Olive leaf

The leaves of the olive tree, Olea europaea, are used in herbal medicine. Preparations made from them are traditionally used to promote the elimination of water by the kidneys in mild water retention.

Type

Plant leaf

Botanical name

Olea europaea

Plant

The olive tree grows to about 6 to 9 metres. It is native to southern Europe and the whole Mediterranean region as far as Iran and beyond the Caucasus, and is also grown in similar climates in the Americas. Its leaves are narrow and lance-shaped, silver-green on top and lighter underneath, with fine white scale-like hairs.

Composition

The main constituents of olive leaves are secoiridoids such as oleuropein, as well as flavonoids and phenolic compounds. Oleuropein is the constituent named in the quality standard: under the European Pharmacopoeia, dried olive leaf for medicinal use must contain at least 5% of it.

Uses

Olive leaves have been widely used in folk medicine around the Mediterranean. Today they are traditionally taken by mouth as herbal tea or powdered leaf to promote the elimination of water in mild water retention, after a doctor has ruled out serious conditions. Clinical studies of olive leaf preparations are few. Olive leaf has no fact sheet from the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and no monograph in the first volume (1999) of the World Health Organization (WHO) monographs on selected medicinal plants.

Safety

No side effects have been reported with olive leaf preparations. Because data are lacking, they are intended only for adults and are not recommended in pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Products containing it

• Curcumin with oleuropein capsules (D 210)