The olive trees are found in the Mediterranean region (landscapes surrounding the Mediterranean Sea), Australia, and some parts of America. Studies affirmed that Mediterranean countries’ annual consumption of olive extracts such as olive oil ranges between (15.3–23) kg per capita. Olea European is the botanical name for olive trees. The leaves of olive can reach a length of 4-10 cm and a width of 1-3 cm. Most olive trees are short, measuring between 26 and 49 ft in height. Olive trees have provided significant benefits to humanity, for example, olive oil, which is made by pressing a whole olive tree and used in cooking, frying, soap manufacture, and more, and also olive leaves. The leaves of olive were once thought to be utilized for healing purposes in the olden days of Pharaohs, where they were regarded as a representation of divine power. Because of their inherent medicinal capabilities, olive leaves have been utilized as an extract in human diets, a tea made of herbs, and a powder since the millennia age. Extracts from olive trees, which are included in Mediterranean cuisines and have witnessed usage as traditional medicine in countries such as Greece, Morocco, and Tunisia for millennia, are a good example.
MAJOR CHEMICAL COMPONENTS OF OLIVE LEAF
Olive leaves contain a variety of substances, including vitamins, minerals, and, most crucially, oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, and tyrosol.
Products made from olive such as the leaf extracts are found with oleuropein, a biophenol. This oleuropein is readily destroyed and frequently transformed during the procedural transformation of olive into its by-products, this leaves the olive products quantity of oleuropein invariance. Olive oil is statically found to have about 2.8 mg/kg of oleuropein and this is about 14% of the olive fruit dry weight. However, the leaf extracts contain antioxidants weighing about 61.56 g/kg. Found in the human body and the leaf extracts are hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol which are potent antioxidants, the breakdown products of oleuropein. Hydroxytyrosol is one of the most potent antioxidants found in olive oil and has free radicals minimization capabilities. Also, tyrosol helps with the protection of body cells against oxidative injuries
THE HEALTHY IMPORTANCE OF OLIVE LEAF EXTRACT
Olive leaf tea has numerous benefits due to the attributes of the compounds it contains. Some of the health benefits with olive leaf tea can be found below:
1. LITTLE OR NO CAFFEINE
Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant that is found in about 60 plants, the most common of which are coffee plants. Caffeine is one of the most widely used psychoactive drugs in the world because it is readily available in drinks and teas. Caffeine has been shown to be both beneficial and harmful when used in excess, as it can cause irregular heartbeats, worsen bipolar disorders, and increase bleeding issues, among other things. And sure, the problematic side effect of caffeine, addiction, may be real for you if you consume too much of it.
Caffeine is widely consumed in excess by business people, students, sports, and others. For example, a crypto trader who wants to add a crypto calculator like Ethereum calculator to relieve the stress of crypto value conversions, price movements monitoring, and so on, might consider olive leaf tea instead of the usual morning and night coffees, which is one of the many caffeine-free options. This would also be good for caffeine-sensitive individuals.
2. IMPROVE HEART CONDITIONS
Olive leaf tea has advantageous effects on heart risk factors. Risk factors like Atherosclerosis or narrowing of the heart arteries, LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) cholesterols can be reduced by olive leaf tea, according to studies by blocking the formation of fatty deposits in the arteries. Also, blood pressures (Systolic and Diastolic) are lowered by olive leaf extracts, according to a study in 2017 that found olive leaf extract successfully lowering blood pressure. With lower blood pressure, there is a reduction in your risk of stroke and heart attack.
3. BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL REDUCTION
Olive Leaf Tea’s ability to balance blood sugar and insulin levels, as well as its ability to boost serum insulin levels, lower serum glucose, and lower plasma malondialdehyde, may help to avoid type 2 diabetes. A recent review on olive extract and type-2 diabetes backs this up.
4. REDUCTION OF RISK FOR CANCERS
The potency of the olive leaf extract to minimize the risk of cancer in the human body is driven by antioxidant capabilities of its chemical constituents such as hydroxytyrosol. Olive polyphenols have been portrayed to reduce the risk of cancer and other inflammation-related disorders. These polyphenols have been postulated to interact with estrogen receptors to diminish the occurrence of hormone-related malignancies due to their structural similarities to oestrogens. More research to affirm the healthy extracts from olive leaf on how it plays to reduce cancers is still ongoing.
Some other benefits of the olive leaf extract:
- Maintaining and enhancing a strong immune system.
- Ability to delay the onset of aging
- Treatment of chronic fatigue leads
- It can be used to increase energy levels and might serve as a wonderful substitute for caffeinated drinks.
- It elevates your mood.
- Assists with allergy therapy
- Muscle spasm prevention