| The monounsaturated oil of this evergreen’s fruit is the star attraction of the heart-protecting Mediterranean diet. The olive has been grown in Egypt, Israel, and Syria since biblical times but is now cultivated across the Mediterranean region, as well as in Peru, Chile, and elsewhere in South America. Amid the monounsaturated mania, the rest of the tree has gotten short shrift until recently. Its slender, feather-shaped
leaves pale green on top, almost silver on the flip side, and about 2 inches
long may be coming into their own medicinally. |
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Medicinal Properties of Olive Leaf
In folk medicine, olive leaves were used to treat and disinfect wounds.
Near the end of the nineteenth century, scientists discovered a phyto-chemical in the leaves called
oleuropein, which appears to kill bacteria and fungi. The extract, which also fights off free radical oxidation, has gained some popularity as a treatment for colds and infections. Herbal authorities, though, are by no means in agreement on this; just because an isolated extract may do something doesn’t mean that the whole herb will. In other research, in
the country of Japan, olive leaves increased urinary output and lowered uric acid levels, both a big help to people with gout.
Olive leaf is also known as:
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