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LINDSEY GOODWIN HISTORIC TURNED HEALTHY? continued from page 41 WASTE NOT: Manufacturers like Slovenia-based Papaja are offering olive leaf to be made as an infusion, using a product that was previously used for fertilizer. arthritis pain, yeast infections, nail fungus, ear infections and urinary tract infections. Overall, he says, olive-leaf tea is "a natural product which is better for one's body than antibiotics." TRADITION MEETS MODERN SCIENCE Some of the claims surrounding olive-leaf infusions and extracts may seem far-fetched. However, modern science is beginning to back many of them up. Lockyer supports Gladstar's claim of olive leaf's heart healthiness, saying, "Randomized controlled trials carried out in humans have found olive-leaf extract to lower blood pressure and cholesterol." Furthermore, she is currently carrying out a large-scale human study to investigate the effects of olive-leaf extract on "heart disease risk markers" such as blood pressure, cholesterol, inflammation, blood-clotting factors and stiffness of the arteries. In other words, she's putting hard science behind the age-old claims that olive leaf is good for the heart. Lockyer says there have been additional findings about olive leaf's potential benefits in non-human studies (i.e., animal studies and cell experiments). These studies, she says, have indicated that olive-leaf extract and individual components found within olive leaves have "a wide variety of potential health benefits including glucose control, immune system boosting, blood pressure lowering, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-HIV, anti-microbial, neuro-protective, anti-gout, pain relief and anti-inflammatory effects." 42 Fresh Cup Magazine freshcup.com Additionally, Lockyer says that the predominant polyphenols found in olive leaves and olive oil are unique to the olive plant. "Research has indicated that the health benefits of olive oil are more likely attributed to its polyphenol content," she says, adding that olive oil's polyphenol makeup is "very similar" to what is found in olive leaves except for one major difference: Olive leaves have much higher concentrations of these beneficial molecules. Therefore, she says, many of the benefits of Mediterranean diets rich in olive oil may overlap with the positives offered by drinking olive-leaf infusions. These wideranging benefits include a decrease in the risk of some cancers and age-related cognitive decline, improved glucose metabolism and increased longevity. FINDING A MARKET FOR A BYPRODUCT Olive trees are usually commercially grown for their olives. The olives are typically cured so they can be eaten, or they are pressed for their oils. The leaves are often either overlooked or seen as a source for fertilizer more than a revenue generator, sources say. However, there is growing recognition of olive leaf 's potential as an ingredient in blends and as a profit-generating byproduct for olive farmers. In the trade journal Olive Oil Times, amid headlines of shrinking profits for traditional olive farms was this one from January 2013: "One Answer to Higher Profits Might Be in the Leaves." The article details the potential for profit in organically produced olive leaves.