Mediterranean diet, widely considered to be among the healthiest ways of eating in the world, are olives and the oil pressed from them. However, there is another incredible part of the olive plant that is lesser known: the Olive Leaf. A tea made from these leaves has been consumed for its tremendous health benefits by ancient Greek civilizations for as long as olives have harvested.
The Olive leaf
is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiviral. It has high amounts of oleuropein, the polyphenol prevalent in olive oil that can help lower bad cholesterol and blood pressure, prevent cancer, protect against oxidative damage, and help guard against cognitive decline.
A liquid extract made from fresh olive leaves has been shown to have an antioxidant capacity almost double green tea extract and 400 percent higher than vitamin C. In Greece, olives are a part of every meal and the olive oil from the region is unsurpassed in quality and flavor.
So too, is the Greek olive leaf tea.
Depending on how long you seep it, it can be smooth and mellow, or strong and slightly bitter. It tastes delicious with grated ginger or a slice of lemon.Sip some Olive Leaf tea , hot or cold, and take in its mild aroma, and see if you can pick up the slight olive taste.
Here are some of the health benefits that you can receive from olive leaf tea :
- It has anti-viral as well as anti bacterial features
- It has anti-fungal features (i.e., it is natural killer of pathogens by stopping their reproduction process)
- It can lower cholesterol (Olive leaf has been shown to reduce low-density lipoproteins (LDL), or bad cholesterol)
- It has anti-inflammatory features
- It helps in lowering blood pressure
- It can help increase blood flow by relaxing the arteries
- It maintains and enhances a powerful immunity system
- It can reduce the level of blood sugar
- It prevents premature ageing
- It can increase energy levels by treating chronic fatigue
- It can elevate your mood
- It aids in the treatment of allergies
- It may help prevent muscle spasms
- Tea made from olive leaves fights yeast infections and viral infections, such as herpes
- Some research suggests that antioxidants can help to treat tumors and cancers such as liver, breast, and prostate cancer. Olive Leaf Tea is best known for its preventive action in these circumstances, maintaining normal DNA repair