Title: Olive Leaf Extract Benefits – The List Is Growing

The list of olive leaf extract benefits is already quite extensive, but as we gain more understanding of what our human bodies need in order to thrive, we are able to see more clearly, what this simple, grey-green leaf can do for us.

For several millenia, the leaves of the Mediterranean olive tree (Olea europaea) have been used as a health tonic; and as a treatment for fevers, coughs, colds, and infections. Olive leaf extract lost some of its popularity with the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming (in 1928) and since then, we have looked to ever-increasing-strength antibiotics to cure our bacterial diseases.

Unfortunately, antibiotics are not the complete answer. Poor use of these synthetic drugs have led to the creation of superbugs. So, once again we look to Mother Nature, for an answer, and find that olive leaf extract can provide much of what we need.

There is no cure-all. To the best of my knowledge, no miracle compound exists that will kill every bacteria, virus, yeast or fungus that harms us.

However, we have improved our ability to harvest the healing ingredients in olive leaves; and a good quality olive leaf product can kill (or limit the spread of) a great many of the pathogens that we are exposed to. This is the most commonly known benefit of olive leaf extract, and it is probably the prime reason why most people take it.

The List of Benefits

Scientific studies show that olive leaf extract has the following abilities:

It is a strong antimicrobial agent, meaning that it can destroy, or inhibit, a broad range of viruses, bacteria, parasites and yeasts (fungi). What this means for you, is less time being sick and less severity of illness. It can help to prevent a disease from taking hold in your body, and it can lessen the impact of the pathogen or germ that has already started to create disease for you. This property is not limited to one form of pathogen, like bacteria, nor to one particular organism. It has been shown to affect a wide range of them.

A few examples of microbes that are killed or inhibited by olive leaf extract are: Bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus (golden staph); Streptococcus, and Escherichia coli. Viruses: Norovirus and Rotovirus (viral gastroenteritis); HIV (Aids). Yeast infections: Candidiasis (thrush) and Tinea Pedis (athlete's foot).

It supports and enhances the immune system. We all need a healthy immune system in order to deal with the flood of microscopic toxic elements that we take in every day, in our air, our food and our water. Olive leaf extract takes some of the load off our immune system, by doing the work for it. Unlike antibiotics, it also supports the growth of 'friendly' bacteria in the body, thus helping to keep the whole biological system in balance.

It is one of the best known antioxidants available. Free radicals form in our bodies due to many factors like stress, pollution, radiation and toxins, so we need antioxidants in our diet to help neutralize them. Without antioxidants, free radicals will cause damage to organs, blood vessels, skin and all other tissues of the body.

Different antioxidants target different free radicals, which is why olive leaf extract is so good. It contains a combination of at least 12 known antioxidant compounds, giving it the ability to affect a wide variety of free radicals. ORAC testing has shown olive leaf extract to be up to 5 times as effective as vitamin C; and to far exceed the performance of super-nutrients like goji juice, green tea, and grape-seed extract.

It helps to maintain good cardiovascular health. Narrowed or blocked arteries are bad news for you. They will increase your blood pressure, and make your heart work harder, in order to pump the blood around the body. If the blood vessels that supply the heart (coronary arteries) are constricted or blocked, then the heart muscle starts to die. Olive leaf extract helps to keep the blood vessels clearer due to its ability to lower cholesterol, thin the blood, and to relax the muscles in the blood vessel walls.

It reduces inflammation. This is especially useful with regards to chronic inflammation, which is basically an ongoing cycle of tissue destruction and repair. Chronic inflammation is linked with serious conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, cancer and stroke.

From these five main benefits there are a host of others, some of which are:

Increased energy
Better quality sleep
Maintenance of younger-looking skin
Lowered Triglyceride and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels
Lowered blood sugar
Possible loss of excess weight
Benefit for some cancers
Treatment of gout
Possible improvement of asthma
Removal of heavy metals and toxins
Lowered blood pressure
Less dependence on synthetic drugs, which have side effects.
Improved metabolism

Scientists have studied the olive leaf and have been able to identify and isolate over a hundred different phytochemicals (beneficial plant chemicals). Oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol have been marked as two of the most active components in the olive leaf, but how these two chemicals work in synergy with each other, and with all the other components is not fully understood yet. Scientists now believe that the synergistic action of a group of chemicals, occurring naturally together, is more significant than any one chemical on its own.

It's important to keep in mind that our knowledge is constantly evolving, and that is why the list of benefits is growing. There have been many scientific, in vitro and in vivo, studies done on olive leaf extract, particularly over the last forty years, but there have been only a handful of human trials (possible due to the costs involved).

The greatest support for the olive leaf extract benefits listed above come from testimonials, and while this positive feedback is not scientific evidence, the overwhelming numbers of people who report such results is encouraging.

(C) Copyright Angela Lamb All Rights Reserved Worldwide

By: Angela Lamb

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Angela Lamb is a health writer who loves to empower people to help themselves. She enjoys sharing her knowledge so that others can make informed choices. You are invited to visit her Olive Leaf Extract website, to discover more about Olive Leaf Extract Benefits and how you can get the most out of this amazing herbal remedy.