LDL-cholesterol, which serves as a vehicle for transporting cholesterol, has a tendency to settle in parts of the blood vessel walls under the effect of certain factors (oxidation, glycation or degradation): this is the start of hardening of the arteries. Specialist ‘cleaning up’ cells called macrophages are subsequently deposited, followed by other cells, to the point where they form a fatty plaque which impedes the circulation. But the danger really comes when this plaque ruptures: a piece of the plaque can then block the artery downstream where the blood vessel is narrower, causing a heart attack or stroke.

Hypercholesterolaemia therefore drives hardening of the arteries. The longer you wait to address it, the worse the damage becomes.

Olive Leaf Extract a natural-source dietary supplement produced from olive leaves. It contains a very high level of oleuropein, a bioactive phytonutrient specific to the olive tree, which helps control blood lipids and prevent carbohydrate absorption.

It is aimed at anyone who wants to improve their cardiovascular health and maintain the integrity of their blood vessels. Individuals with the following risk factors are likely to be particularly interested in this product:

• Those who are overweight.
• Those with type 2 diabetes.
• Those prone to circulation problems.
• Those with high blood pressure.
• Those who are stressed.
• Those who have hypercholesterolemia.

Contrary to popular belief, excess LDL-cholesterol does not come from eating too much dietary cholesterol (except in the case of familial hypercholesterolemia), but from endogenous over-production. This is the result of several factors: a diet too high in trans fatty acids or too low in omega-3, diabetes, obesity, ageing, smoking or stress ….

The effect of Olive Leaf Extract capsules has been directly measured in three clinical trials (22).

1) One year’s supplementation with 250mg a day

Following 12 months’ daily supplementation by subjects with elevated cholesterol levels, researchers recorded:

• A 20% reduction in ‘bad’ LDL-cholesterol.
• A 13% increase in ‘good’ HDL-cholesterol.
• A 10% decrease in total cholesterol and a 5% decrease in triglycerides.

2) Four weeks’ supplementation with 250mg a day

In overweight subjects, there was a significant improvement over four weeks in the expected ratio of coronary risk as compared with placebo. A clear decrease in triglycerides was observed.

3) Eight weeks’ supplementation with 250mg a day

The third study examined the ability of Olive Leaf Extract to reduce oxidative stress. Results showed that daily supplementation with 250mg reduced levels of MDA (malondialdehyde) by almost a third, a urinary marker of oxidative stress.

Why use extracts of olive leaf rather than olives?

Studies suggest that the leaves and fruit are equally rich in oleuropein (23), but the olive leaf is considered a more renewable natural source for extraction (24). Hence its use in Olive Leaf Extract, and its ingredient Olécol®.