With a history over 7,000 years old, the olive tree is one of the oldest known cultivated trees in the world — grown even before the invention of written language. All parts of the olive tree - the oil, fruit, and leaf - have been revered by many ancient cultures and herbal traditions, especially by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. In the Mediterranean region, olives and their oil held a very special role in the diet, economy, and religious ceremonies, and were used daily for their extraordinary health gifts.
Today, multitudes of scientific studies have validated the many health virtues of the whole olive plant. Olives, their delicious oil, and their leaves are at the very “heart” of the acclaimed Mediterranean diet. Researchers have confirmed that this type of diet has abundant advantages for cardiovascular health, healthy cognition, and immune health – key factors in supporting a long and healthy life.
Olive's Health Benefits
Olives and heart health certainly go hand-in-hand, but it turns out they have even more wellness to share. Oozing with potent antioxidants, the synergistic effects of olive fruit, leaf, and oil nourish health inside and out. Here are just a few of the reasons olives (and their extracts) shouldn’t be missed:
Brain
Keeping our brains healthy and sharp is an essential part of aging well. Time, stress, and the environment can all bring oxidative stress that impacts the brain. But olive’s suite of beneficial compounds, including hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, oleocanthal, oleuropein, and maslinic acid, are powerful antioxidants that help protect, defend, and sustain healthy brain function.
Immune Health
Olives have not just one but two unique compounds that nourish a healthy immune defense. One is called oleocanthal — found exclusively in the oil. The other is maslinic acid that’s concentrated primarily in olive leaves. Research shows that these bioactives help keep the immune system balanced, making olive extracts an optimal way to promote daily wellness.
Respiratory Health
Olive’s immune-supportive properties are also beneficial for upholding healthy respiratory function, especially during seasonal changes. The oleuropein in olives not only gives olive oil its distinctive pungent taste, it also fosters a strong, balanced immune defense in the upper respiratory tract. Research suggests optimal respiratory benefits are provided by olive extracts containing at least 15% oleuropein.
Bones
But oleuropein’s not done yet! The same compound in olive that supports our immune system, has recently been shown to support healthy bone renewal, promoting strength, balance, and flexibility as we age.
Skin
Taking care of your skin from the inside out is the best way to nourish bright, beautiful, healthy skin. The Greeks and Romans seemed to know this thousands of years ago, regularly applying olive oil to their skin. Today we’ve identified the unique polyphenols that make olives, olive oil, and their extracts the perfect food for your skin.
Since oxidative stress is a major culprit in skin-aging, having a diet rich in antioxidants, like hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol from olives, is a proven way to nourish skin from within and sustain that healthy glow.
Heart
No benefit list for olives would be complete without mentioning heart health. Olive oil has a solid reputation for nourishing our hearts, mainly attributed to the exclusive compound hydroxytyrosol.
Health authorities in Europe consider hydroxytyrosol so important that they only allow a heart health claim if an olive product has 5 mg or more of hydroxytyrosol per serving. This potency is backed by research to help maintain healthy lipid metabolism, and to uphold wellness in the entire cardiovascular system by providing powerful antioxidant support.
Antioxidant Defense
Free radicals are behind many of the unwanted symptoms of aging. Whether it’s the health of our skin and hair, brain health, digestive system — you name it - keeping our cells healthy and optimally functioning goes a long way.
The good news is that nature provides some amazing cell-defending antioxidants that fight free radicals. And olives are at the top of that list! The polyphenols & other phytonutrients tucked inside olives provide powerful support for maintaining robust cellular function and resilience, which are at the basis of healthy aging. It’s not just about living long, it’s about feeling good as we grow older, too.
Best Ways To Benefit From Olive
Olives are downright delicious — perfect on their own or tossed into salads, pastas, or any dish inviting a little tang. A daily drizzle of organic extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is another way to reap the rewards of olive’s many health benefits. (Just make sure you’re not getting duped by counterfeit EVOO that’s adulterated, mislabeled, or rancid. It’s sadly more common than you may think!)
Want access to olive’s full range of goodies in the most pure and convenient way? Gentle processing techniques now allow for extraction and concentration of the whole spectrum of olive’s compounds from the fruit, oil and leaf that pack all of olive’s benefits in one daily supplement.
Since olive’s proven health benefits are linked to specific amounts consumed on a daily basis, it's best to take a standardized extract for guaranteed potency. For maximum rewards, look for a standardized, full-spectrum extract like SuperPure Olive, with at least 5 mg of hydroxytyrosol and 18% oleuropein, from organic olive oil, fruit, and leaf.
Now that's getting olive the benefits on your side!
