Recorded evidence of olive leaf’s medicinal use dates back thousands of years: ancient Egyptian and Mediterranean cultures used it to treat various health conditions.Today, health experts have sparked a resurgence because of its remarkable antioxidant qualities, and it’s becoming the hottest health sensation for supporting a healthy immune system— critical for seasonal wellness.

“For thousands of years olive trees live have resisted attacks from bacteria, virus, fungus and a range of micoorganisms,” noted Andreas Koch, marketing director for Barlean’s (Ferndale, WA), manufacturer of Olive Leaf Complex. “The product taps into that same phenomenal defense system and provides hundreds of broad-spectrum, naturally occurring compounds to provide a powerhouse of cell-protecting antioxidants,” Koch added.

“In addition to increasing U.S. sales, olive leaf extracts made directly from fresh-picked olive leaves are now sold in more than a dozen countries,” said Julian Archer, olive leaf agriculture partner to Barlean’s.

“Every day, more of the U.S. population is learning about olive leaf as an effective immune support product,” Koch noted. “Traditionally, familiar immune products have mainly only been echinacea, elderberry extract or vitamin C, but olive leaf extract is showing scientific benefits that are catching the eyes of many naturopathic practitioners.” And the liquid extract is costeffective, he added.

More Benefits 

Polyphenols from olives have been associated with well-being and reduction of physical stress, according to CreAgri, Inc. (Hayward, CA), a functional ingredient and dietary supplement manufacturer.
Laboratories around the world have also shown that polyphenols from olive oil have been associated with healthier breast tissue, colon function and cardiovascular function, as well as reduction of stress from secondary smoke and prevention of skin damage, the company stated.

“Olive leaf is sourced primarily for its cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory and immune building benefits,” said Archer.
The latest double-blind, clinical studies have shown both blood pressure and cholesterol-lowering benefits, he noted.

“In vitro laboratory studies from 2009 and 2010 have also identified potential health benefits in the areas of brain health, osteoporosis and probiotic gut benefits.” 

In decades past, the U.S. market has seen many olive leaf products made from dried olive leaves and sold as dried powder capsules or liquid tincture form. “These products have primarily focused solely on the single polpyhenol called oleuropein,” Archer said.“However, scientific research has now shown that other phytochemicals in fresh-picked olive leaves carry equal or even stronger health benefits. So now we’re seeing olive leaf products made directly from whole, fresh-picked olive leaves, which still contain the broadest spectrum of healing polyphenolics.These whole, fresh leaf, broad-spectrum extracts are fast becoming the most requested form of olive leaf in U.S. stores.” 

Another olive compound, hydroxytyrosol, from the juice of olives, was found to protect brain cells from the detrimental effects of oxidative stress when exposed to ferrous ion, and may offer a neuroprotective ingredient to slow the decline in cognitive performance that occurs naturally with age, according to findings published late last year in Pharmacological Research.

Hydroxytyrosol is thought to be the main antioxidant compound in olives, and believed to play a significant role in the many health benefits attributed to olive oil. Previous research has linked the compound to cardiovascular benefits, with reductions in LDL or “bad” cholesterol. Data has also suggested the compound may boost eye health and reduce the risk of against macular degeneration.

Consumer Knowledge 

While health-savvy consumers understand that olive leaf can be used as a cold and flu remedy and for general immune system support, Barlean’s said the company is in the process of educating consumers about the heart/cardio and anti-inflammatory benefits.“Olive leaf is truly a four-seasons health supplement and we’re building messages to share that fact with consumers who see it as a winter supplement,” Archer explained, adding that Barlean’s Olive Leaf Complex liquid extract packs nearly double the antioxidant capacity of green tea extract and 400 percent higher than vitamin C. 

To promote consumer education, Barlean’s provides free 38-page booklets called “Unleash the Amazingly Potent Health Benefits of the Olive Leaf,” as well as offering in-store demos, free consumer education literature, in-store retail staff trainings and exclusive on-phone trainings with Barlean’s education director.

New, Sustainable Applications 

In June of last year, the U.S. Patent Office granted CreAgri, Inc. a patent on the manufacturing of hydroxytyrosol. The patent broadly covers methods for hydroxytyrosol production, isolation and formulation.

“This patent (U.S. Patent 7,713,569), reinforces the innovative and pivotal role CreAgri plays in the industry as a leader in the discovery and development of hydroxytyrosol-based applications for the dietary supplement, functional food and beverage, personal care and agriculture industries,” said Dr. Roberto Crea, CEO and president.

CreAgri said it is the first company in years to redefine practices and processes in the olive industry by developing a proprietary two-step process called Integrale. The process first removes the pits from the pulp of organic olives and separates the polyphenolic-rich water from extra virgin olive oil. Next, it processes the olive juice with citric acid (one percent) to obtain the highest concentration of hydroxytyrosol and protect against phenolic oxidation, polymerization and microbial fermentation.

The Integrale process recovers the important polyphenol antioxidants directly from the juice (vegetation water) of the olives. Nearly 50 percent of the olive’s volume consists of olive juice—more than double that of the olive oil—and it produces as much as 300 times the polyphenols of even the best extra virgin olive oil.

As the developer of the technology, CreAgri stated it has become a leading supplier of polyphenols from organic olives, a class of natural compounds endowed with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Using the Integrale method, CreAgri has developed the antioxidant formulation called HIDROX, the active ingredient used in its Olivenol line of dietary supplements.
HIDROX contains concentrated hydroxytyrosol, the olive polyphenol demonstrated by independent laboratory analyses to be the most potent antioxidant yet discovered.

“CreAgri’s HIDROX is the only hydroxytyrosol formulation that is GRAS certified, completely natural from organic olives, and proven by several clinical studies throughout the world to be an effective and powerful anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and immune boosting ingredient,” noted Mark Linder, the company’s director of business development.

Waste Issues 

CreAgri stated that its Integrale system is a sustainable manufacturing process, and a recent study indicates that is truly the case.

Published in the journal Food Chemistry, the research found that antioxidant-rich solutions could indeed be extracted from olive oil mill waste, and could then be used to enrich antioxidant levels of foods and oils.

The treatment and disposal of olive oil mill waste is one of the most serious environmental problems in Mediterranean countries, as many of its constituents are not easily degradable.

“Phenolic extracts from olive oil mill waste can be used as alternatives to synthetic antioxidants in order to increase the stability of foods,” wrote the researchers, led by Evangelos Lazos at the Technological Educational Institution of Athens, Greece.

The new techniques that separate virgin olive oil by recycling the vegetation water of processed olives greatly decreases the volume of plant waste and disposal problems, and releases a by-product with between 10 and 100 times more of the antioxidant than in the olive oil itself.

Hydroxytyrosol was the major phenolic compound detected in the extract, while flavonoids such as luteolin, hesperidin, catechin, cyanidin glycosides and various phenolic acids were also identified.

Low-Cost Enrichment 

The study concluded that olive oil mill waste is a “low-cost, renewable and abundant source of phenolic antioxidants” that could be used as functional ingredients.

The process could be used to add antioxidants to oils with lower antioxidant content, and potentially adding oxidative stability to functional foods— preventing off flavor formation in omega-3 enriched foods.

“Phenolic extracts from olive oil mill waste can be used as alternatives to synthetic antioxidants in order to increase the stability of foods by preventing lipid peroxidation, and protect living systems from oxidative damage by scavenging oxygen radicals,” stated the researchers.