High cholesterol and blood pressure decrease thanks to olive leaf extract

Olive leaves: great remedy for cholesterol and high blood pressure!

Daily consumption of supplements containing olive leaf extract, which is rich in polyphenols, can improve blood pressure and reduce high cholesterol in prehypertensive subjects, that is, those with slightly elevated blood pressure. These positive effects decrease the risk of coronary heart disease by 9-14%, and that of stroke and heart attack by more than 20%. Foods rich in phenolic compounds, could be a valuable aid in averting cardiovascular risk, especially in the most exposed populations.

Researchers from the University of Reading (UK), Massey University (New Zealand) and the Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organization in Adelaide (Australia) discovered this. The study was published in recent months in the European Journal Nutrition.

Extra virgin olive oil: healthy effects also come from the leaves

The Mediterranean diet is associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease. These effects can be attributed, at least in part, to the use of olive oil, a typical food of this dietary regimen. Extra virgin olive oil is rich in polyphenols, molecules with strong antioxidant capacity. In addition to the fruit, the leaves of the olive plant(Olea europaea) contain phenolic compounds at a very high concentration. The most abundant phenolic compounds in Olea europaea leaves are numerous, and among them are hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, verbascoside and some, such as secoiridoids, found exclusively in plants belonging to the Oleaceae family. Data from a number of studies suggest that olive leaf extract may influence cardiovascular disease risk through its ability to induce anti-atherosclerotic, hypotensive, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hypocholesterolemic effects. It has been reported that olive leaf extract can reduce systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure in both hypertensive and pre-hypertensive individuals, and is able to improve plasma lipid concentration in both normal and high cholesterol subjects. Some research has shown that olive leaf extract is useful in reducing arterial stiffness and significantly improving vascular function and blood pressure.

Supplements with Olea europaea extract reduce bad cholesterol and hypertension 

In order to better understand the impact of consuming olive extract products, the study was designed to examine their effect on blood pressure and a range of vascular, inflammatory, and lipid parameters, particularly high cholesterol, a major cardiovascular risk factor. Results reported that improving blood pressure could reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 9-14%, while the risk of stroke and heart attack could be reduced by up to 20-22.5%. In addition, consumption of olive leaf extract was found to be associated with significant decreases in blood total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides with no negative effect on HDL good cholesterol. Specifically, "Considering previous studies with statins, the decreases in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol reported in this work could equate to an overall cardiovascular risk reduction of 4.2 percent and 9.7 percent, respectively," said the researchers who conducted the research.

Some details of the discovery

In the study, scientists recruited 60 pre-hypertensive men, that is, with systolic blood pressure between 121 and 140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure between 81 and 90 mmHg. Patients were randomly assigned to receive supplements containing olive leaf extract (containing 136 mg oleuropein and 6 mg hydroxytyrosol) or a control (free of phenols), for six weeks, followed by a four-week discontinuation period, and the other treatment. Results showed that olive leaf extract was associated with a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure values by more than 3 mmHg, while diastolic blood pressure was decreased by about 2.5 mmHg. The scientists also observed that olive leaf extract was associated with average decreases of 0.32 mmol/L in total cholesterol and 0.19 mmol/L in LDL cholesterol, compared with the control group.

Phenol-rich diet to reduce cardiovascular risk

According to the scientists, the present study confirmed the beneficial potential of olive leaf extract on blood pressure and blood lipid profile. The magnitude of risk reduction could have a significant impact on populations in countries with a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease. The effect of diet on cardiovascular risk has long been known, with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables being the primary prevention against hypertension and high cholesterol. Even with the results of this new study, it is possible to think that there will be sufficient evidence to extend these dietary recommendations to phenol-rich foods. Daily consumption of olive leaf extract may lead to improvements in several parameters that predispose to cardiovascular disease and could result in moderate but marked risk reduction in association with a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.

Cardiol Forte, the supplement with olive extract 

Cardiol Forte is a dietary supplement produced by Omegor, which in addition to omega-3, fermented red rice extract and and extract from artichoke leaves is enriched with Olive extract titrated in Hydroxytyrosol.

Source: 

Lockyer et al., 2017. "Impact of phenolic-rich olive leaf extract on blood pressure, plasma lipids and inflammatory markers: a randomized controlled trial." European Journal of Nutrition