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What is olive leaf extract, and should I take it?

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Here’s why this extract should be added to your daily health routine

There’s a range of supplements available on the market. Each one has its individual benefits, so you may have to take multiple capsules daily to meet your health goals. It can be a hassle to remember to take all your vitamins and minerals, and it can be costly. Olive leaf extract is a supplement that can deliver a one-stop shop for your health needs.

This extract can greatly improve your daily health management, from cardiovascular support to possible anti-cancer benefits.

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Shop this article: Now Olive Leaf Extract 500 Mg, Swanson Olive Leaf Extract Capsules and Toniiq Concentrated Ultra High Strength Olive Leaf Extract

What is olive leaf extract?

Olive leaf extract is a supplement that derives from the leaves of an olive plant. It contains the active ingredient oleuropein, a compound enriched in olive tree leaves. This compound is why olive leaf extract holds anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Olive leaf extract benefits

Here are the health and wellness benefits of using olive leaf extract benefit, according to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center:

  • Lower blood pressure: People with high blood pressure can benefit from olive leaf extract for blood pressure reduction. It’s recommended that people consume 500 milligrams of this supplement twice a day for eight weeks to lower blood pressure.
  • Lower blood sugar levels: A 2017 study revealed that olive leaf extract can help manage glucose levels in diabetes-induced rates by increasing insulin levels. These results could be effective for humans as well.
  • Reduce cholesterol levels: There’s been evidence in animal studies that this extract can lower cholesterol levels, which may also benefit humans.
  • Fight against infections: One of the many olive leaf extract benefits is its ability to fight viruses such as herpes, hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus, mononucleosis, influenza and rotavirus.
  • Reduces cancer risk: Some studies have suggested that the extract’s anti-inflammatory properties can lessen your chances of developing cancer.

Olive leaf extract vs. olive oil

Olive oil also has cardiovascular benefits, such as decreasing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and increasing high-density lipoprotein. However, olive leaf extract contains more concentrated oleuropein than olive oil. It depends on what health benefits you’re looking for to determine the better option for you.

How to take olive leaf extract

The best olive leaf extract comes as a supplement, tincture or tea. As mentioned prior, you can take 500 to 1,000 mg daily. You can split the dosage into smaller ones throughout the day. Start with small doses and gradually increase over time.

You can speak with your healthcare provider to discuss the safest dosage for your health.

Side effects of olive leaf extract

A potential side effect of taking olive leaf extract is allergic reactions. The extract comes from the olive tree, so some people may be allergic to it.

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, tree pollen allergy can cause symptoms such as:

  • Runny nose.
  • Stuffy nose.
  • Postnasal drip.
  • Itchy nose, eyes, ears and mouth.
  • Swelling around the eyes.
  • Tiredness.
  • Sleep disturbances.
  • Moodiness and irritability.

If you have a combination of asthma and a tree pollen allergy, you may have allergic asthma, which may cause:

  • Coughing.
  • Wheezing.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Chest tightness or pain.

It’s important to note that olive tree pollen may cause a severe respiratory reaction known as anaphylaxis.

Anaphylaxis can cause symptoms such as:

  • Skin rashes, itching or hives.
  • Swelling in the lips, tongue or throat.
  • Dizziness.
  • Fainting.
  • Stomach pain.
  • Bloating, vomiting or diarrhea.
  • Uterine cramps.
  • The feeling that something awful is going to happen.

If you’re experiencing these symptoms, please seek medical attention immediately.

Best olive leaf extract

Now Olive Leaf Extract 500 Mg

These vegan capsules are offered in a 60- or 120-count and contain 6% oleuropein. They have an Underwriters Laboratories Dietary Supplement Certification, are Good Manufacturing Practice Quality Assured and are non-GMO. You’ll take one capsule one to three times a day as needed.

Horbäach Olive Leaf Extract Liquid

These alcohol-free liquid extract drops are highly concentrated for maximum cardiovascular support. They have a pure, potent formula and are gluten-, wheat-, yeast-, milk-, lactose-, soy- and artificial color-free and are non-GMO.

Swanson Olive Leaf Extract Capsules

These capsules contain 20% oleuropein for immune and cardiovascular health support. Each capsule contains 500 mg of the olive leaf extract powder. These capsules can be taken twice a day with food and water.

Herb Pharm Certified Organic Olive Leaf Extract

These liquid drops are prepared from certified organic leaves of Oleo europaea trees. They are rapidly absorbed and are gluten-free and non-GMO. The potency of these drops is assured through the High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography analysis.

Toniiq Concentrated Ultra High Strength Olive Leaf Extract

These capsules contain 500 mg of high-quality olive leaf extract. The extract in these capsules comes from ethically sourced, family-owned farms that use an extraction process to ensure at least 50% oleuropein in each serving. The capsules are made in a GMP-certified, NSF-approved facility in the United States.

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Taneia Surles writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.

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