Did you know olive oil can go off? In fact, some experts say the best-quality kind should be used within months of purchase.
And much to my horror, I recently learned that the worst place to store the stuff is beside the hob, where it’s exposed to lots of heat and light.
Still, there’s been some good news about the cooking staple recently. One of the world’s largest producers of the stuff said last year that prices are set to lower by “half.”
And now, it seems that the health benefits associated with extra-virgin olive oil could be found in the tree’s leaves.
How can olive tree leaves help your health?
A recent review of studies published in the journal Nutrition Reviews found that olive tree leaves ― which have traditionally been brewed into teas across parts of the Mediterranean ― contain lots of an antioxidant called oleuropein.
Oleuropein is present in both olives and olive oil, but not at as high a level as in olive leaves. The component is known for its blood pressure-lowering effects as well as its potential brain health-boosting and disease-fighting properties.
Olive leaves which are high in the antioxidant tend to be greener rather than yellow.
This review of studies found that those heart health-boosting properties seemed to ring true.
Health information site Medical News Today adds that other potential benefits “include lowering blood pressure, improving cholesterol levels, and reducing the risk of weight gain and type 2 diabetes.”
But like the review of studies we mentioned above, the publication stresses the drink needs to be researched further to make more definite claims.
How can I consume olive leaf extract?
A lot of these benefits have been seen from olive leaf extract, which can actually be baked into breads.
You can treat it like protein powder, making it into pancakes, or even brew the extract into tea.
You can also use olive leaves, cutting and drying them into tea, but this may be bitter and it’s hard to calculate an exact dose if you want to follow a certain level.
There aren’t any standard guidelines for how much to take, but up to 1g a day seems safe.