Olea europea L. Other names: see OLIVE.
Action: hypoglycaemic, hypotensive, diuretic, antispasmodic (mild), astringent diuretic, febrifuge, vulnerary, vasodilator, cholagogue.
Uses: To dilate coronary arteries and improve circulation of blood through the heart. Moderately high blood pressure. Infection of the urinary tract. Nephritis. To lower blood sugar – diabetes. To facilitate passage of gall-stones.
Preparations: Thrice daily.
Tea. 20-30g in 500ml (1 pint) boiling water; infuse 20 minutes. Dose: half-1 cup.
Decoction. 50-60g in 500ml water, gently simmer 10 minutes; stand 20 minutes. Dose:quarter to half a cup.
Powder, capsules: 210mg, 2 capsules. (Arkocaps)
If you want to drink a special type of tea, try Olive Leaf Tea! It has an aromatic flavor, similar to green tea, but a bit sweeter, which makes for a pleasant cup of tea. Also, it has many benefits which help you stay healthy. Read to find out more!
About Olive Leaf Tea
Olive leaf tea is made from the leaves of the olive tree. We can find these trees on the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin (including areas from Europe, Asia and Africa), as well as in northern Iran and northern Iraq.
The leaves of the olive tree have a silvery green color. They are oblong, measuring 4-10cm long and 1-3 cm wide. The olive leaves are well-known for their many health benefits. Also, olive leaf extract is used for various soaps and skin creams.
How to make Olive Leaf Tea
Olive leaf teacan be bought either in loose leaf form or in tea bag form. In both cases, it is quite easy to prepare a cup of olive leaf tea.
A teaspoon of olive leaves, or a teabag, is enough for one cup of olive leaf tea. Pour boiling water in the cup and let it steep for about 15 minutes. Once the steeping time is done, either remove the teabag or strain to remove the olive leaves.
Also, if you’ve got olive trees around, you can make your own olive leaf tea. First, pick the healthy-looking leaves from the tree. Wash the leaves carefully; then, dry them in the oven, at a temperature below 65°C or 150°F. You can air-dry the leaves, too, but don’t leave them in direct sunlight, as that might reduce their health benefits. Once the leaves are dry, crush the leaves by hand, remove the stalks and store the dried herbs in paper packets. For a cup of olive leaf tea, just follow the simple steps mentioned above.
Components of Olive Leaf Tea
Olive leaves have many components which are good for our body. Seeing as the leaves are the main ingredient for the tea, the components are also transferred to the olive leaf tea.Some of the important ones include various antioxidants, polyphenols, and flavonoids. Olive leaves, as well as olive leaf tea, also have Vitamin C.
Olive leaf tea doesn’t contain caffeine, so you don’t have to worry about getting any side effects caused by caffeine.
Olive Leaf Tea Benefits
Considering its many components, it’s not a lie when we say that a cup of olive leaf tea brings you many health benefits.
First of all, olive leaf tea helps lower both LDL “bad” cholesterol levels and blood pressure. It also increases the blood flow by relaxing the arteries. Because of this, olive leaf tea is considered an important heart tonic. Olive leaf tea can also help you if you’ve got diabetes, as it lowers the blood sugar levels.
Drinking olive leaf tea during winter can help you strengthen your immune system, and also fight against colds and the flu. It helps you relax, and it can count as an energy booster if you drink a lot of olive leaf tea.
Olive leaf tea may also help you prevent the appearance of cancer or tumors. Plus, it is used in the treatment for viral infections, such as the Epstein-Barr disease, herpes, shingles, and malaria. It is also useful in healing inflammations of the bladder, as well as alienating arthritic pain and swelling.
Olive Leaf Tea side effects
If you know you’ve got a low blood pressure, don’t drink too much olive leaf tea. It will lower your blood pressure even more, and that might make you feel dizzy. In this case, be careful with the amount of olive leaf tea you drink.
Some people might experience Herxheimers reaction when drinking olive leaf tea. Herxheimers reaction is an immune response to the release of toxins from pathogens which have been destroyed. It is a normal and good reaction, as that means the olive leaf tea is doing you good. The symptoms include headaches, muscle and joint pain, fever, nausea, sore throat, and vaginal irritation. Reduce the amount of tea you drink, and also drink a large quantity of water daily to help the body eliminate the toxins. With this, the symptoms should disappear after a few days.
Be careful if you’re taking any other medication. Olive leaf tea might interfere with the usual actions of the medication you’re taking. Before including olive leaf tea in your daily diet, make sure you talk to your doctor.
If you’re pregnant or breast feeding, it is best to avoid drinking olive leaf tea. While it is not sure how harmful it can be in this case, it is best not to take a risk, in case it might cause miscarriages or affect the baby.
Also, don›t drink more than six cups of olive leaf tea a day. It will lead to more side effects rather than to help you stay healthy. If you drink too much tea, the symptoms you might get are the following: headaches, dizziness, insomnia, irregular heartbeats, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite. Make sure to reduce the amount of olive leaf tea you drink, if you get any of these.
Not only does olive leaf tea have a pleasant taste, but one cup brings many health benefits with it. As long as you make sure you won’t get any side effects from consumption of olive leaf tea, you can easily include it in your daily diet. You definitely won’t regret it!... olive leaf tea
Sweet Bay. Victor’s laurel. Laurus nobilis L. Held in high esteem as a medicine and prophylactic by the ancient Greeks. French: Laurier franc. German: Edler Lorbeerbaum. Spanish: Lauro. Italian: Lauro franco. Young stems and old leaves yield highest content of oil.
Action: antiseptic, antifungal, gastric tonic, nutritive, mild sedative. Oil has mild bactericidal and anti- fungal properties. Anti-dandruff, Carminative, Cholagogue, Vermifuge.
Uses: Weak digestion, poor appetite; hot and soothing to a ‘cold’ stomach. Urinary infections (decoction). Chest infections (berries). Rheumatic pains (seed oil, externally).
Reportedly used in cancer. (J.L. Hartwell, Lloydia, 32, 247, 1969)
Boosts insulin activity. (American Health, 1989, Nov 8, p96)
Preparations: Average dose: 2-4 grams. Thrice daily.
Decoction. 1oz crushed leaves to 1 pint water simmered down to three-quarters of its volume. Dose. Half a cup thrice daily.
Bay bath. Place crushed leaves in a small muslin bag and steep in hot water.
Diet: taken as a culinary herb with potatoes, salads, soups, etc. A source of oleic acid and linoleic acid.
Contact dermatitis may sometimes occur as an allergy on handling the oil. ... bay leaves
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