- Recycles oxidised vitamin C and protects vitamin E from oxidation.
- Helps stimulate the production of antioxidant enzymes inside cells.
- Aids in improving conditions in a range of diseases.
Olive Leaf Extract is a natural formula in vegetarian capsules produced from olive leaves, designed to control lipidemia. It is supported by three clinical studies which have confirmed its ability to lower LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels, increase HDL-cholesterol and fight lipid peroxidation, now available to buy at Supersmart.
The beneficial effects of the olive tree are attributed to its exceptionally high content in phenolic compounds, molecules known for their antioxidant potency. In the olive tree, these compounds play a part in defending the tree from insects, infection, multiple microbial attacks and UV radiation (1-2), but they are also biologically active when ingested by humans. They are known to reduce the risk of a number of diseases by combatting free radicals and improving enzymatic balance.
Oleuropein is the most abundant phenolic compound in the olive tree (3) (accounting for around 25% of the extract). It is oleuropein that gives extra virgin olive oil its characteristic bitterness, but there are many other such compounds found in Olive Leaf Extract: apigenin, caffeic acid, catechins, coumaric acid, diosmetin, ferulic acid, gallic acid, hesperidin, hydroxytyrosol, luteolin, oleoside, quercetin, rutin, tyrosol, vanillin, verbascoside…
As the oleuropein in olive leaves has been scientifically shown to be responsible for the plant’s benefits, Olive Leaf Extract is formulated to contain an optimum amount of this compound.
Olive Leaf Extract’s effects on the cardiovascular system.
Olive leaves have been used in phytotherapy since antiquity apparently for their antilipidemic, antiseptic and antiviral properties.
Scientific research has since confirmed these applications and identified new properties: antimicrobial (4-5), antiviral (6), antifungal (7), gastro-protective (8), blood glucose-lowering (9), blood pressure-lowering (10), antioxidant (11-12), antiatherogenic (13), hypolipidemic (14), anti-inflammatory (15), neuro-protective (16), vasodilatory (17) and anti-ageing (18).
There are three precise mechanisms of action which are responsible for the majority of Olive Leaf Extract’s effects on the cardiovascular system:
1) Cholesterol-lowering action
The olive tree’s polyphenols, particularly oleuropein, act on cholesterol excretion (19). They promote the elimination of excess cholesterol via the bile ducts, duodenum and finally faeces.
2) Antioxidant action
The antioxidant potential of oleuropein is exceptional. When elderly institutionalised individuals followed a diet enriched with an extract of oleuropein and its derivatives for six weeks, their antioxidant capacity was shown to improve (20). It is a natural solution to combatting oxidative stress and inhibiting LDL oxidation (21).
3) Action on sugar absorption
By binding to sucrase and maltase, two digestive enzymes, oleuropein limits sugar absorption and thus reduces spikes in blood glucose. It also does this by slowing down the activity of the sugar transporter, GLUT2.
1) The antioxidant content of olives depends to a large extent on variety, maturity and preservation. Therefore, if you live a long way away from the Mediterranean region where they’re grown, you can’t really rely on eating olives all year round to boost your cardiovascular health. With its exceptional and stable content in olive tree polyphenols, Olive Leaf Extract provides a solution to this problem, offering populations the world over the opportunity to fully benefit from the advantages of a Mediterranean diet.
2) Eating a Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality (25). Scientific studies have in large part attributed these protective effects to the role played by the olive tree (26).
3) The bioavailability of oleuropein in humans is very high – between 55% and 60% (27). Maximal plasma concentration occurs two hours after oral administration. Studies have also shown that oleuropein crosses the blood-brain barrier easily.
4) The Mediterranean diet was recognized by UNESCO in 2010 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
5) Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality across the world, claiming more than 17 million lives each year.
Dose: 2 capsules
Number of doses per pack: 30 |
Amount per dose |
Olecol®, extract of Olea Europaea leaf standardised to 32% oleuropein | 250 mg |
Other ingredients: acacia gum.
Olecol®, Bioactor, Netherlands. |
Pycnogenol® is an extract of bark from the Landes maritime pine, delivered in vegetarian capsules, containing in between 65 and 75% proanthocyanadins, highly-bioavailable compounds that readily cross the blood-brain barrier and have a strong affinity for collagen.
It is one of the most powerful and scientifically-supported nutrients you can take to maintain and protect your health, now available to buy at Supersmart. Its relatively high price, however, has discouraged many people and we have therefore made huge efforts to reduce the cost per milligram in order to make it available to a greater number of people.
A large number of studies have shown that Pycnogenol® is one of our most potent antioxidants. At the University of Berkeley, California, Professor Lester Packer has demonstrated that its antioxidant activity is twenty times greater than that of vitamin C, and 50 times greater than that of vitamin E:
Pycnogenol® has a protective role in a range of diseases, presenting multiple benefits.
Along with Pycnogenol®, you may also be interested in Carnosine and Alpha-lipoic acid for their significant antioxidant activity. By combatting oxidation of cells by free radicals, as well as glycation, carnosine is considered one of the most promising anti-ageing compounds. For its part, the action of alpha lipoic-acid - referred to as a ‘hyper antioxidant’ or ‘universal antioxidant’ - may help prevent numerous diseases.
Buy Pycnogenol® capsules to help with blood sugar and cholesterol.
Daily serving: 4 capsules Number of servings per bottle: 15 |
Quantity per serving |
Pycnogenol®(bark extract from the Landes maritime pine) | 200 mg |
Other ingredients: Acacia gum Pycnogenol ® - Horphag. |
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