High Cholesterol and Blood Pressure Decrease with Olive Leaf Extract

Olive leaves: an excellent remedy for cholesterol and high blood pressure!

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

This was discovered by researchers from the University of Reading (UK), Massey University (New Zealand), and the Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation in Adelaide (Australia). The study was published recently in the journal European Journal of Nutrition.

Extra virgin olive oil: health benefits also come from the leaves

The Mediterranean diet is associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases, particularly cardiovascular ones. These effects can be attributed, at least in part, to the use of olive oil, a typical food of this dietary pattern. Extra virgin olive oil is rich in polyphenols, molecules with strong antioxidant capacity. Besides the fruit, the leaves of the olive plant (Olea europaea) contain phenolic compounds at very high concentrations. The most abundant phenolic compounds in olive leaves include hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, verbascoside, and some, such as secoiridoids, found exclusively in plants belonging to the Oleaceae family. Data from a series of studies suggest that olive leaf extract can influence the risk of cardiovascular diseases by inducing anti-atherosclerotic, hypotensive, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cholesterol-lowering effects. It has been reported that olive leaf extract can reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure in both hypertensive and pre-hypertensive individuals, and can improve plasma lipid concentrations in both normal and high-cholesterol subjects. Some research has shown that olive leaf extract helps reduce arterial stiffness and significantly improves vascular function and blood pressure.

Supplements with Olea europaea extract reduce bad cholesterol and hypertension 

To better understand the impact of consuming olive extract-based products, the study was designed to examine their effects on blood pressure and a range of vascular, inflammatory, and lipid parameters, particularly on high cholesterol, an important cardiovascular risk factor. Results showed 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%. Furthermore, consumption of olive leaf extract was associated with significant decreases in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides in the blood, without any negative effect on good HDL cholesterol. Specifically: "Considering previous studies conducted with statins, the reductions in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol reported in this work could correspond to a reduction in overall cardiovascular risk of 4.2% and 9.7%, respectively," declared the researchers who conducted the study.

Some details of the discovery

During the study, scientists recruited 60 pre-hypertensive men, i.e., with systolic blood pressure between 121 and 140 mmHg and diastolic pressure between 81 and 90 mmHg. Patients were randomly assigned to supplements containing olive leaf extract (containing 136 mg of oleuropein and 6 mg of hydroxytyrosol) or a control (phenol-free), for six weeks, followed by a four-week washout period, and then crossed over to the other treatment. Results showed that olive leaf extract was associated with a significant reduction of systolic blood pressure values by over 3 mmHg, while diastolic pressure decreased by about 2.5 mmHg. 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 to the control group.

A polyphenol-rich diet to reduce cardiovascular risk

According to the scientists, this study confirmed the potential benefit of olive leaf extract on blood pressure and blood lipid profile. The extent of risk reduction could have a significant impact on populations in countries with a high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases. The role of diet in cardiovascular risk is well known and identifies a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as primary prevention against hypertension and high cholesterol. Thanks to 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 can lead to improvements in several parameters that predispose to cardiovascular diseases and could result in a moderate but clear reduction of risk, 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, besides omega-3, fermented red rice extract, and artichoke leaf extract, is enriched with olive extract standardized in Hydroxytyrosol. 

Source: 

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