New Zealand olive leaf for heart health

By Dr Alisa Roddick-Lanzilotta

That’s right. Everee #5, your go-to collagen source for healthy aging, not only comes packed with more muscle, joint, and brain-friendly amino acids than conventional collagens, it also contains oleuropein, a polyphenolic bioactive from New Zealand olive tree leaves.

What is oleuropein and what does it do?

Everyone knows about the benefits of olive oil in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet. Well, it turns out New Zealand olive tree leaves have the same polyphenolic active compounds as extra virgin olive oil, in even higher amounts! (1), (2). One of these compounds, oleuropein, is particularly effective at protecting the heart.

How does oleuropein help the heart exactly?

Oleuropein is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent (3), (4), which means it can reduce oxidative stress, protecting blood components like low-density lipoproteins (LDL) from oxidative damage (2), (5). This is very important since oxidative modification of LDL plays a central role in hardening of the arteries leading to cardiovascular disease.

Recent clinical studies have also demonstrated that oleuropein helps prevent myocardial injury (6) by enhancing the production of nitric oxide, a molecule that widens blood vessels and improves blood flow. This, in turn, prevents tissue damage caused by low oxygen levels (2).

A 2022 animal study (7) even found that oleuropein not only improves inflammatory and oxidative markers but also prevents postmenopausal osteoporosis. It was discovered that oleuropein prevents bone resorption by regulating the expression of important proteins OPG/RANKL.

What’s the take-home message?

There is some pretty chunky science supporting the benefits of olive leaf polyphenols for heart health, and the literature is growing every day. We chose to include a potent olive leaf powder made right here in New Zealand to complement Ovitage, the world’s most complete collagen in Everee #5. to support your heart health by helping provide cardioprotection and reduce the effect of cholesterol. How good does that sound?

References:

1. Rahiman, S., et al. (2019). Oleuropein and oleic acid: A novel emerging dietary target for human chronic diseases. Indian Journal of Biochemistry & Biophysics, 56, 263–268.
2. Magrone, T., et al. (2018). Olive leaf extracts act as modulators of the human immune response. Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders – Drug Targets, 18, 85–93.
3. Qabaha, K., et al. (2017). Oleuropein is responsible for the major anti-inflammatory effects of olive leaf extract. Journal of Medicinal Food, 20(3), 302–305.
4. Miles, E.A., et al. (2005). Differential anti-inflammatory effects of phenolic compounds from extra virgin olive oil identified in human whole blood cultures. Nutrition, 21, 389–394.
5. Visioli, F., & Galli, C. (2001). Antiatherogenic components of olive oil. Current Atherosclerosis Reports, 3, 64–67.
6. Manna, C., et al. (2004). Oleuropein prevents oxidative myocardial injury induced by ischemia and reperfusion. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 15, 461–466.
7. Liu, H., et al. (2022). Efficacy and mechanisms of oleuropein in postmenopausal osteoporosis. Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine, 2022, Article ID 9767113.