Everything Fantastic About Olive Leaf Extract and Its Benefits

Have you been hearing about olive leaf extract as the new buzz in the health community? It’s not necessarily a supplement that you just take by itself, but there are many immune support supplements, as well as other types of vitamins that you might find this ingredient in. 

It’s important to know and understand what ingredients are used in these supplements and just why they might be added. After all, you’re putting that ingredient in your body for a reason when you consume a vitamin or supplement that contains it, right? So, what can olive leaf extract do for you? 

Olive leaf extract is beneficial to your overall health and wellness, but there are several specific advantages to olive leaf extract you can count on.

What is Olive Leaf Extract?

As the name might suggest, olive leaf extract comes from the leaves of an olive plant. It is a separate supplement than olive oil, which comes directly from the actual olive fruits. Olive leaf extract is known to contain hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein, or ligstroside. 

Olive leaf extract tends to be a soothing agent for a number of ailments but it also acts to support the immune system overall. We will dig into these benefits a bit more here shortly. 

Olive leaf extract has also been used in some medications to treat certain ailments because of the health benefits that it provides. For example, the medication Captopril contains up to 25 mg of olive leaf extract. This particular medication is used to treat high blood pressure.

In the following sections, we will share the benefits of olive leaf extract as well as some other useful information about this ingredient. 

Benefits of Olive Leaf Extract

There have not been extensive clinical trials performed yet to substantiate the use of olive leaf extract, but there are multiple studies out there as well as valuable research that points to the many benefits of olive leaf extract with limited side effects or negative reactions. 

Here are some of the benefits that olive leaf extract has been thought to provide:

• Maintaining normal blood sugar levels 
• Supporting healthy metabolism
• Supporting healthy cholesterol levels
• Supporting overall heart health
• Boosting immune system function
• Maintaining normal blood pressure levels
• Provides anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits

Now, let’s break these down and discuss some of these benefits in more detail to get a clear understanding of just how olive leaf extract can help with these things. 

Supporting the Immune System

Perhaps one of the most well-known benefits of olive leaf extract is its ability to support the immune system. Olive leaf extract is a common ingredient in many immunity boosters on the market, and for good reason. 

It’s anti-inflammatory properties help to modulate the immune response and support normal immune response pathways, while its antioxidant properties (thanks to its polyphenols) are able to combat the effects of oxidative stress and free radicals. 

Essentially, olive leaf extract plays a helpful role in making sure your immune system functions as it should without interference from inflammation or other stressors. 

Supporting Metabolism

Losing weight and maintaining a healthy metabolism can be challenging. We are all well aware that there is no magic pill out there -- weight loss takes hard work and dedication. However, there are supplements with properties like metabolic support that can be valuable in your efforts. 

Olive leaf extract can support your metabolism by providing some semblance of appetite control. This could also lead to weight management and weight loss support when paired with diet and exercise. 

Supporting Heart Health

Olive leaf extract has been researched and studied to show a significant improvement in LDL cholesterol levels. It does seem that a fairly high dosage of olive leaf extract is needed to be most effective in these circumstances. 

Olive leaf extract is used in some blood pressure medications that require a prescription. There are direct benefits to lowering systolic and diastolic blood pressure. 

With the support it provides in maintaining healthy cholesterol and blood pressure, olive leaf extract supports overall heart health.

Benefits Overview

As great as it is, olive leaf extract is not a cure-all. It is available in extract form but it is more commonly included in natural and organic supplements that are used for immune support, gut heath, and more. 

While there is substantial research that shows a lot of positive qualities of the use of olive leaf extract, keep in mind that clinical studies are limited. Most of the health benefits are primarily related to immune support, heart health, and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Dosage Information

With limited clinical studies available, there is also limited information available about dosage information. We know that some blood pressure medications contain up to 25 mg of olive leaf extract but many of the studies completed used far more even than that. 

Olive leaf extract can be found in tea, tablets, capsules, and more. It can also be found as an ingredient within various other supplements. We recommend speaking with your doctor before using olive leaf extract for a specific purpose. It may take some work to determine an appropriate dosage if you’re not taking it as an ingredient in a multi-herbal supplement. 

Olive Leaf Extract Side Effects

As with taking anything else, there are some potential side effects that could occur. There is again very limited information about side effects since the FDA does not regulate this supplement. 

Some of the known side effects include the following: 

• Headaches
• Muscle discomfort
• Nausea
• Stomach pain
• Respiratory allergic reactions from pollen triggers

The notated respiratory allergic reactions are primarily related to allergies to pollen from plants within the same family as the olive plant. This includes ash trees, lilac, jasmine, privets, and forsythia. 

If you experience any discomfort or side effects when using olive leaf extract, it is best to stop usage and consult with your medical provider. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, olive leaf extract has a myriad of health benefits that can help in many positive ways. The benefits of this supplement can maintain immune support but it also has other possible benefits for your heart and overall health. which widens the benefit margin overall. 

The best way to enjoy the benefits of olive leaf extract is in the form of a multi-faceted supplement where it can be paired with other powerful natural ingredients to give your body the nutrients it needs to thrive!

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6412187/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26328503/ 

https://www.healthline.com/health/olive-leaf-extract#side-effects

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324878#side-effects

https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-benefits-of-olive-leaf-extract-89489