Everyone knows the fruit and the oil of the olive tree (Olea europaea). The leaf, by contrast, falls by the tonne at every pruning and was long treated as a by-product – even though around the Mediterranean it has a history of use as long as the fruit's.
Oleuropein: the compound that makes olives inedible
Anyone who has ever bitten into a freshly picked olive knows it is inedibly bitter. Oleuropein, a secoiridoid glycoside, is responsible. The entire traditional craft of olive processing – soaking, curing in lye or brine, fermenting over months – exists to break this bitter compound down. In the leaf, by contrast, it remains, and at a higher concentration than in the fruit. It is why olive leaf extracts are standardised to their oleuropein content.
A tree with a long memory
Olive trees grow very old; individual specimens in Greece and Israel are held to be more than a thousand years old. They resprout from the rootstock even after fire or clear-felling – which explains how the olive branch became a symbol around the Mediterranean. The leaves are usually gathered at the winter pruning, then dried and either milled or extracted.
Our olive leaf
The Organic Olive Leaf contains milled leaf powder from certified organic cultivation in plant-based capsules, without fillers. We list it under Medicinal Plants, and thematically under Heart & Circulation and Immune System & Defences.
Note
Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied diet. Do not exceed the stated daily intake. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a pre-existing condition or take medication – in particular blood-pressure-lowering or blood-sugar-lowering preparations – seek medical advice before use.
