compounds from olive leaves and fruits provide a strong defense against cancer, including leukemia, pancreatic, breast, and prostate cancer.
Both oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol have been shown in cell studies to inhibit breast and prostate cancers, and also promote apoptosis in cancer cells— the programmed cell death that prevents tumor formation and spread—without harming healthy cells.
Immune Defending
Researchers are exploring the many ways that olive oil compounds stabilize cells throughout the body, and have antimicrobial power, strengthening the immune system.
Oleanolic acid alone can stop listeria (Listeria monocytogenes) and Enterococcus faecium, a bacteria associated with infected wounds, urinary tract infections, and prostatitis. The olive compound damages the cell walls of the bacteria, preventing it from surviving and spreading. In this era of increasingly ineffective antibiotics, oleanolic acid could be the next preventative medicine that stops post-operative infections or bolsters a weakened immune system due to chronic disease.
Because of the way other olive compounds, including hydroxytyrosol, strengthen the outer structures of cells, it can make you less prone to viral infections, too.
Full Spectrum Olive Extract = Consistent Results
The nutrients in the leaves and fruits of olives deliver astonishing benefits. In addition to the health concerns I’ve outlined here, they can moderate blood sugar, preserve bone density, stop bacterial infections, and fight inflammation and oxidative damage throughout the body.
If you love olive oil, by all means, keep on enjoying it. But I also think that adding a full spectrum olive leaf and fruit extract to your regimen is one of the best ways of getting the synergistic benefits of olive nutrients conveniently and consistently, every day.
Although I’m a huge fan of olive oil, there is more to the olive tree than the oil alone. The leaves and fruits are also excellent sources of polyphenols and other nutrients that can greatly enhance your life.
In fact, scientific and clinical research has discovered olive leaves and fruit contain concentrated levels of beneficial nutrients in even greater quantities than the oil. These include oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, oleanolic acid, and tocopherols, the most well known of which is alpha tocopherol, or vitamin E.
Healthy Aging and Vitality in Mind and Body
Since olives and olive oil are so prominent in the Mediterranean diet, many feel olive nutrients are largely responsible for the longevity and good health of people in that region. And they would be right.
Olives are rich in alpha tocopherol, the bioactive form of vitamin E best absorbed and retained by the body. This fat-soluble vitamin strengthens the structures and membranes of cells, preserving them from the detrimental effects of free radicals and oxidative stress, which has far-reaching effects.
For example, researchers have found that alpha tocopherol protects the nervous system, potentially reducing the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson’s disease.
This nutrient’s strong antioxidant activity also preserves muscle strength and improves muscle repair, so it’s an excellent partner to any exercise regimen. Alpha tocopherol also makes the energy output of skeletal muscles more efficient and increases fat oxidation and metabolism.
Likewise, the polyphenol hydroxytyrosol scavenges free radicals and activates superoxide dismutase and glutathione, two of the body’s own ‘master antioxidants.’ It is also a strong anti-inflammatory, so it protects against premature aging in multiple ways.
Cardio Strengthening
According to the American Heart Association, nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure, and many of them don’t even know it.
If your blood pressure numbers are getting higher, there are ways to keep them in check without prescription drugs: an anti-inflammatory, wholesome diet featuring plenty of fruits, vegetables, unprocessed proteins, and healthy fats; consistent, regular exercise; and time to de-stress. Supplementing with olive leaf and fruit extracts is another.
Olive leaf extract standardized for oleuropein has shown remarkable results in lowering blood pressure. One clinical study found olive leaf extract was equal to a prescription drug – and possibly even better, considering it also significantly lowered triglyceride levels, something the drug didn’t do. Another study found that olive leaf extract, at dosages up to 1,000 mg per day, lowered systolic pressure by as much as 13 points and diastolic pressure by an average of 5 points. It reduced LDL cholesterol levels as well. Of course, these results take time, so I would encourage you to stick with an olive leaf and fruit extract regimen for at least 3 months to start seeing consistent results.
In additional laboratory studies, oleanolic acid and other olive compounds reduced triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol by 70 percent! It also restored levels of healthy liver enzymes, which are often depleted by high fat diets or conditions like metabolic syndrome.
Alpha tocopherol from olive fruits also inhibits LDL cholesterol aggregation that could otherwise lead to blocked arteries, moderates the release of inflammatory cytokines that would otherwise raise blood pressure and harm blood vessels, and promotes nitric oxide release for better blood circulation.
Brain Protecting
One of the great attributes of olive leaf and fruit compounds like hydroxytyrosol and oleanolic acid is their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. This makes them especially strong allies in preventing damage to brain tissue and in stopping or slowing threats to cognitive function.
For example, oleanolic acid moderates the activity of microglial cells, immune cells that, when working properly, guard against pathogens and injury in the brain. Left unchecked however, or in higher levels than needed, they may play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Additionally, oleanolic acid is a strong inhibitor of inflammatory proteins. A laboratory study found that pretreatment with the compound reduced interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels up to 93 percent, and tumor necrosis factoralpha (TNF-a) up to 82 percent. This can have a profound protective effect because any inflammatory damage on neural cells could create serious cognitive issues.
Hydroxytyrosol activates nuclear factor E2-related factor 2, commonly known as “Nrf2.” Nrf2 is critical to healthy aging and cognitive function because it strengthens the body’s natural detoxifying actions and protects neural pathways. Laboratory research shows that hydroxytyrosol can partially restore glutathione levels in brain cells and inhibit their injury and death. With this kind of potential, it’s possible that olive leaf and fruit compounds may be on the front line of brain-related medicine in the near future.
Cancer Fighting
Compounds from olive leaves and fruits provide a strong defense against cancer, including leukemia, pancreatic, breast, and prostate cancer.
Both oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol have been shown in cell studies to inhibit breast and prostate cancers, and also promote apoptosis in cancer cells— the programmed cell death that prevents tumor formation and spread—without harming healthy cells.
Immune Defending
Researchers are exploring the many ways that olive oil compounds stabilize cells throughout the body, and have antimicrobial power, strengthening the immune system.
Oleanolic acid alone can stop listeria (Listeria monocytogenes) and Enterococcus faecium, a bacteria associated with infected wounds, urinary tract infections, and prostatitis. The olive compound damages the cell walls of the bacteria, preventing it from surviving and spreading. In this era of increasingly ineffective antibiotics, oleanolic acid could be the next preventative medicine that stops post-operative infections or bolsters a weakened immune system due to chronic disease.
Because of the way other olive compounds, including hydroxytyrosol, strengthen the outer structures of cells, it can make you less prone to viral infections, too.
Full Spectrum Olive Extract = Consistent Results
The nutrients in the leaves and fruits of olives deliver astonishing benefits. In addition to the health concerns I’ve outlined here, they can moderate blood sugar, preserve bone density, stop bacterial infections, and fight inflammation and oxidative damage throughout the body.
If you love olive oil, by all means, keep on enjoying it. But I also think that adding a full spectrum olive leaf and fruit extract to your regimen is one of the best ways of getting the synergistic benefits of olive nutrients conveniently and consistently, every day.