Olive oil is synonymous with the Mediterranean diet, and the health benefits of the two are well documented.
Olive oil reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and premature death. Olives also contain many healthy nutrients.
Proofs are now going up on the health benefits of olive sheets, including studies in a recent magazine.
Here is what is in olive leaves and which could benefit from the extract of olive leaves.
What is in olive leaves?
Olive leaves have traditionally been brewed like tea in the Mediterranean and drunk to treat fever and malaria.
The leaves contain high levels of a type of antioxidant called oleuropian. Olives and olive oil also contain this, but at lower levels.
Generally, the more green the sheet (less), the more it contains oleuropian. The leaves picked in spring also have higher levels compared to those picked in autumn, indicating that the oleuropian levels are reduced as the leaves age.
Olive leaves also contain other antioxidants such as hydroxytytyrosol, luteoline, apigenin and verbascoside.
Antioxidants work by reducing oxidative stress in the body. Oxidative stress damages our DNA, our cell membranes and our tissues, which can cause chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
Are the olive leaves healthy?
A review and an analysis combined data from 12 experimental studies with 819 participants in total. Overall, the extract of olive leaves has improved risk factors for heart disease. This included healthier blood lipids (fats) and a drop in blood pressure.
The effect was higher for people who already had high blood pressure.
Most of the studies in this review have given the extract of olive leaves as a capsule, with daily doses of 500 milligrams to 5 grams for six to 48 weeks.
Another review and analysis published at the end of last year examined data from 12 experimental studies, with a total of 703 people. Some of these studies have involved people with high blood lipids, people with high blood pressure, overweight or obese people and others involved healthy people.
Olive leaves can be brewed in tea. Photo: Image partners / Shutterstock
The daily doses were 250 to 1,000 mg taken in the form of bread -based tablets.
Individual studies in the journal have shown significant advantages in improving blood sugar control (sugar), blood lipid levels and reducing blood pressure. But when all the data has been combined, there was no significant health effect. We will explain why this could be the case shortly.
Another review examined people who took oleuropian and hydroxytyrosol (antioxidants of olive leaves). This revealed a significant improvement in body weight, blood lipid profiles, glucose metabolism and bone, joint and cognitive function.
Individual studies have been tested either the two antioxidants or olive leaves incorporated into foods such as bread and cooking oils (but not olive oil). The doses were 6 to 500 mg per day of olive leaves extract.
So what can we do with these studies overall? They show that the extract of olive leaves can help reduce blood pressure, improve blood lipids and help our body manage glucose.
But these studies show inconsistent results. This is probably due to the differences in the way people have taken the extract from olive leaves, how much they took and how long. This type of inconsistency normally tells us that we need more research to clarify the effects on the health of olive sheets.
Can you eat olive leaves?
Olive leaves can be brewed in a tea or leaves added to salads. Others point out that the grinding of olive leaves in smoothies.
However, the leaves are bitter, due to antioxidants, which can make them difficult to eat, or unpleasant tea.
The extract of olive leaves was also added to bread and other bakery products. Researchers find that this improves the level of antioxidants in these products and that people say that food has a better taste.
Is the olive leaf extract toxic?
No, there does not seem to be any toxic effects reported from the diet or consumption of extract from olive leaves.
It seems safe up to 1 g per day, according to studies that have used the extract of olive leaves. However, there are no official guidelines on the amount of sure consumption of consuming.
There were potential toxicity reports if they were taken more than 85 mg / kg of body weight per day. For an adult of 80 kg, this would mean 6.8 Ga Day, well above the dose used in the studies mentioned in this article.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women are recommended not to consume it because we do not know if she is sure for them.
What should I do?
If you have high blood pressure, diabetes or raised blood lipids, you can see an advantage of taking the extract from olive leaves. But it is important that you first chat it with your doctor and that you do not change medication or that you start to extract olive leaves until you love them.
But there are many antioxidants in all plant foods, and you should try to eat a wide variety of vegetable foods of different colors. This will allow you to obtain a range of nutrients and antioxidants.
Olive Leaf and its extract will not be a panacea for your health if you do not eat a healthy diet and you follow other health tips.
It was published on Neos Kosmos With the permission of The conversation.
