Miracle Of Olive Leaf Extract
Sun Herald
Sunday October 19, 2008
FORGET echinacea, spirulina, grapeseed extract, vitamin C, and goji berries - the new alternative health superstar is the olive leaf.
Extract of the olive leaf is said to have free-radical busting, antifungal and antibiotic properties, as well as the ability to lower blood pressure, ward off coughs and colds, and treat cardiovascular problems. It's not an entirely new discovery. The Egyptians were said to use it for medicinal purposes. And at the turn of the last century researchers discovered a bitter compound called oleuropein in the leaves of certain olive trees which partly explained its resistance to diseases. Since then, scientific evidence has grown of olive leaf extract's health potential. A study by the Australian Centre for Complementary Medicine Education and Research in 2006 found olive-leaf extract killed off human breast and prostate cancer cells in the laboratory. Research done by the centre the previous year also showed olive leaf extract had an antioxidant capacity 400 per cent higher than vitamin C and almost double that of green tea or grapeseed extract - and that furthermore it could help to fight some inflammatory conditions. More good news about the miracle leaf came a Swiss and German study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research this year showing that a supplement containing olive leaf extract may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol in people with mild hypertension.
© 2008 Sun Herald
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