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The most potent active compound in olive leaf extract is oleuropein, but the extract also contains the bioflavonoids rutin, luteolin, and hesperidin, which work synergistically with oleuropein to enhance its natural activity. What is it used for today? In addition to major metabolic and cardiovascular perks, taking olive leaf extract has also been shown to provide antiviral, anticancer, and neuroprotective benefits. "Its bioactive compounds are not only antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, but they can lower blood pressure, improve blood glucose levels, reduce cholesterol levels, and improve lipid ratios," says Ruhoy. "These actions are powerfully cardioprotective and can reduce risk of diabetes, hypertension, heart attack, and stroke." Here's a rundown of the most promising ways an oleuropein-rich olive leaf extract supplement may affect your health: 1. It lowers blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Numerous studies have shown that olive leaf extract significantly reduces blood pressure in people with hypertension or borderline hypertensionâto the point that those who are already on blood-pressure-lowering medication should consult with their doctor before supplementing with the oil since their levels could potentially drop too low. Olive leaf extract is thought to lower blood pressure by acting as a calcium channel blocker, which relaxes and widens the blood vessels. In the same study, olive leaf extract also lowered triglyceride levels (i.e., levels of fat in the blood), while Captopril did not. This is important for heart health, as high triglyceride levels contribute to hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. 2. It helps fight cold and flu. Olive leaf extract may be just the thing to help prevent or shorten your next flu. This research review suggests that olive leaf compounds interact with the protein of virus particles and reduce their ability to infect us. They also slow the replication of viruses known to cause colds, influenza, and lower respiratory infection. Additionally, olive leaf extract has been shown to stimulate phagocytosis, the process by which cells called phagocytes engulf and destroy harmful foreign particles in our bodies like bacteria and viruses. 3. It's antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic. Olive leaf extract has an antimicrobial effect against bacteria and fungi, too. In this lab study, various bacteria and fungi were immersed in an olive leaf extract solution, and after three hours, the extract killed almost all of them, including dermatophytes, which cause skin, nail, and hair infections, and E. coli, which can cause severe diarrhea and candida. 4. It reduces inflammation and arthritis pain. The polyphenols in olive leaf extract are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. In fact, olive leaves and their extracts have long been used (orally and topically) throughout the Mediterranean to combat painful, inflamed joints, and arthritis. In this animal study, rats with osteoarthritis (OA) that were given olive leaf extract experienced a significant reduction in paw swelling, leading researchers to believe that it holds promise as a treatment for human OA too. 5. It possesses potent anti-cancer properties. Research shows that olive leaf polyphenols are anti-inflammatory and protect against DNA damage initiated by free radicals, which are characteristic of many types of cancer. Also, thanks to their structure, which is similar to estrogens, they're thought to interact with estrogen receptors and thus reduce the prevalence and progression of hormone-related cancers, like breast cancer. Oleuropein, the main polyphenol in olive leaf extract, is thought to be responsible for the major anti-cancer, anti-tumor activity, and several experimental animal studies have found that oleuropein treatment prevents the development of skin, soft tissue, and breast cancers.