More Evidence Olive Leaf Can Help Lower Blood Pressure?

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Previously, I have reported on the ability of olive leaf extract to lower not only blood pressure, but cholesterol and inflammation as well.

See here.

However, having more studies replicating results is of vital importance when evaluating the ability of a substance, natural or otherwise, to benefit your health.

Fortunately, in the case of olive leaf, we may have that.

In this study, researchers from Indonesia tested the ability of olive leaf extract to lower blood pressure and, rather than comparing it to a non-olive leaf control, they compared it against Captopril, a pharmaceutical blood pressure medication.

The results could be helpful to those looking to work with their doctors to get off of pharmaceutical medications and onto more natural means.

Those results, for both olive leaf and Captopril, showed great effectiveness.

In fact, after an 8-week period, both groups of test subjects experienced significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, but there was not a significant difference between the two options, olive leaf extract and Captopril.

One area where they did differ significantly was in terms of triglycerides. Those who took the olive leaf extract experienced a significant reduction in triglycerides whereas those who took Captopril did not.

That does not mean Captopril would not be successful in other groups or other studies, but that is what they found in this particular group.

So, should those taking prescription blood pressure medications ditch them and switch to olive leaf?

NO!

Like the other study referenced at the beginning of this article, this study was conducted on pre-hypertensive test subjects, not hypertensive. So this study does not tell us what kind of effect these substances could have on those with hypertension.

It does, however, give us promise that we ought to look into more closely.

If you feel olive leaf extract might be helpful for you, it is very important to only make adjustments to your prescription medications and treatment plans with your licensed health care practitioner.

Olive leaf extract could be the right option for you, but be sure to talk to your doctor to see if it is and, perhaps most importantly, how to take it safely over time to ensure you avoid any potential side effects, unsafe drops in blood pressure, contraindications, etc.

Your body may thank you.

Thanks for being here today and here’s to your health!

Reference: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21036583/

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