Health Benefits of Olive
Scientific name: Olea europaea
Other names: Olive, Olive Leaf, Olive Tree, Olivier
Part used: Leaves
Origins & Properties
Olives are native to Asia Minor and Syria but are cultivated in Mediterranean countries and also Chile, Peru, and South Australia.
Olive leaf was first used medicinally in Ancient Egypt and was a symbol of heavenly power. It was also used to mummify pharaohs. More recent knowledge of the olive leaf’s medicinal properties dates back to the early 1800s when pulverized leaves were used in a drink to lower fevers.
A few decades later, green olive leaves were used in tea as a treatment for malaria.
Common Uses
Bioassays support its antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory effects at a laboratory level.
A liquid extract made directly from fresh olive leaves gained international attention when it was shown to have an antioxidant capacity of almost double green tea extract and 400% higher than vitamin C.
Benefits
- Arterial health: Protects artery damage and prevents inflammation
- Antioxidant: Slows the aging process by neutralizing the action of free radicals
- Fight cholesterol: Fights the formation of bad cholesterol
- Healthy brain: Prevents diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and keeps brain healthy and young
- Immune support: Strengthens immune system to defend damaging effects of viruses and bacteria
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