Olives trees are famous for their delicious oil and fruits. But the uses and benefits of the olive tree are not confined to its fruits. The leaves also have amazing benefits. In this article, we will explore the benefits and risk factors of olive leaves and how they should be used.
The benefits of olive leaf are many and varied. We can obtain these benefits by taking nutritional supplements containing olive leaf extract or by drinking water of boiled leaves.
Studies have proved that one of the benefits of olive leaf is its ability to stimulate and increase insulin production, which leads to the regulation of blood sugar levels.
Therefore, we can use olive leaf extract to control blood sugar in diabetics or even to prevent diabetes.
Olive leaf extract has many antioxidant properties. This is why many researchers link this to the prevention of various types of cancers.
The antioxidants in olive leaf also can slow down the growth of cancerous tumors.
One of the important benefits of olive leaf is its ability to fight various neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s.
Sometimes, olive leaf extract supplements may be prescribed to recover after a stroke or other damage to the brain or to reduce the risk of recurring brain disease in patients.
Health professionals have found that olive leaf extract can improve overall digestion, and, therefore, relieve symptoms of bloating, gas, and constipation.
The reason for this is that olive leaf extract helps to restore the balance of gut bacteria, which positively affects digestion.
One of the benefits of olive leaf is that it has properties that help relieve pain by inhibiting the nerve messages that make the patient feel pain, especially in cases of existing painful external wounds.
Olive leaf extract is sometimes used to relieve pain in patients who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and muscle inflammation.
Olive leaf extract has distinctive fat-burning properties, due to its ability to stimulate the production of adrenaline and other hormones. This increases the speed of metabolism and the burning of fats in the body.
Due to the antioxidant properties possessed by olive leaves, regular consumption of olive leaf extract helps mitigate harmful oxidative processes in the body; thus, reducing the stress placed on the immune system to defend and protect the body.
Olive leaf extract is a common recipe for treating the herpes virus naturally. Studies have shown the presence of a group of anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that olive leaf has. These properties help prevent the virus from spreading to neighboring cells and relieve symptoms of the disease immediately.
There are two ways of taking advantage of the benefits of olive leaves and benefiting your body. They are:
Important chemical and organic compounds are industrially extracted from olive leaves and in concentrations approved by the World Health Organization. They are often in the form of safe capsules. But you should consult your doctor before using these supplements.
To benefit from olive leaves you can use them directly to make tea by:
The result that we get from boiling olive leaves is a decoction containing compounds that may help you:
But this method will not give you all the benefits that you get when you consume olive leaf extract supplements. Still, they are so beneficial for your health.
Although the benefits of olive leaves are many and varied, we cannot deny the presence of some risk factors that necessitate our caution. Most of these side effects are listed below :
After the important substances in the olive leaf extract eliminate inflammation, they may release toxic substances that stimulate the body to make a reaction to protect itself. This reaction is manifested in the form of joint pain, muscle inflammation, sweating, fever, and headache.
Olive leaf extract may cause diarrhea if taken on an empty stomach. In some cases, a person may get heartburn when drinking olive leaf tea. This is one of the side effects that olive leaf supplements do not cause.
Sometimes, taking olive leaf extract supplements may cause dizziness and lightheadedness, especially in patients with low blood pressure.
Some people may have severe allergic reactions in the respiratory tract caused by pollen grains stuck to olive leaves.
People who take high blood pressure medications should be so cautious while using olive leaves tea as this may cause a sharp and sudden drop in blood pressure.
Patients who take blood sugar-regulating medications must be cautious when they use olive leaves tea because this may result in a sharp and sudden drop in blood sugar.
One of the effects of olive leaf extract is that it may interact badly with medications. It may either decrease or increase their effectiveness. Therefore, you should consult your doctor before taking it.
In the above article, we have talked about the benefits and the risk factors of olive leaves. We have tried to be as possible as we can. But if you see that we have missed any point, don’t hesitate to write it in the comments box below.
Thanks for your reading and remarks.
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