Olive Leaf and its Ability to Manage High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure (hypertension) is a common and potentially dangerous health condition affecting millions of Americans today. There are many factors that contribute to high blood pressure, including genetics and even prescription medications. Because so many factors contribute to hypertension, this condition can be frustrating to manage. Olive leaves have been clinically shown to have a positive effect on high blood pressure, which opens up treatment options for many adults. Along with appropriate diet and lifestyle changes, high blood pressure can be brought under control with the help of olive leaf extract or clinical strength capsules. Here are seven great things that you should know about olive leaf its connection with your health, especially hypertension.

1. Olive leaves are a very old form of medicine. Not only do many ancient and medieval medical texts reference olive leaves, they are mentioned as a source of medicine in the Bible. Cultures surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, including the Ancient Egyptians, depended on the medicinal properties of olive leaves.

2. Olive leaves have been used as a traditional treatment for a wide variety of health concerns. Although olive leaf is today best known as a treatment for high blood pressure, people throughout history have used it for many other health-related problems. In the past, olive leaf has been used to treat:

• Intestinal disease

• Stomach diseases

• Gall stones

• Hair loss

• Kidney inflammation

• Urinary tract infections

• Diarrhea

• Bronchial asthma

Some of these historic uses may provide clues that will guide researchers to the next discovery about olive leaf’s incredible healing powers.

3. Some olive leaf remedies can be prepared at home. While the clinical effects of olive leaf on hypertension have only been observed when the correct amount has been administered, there are a few simply at-home remedies that you can prepare to try out some of the traditional cures for yourself. For instance, an infusion of olive leaf can be used sipped to benefit from the leaf’s anti-inflammatory properties. Fresh leaves can be chewed to give the mouth a clean, fresh feeling. Olive oil can be easily used as a moisturizer for skin and hair.

4. Olive leaf-based drugs may have fewer side effects. All drugs, including natural remedies, carry the chance of side effects. Some side effects can be ignored or easily managed. Other side effects can be problematic, even dangerous. For instance, the beta blockers often prescribed to lower high blood pressure has the potential to lower a patient’s sensitivity to insulin. This decreased sensitivity can lead to type 2 diabetes, a complex health condition that may require lots of medication to manage. While olive leaf-based drugs may still have side effects that we are unaware of, reducing a patient’s chance of developing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes is a very important strategy to preserving long term health.

5. A clinical strength dose of olive leaf can be easily obtained. The clinical trials that were done to determine the effectiveness of olive leaf as a treatment for high blood pressure also provided us with an ideal dose. 1000 mg of olive leaf extract per day is the dose required to achieve the desired improvements. Less than this amount each day does not lower blood pressure; more than this amount each day may have negative side effects or other toxic consequences. The bottles of olive leaf extract sold at health food stores, nutritional outlets, and other specialty shops will tell you on the label exactly how much olive leaf extract is in each pill or capsule. Simply select the amount of pills equal to a single 1000 mg dose and take it as your doctor or nutritionist directs. High quality olive leaf extract in clinical doses can also be purchased easily on the Internet.

6. Though the olive fruit contains numerous healthy compounds, the leaf has the highest concentrations of the chemical responsible for lowering blood pressure. The olive fruit – the small black, green, or red snack we enjoy – is packed with healthy nutrients, including oleacein, hydroxytyrosol, oleanic acid, and ursolic acid. Oleuropein is the compound identified as responsible for lowering blood pressure; this compound is found in highest concentrations in the olive leaf.

7. Olive leaf extract is easy to use. As a result of increasing demand for high quality, clinical strength olive leaf extract, it is now possible to find it offered through many trusted sources. You can find it in a variety of strengths too, so you do not have to struggle through a handful of small dose pills every day.