Broad Leaf

June 9th, 2008 admin Leave a comment Go to comments

Broad Leaf

Facts About Olive Leaf Extract and Anti Aging Supplements

Here are some facts about olive leaf extract that you may be unaware of. Supplement companies often make broad non-specific claims, without providing links to supportive research. One of the best supplement companies has done the research and makes that information readily available on their website by providing links to PubMed.

PubMed is the best internet source for published research, although it makes for dry reading and you'll likely need a medical dictionary close by to make heads or tails of what the reports are saying. Currently, there are 274 published studies listed on the PubMed database concerning the health benefits and medicinal properties of olive leaves.

You might think that's impressive, but there are nearly 3200 studies concerning green tea, over 2600 concerning resveratrol, another 2600 concerning turmeric and over 300 concerning the lowly milk thistle, a common weed. All of these extracts, and many others, are important components of phytotherapy, a relatively new study concerning the medicinal significance of plants of all kinds. It is something of an extension of nutritional therapy, which involves the use of nutrients to prevent and treat diseases.

Some of the facts about olive leaf extract, according to the research include these:

Can be used to naturally reduce blood pressure and treat hypertension

Provides a significant reduction in cholesterol levels

Has antimicrobial activity, can be used to strengthen the immune system and treat anti-biotic resistant infections

Acts as a natural mosquito repellent

The facts about olive leaf extract as an antioxidant are quite confusing. According to some studies, one of the antioxidants found in the leaves has more antioxidant activity than green tea or coenzyme Q10. Other studies say that supplementation does not change the oxidative status of healthy young adults, indicating that it may not be beneficial for healthy people.

Traditional use has been to help prevent colds and other infections. Today, it is promoted as an immune system booster. Until we know more, the best choice for supplementation is one that includes a variety of different plant extracts, as well as essential nutrients. We may not know which ones are most effective, but we do know that people who are well nourished live longer, have more energy and fewer infectious diseases. We also know that cultures that make use of a wide range of plants in their daily diets have a reduced incidence of heart disease and cancer.

One of the most widely publicized uses of plant antioxidants is to reduce the risk of cancer. The facts about olive leaf extract, that we are currently aware of, is that it reduces the proliferation or spread of cancer cells, at very low concentrations. Green tea polyphenols may help reduce the risk of prostate and breast cancer. Resveratrol acts on all stages of carcinogenesis. Curcumin kills cancer cells, but is not toxic to healthy tissues. Milk thistle reduces the growth of breast, cervical and prostate cancer cells. And, that's only five of the known extracts that have anti-cancer activity.

So, those are some of the facts about olive leaf extract and other phytochemicals. You might be interested in learning more about the subject.

About the Author

Valerie Rosenbaum has spent several years researching every
anti aging supplement
available. As a result of that effort she has found that it is critical to include
olive leaf extract
for an anti aging supplement to be truly effective. Learn more about what she discovered at her website
NaturalBalanceSupplements.com