Olive Leaf Extract - The Science

Portions of the following were excerpted from a report written by Richard L. Hall
and published by Ameriden International

Olive leaf extract has 98 constituents that can be pulled out of the raw leafs. (a)(m) (See the Handbook of Phytochemical constituents of GRAS herbs & other economic plants list By James A. Duke, Author in the end of this article.) As you look over these constituents the first thing you’ll notice is that there is no Calcium elenolate or Elenolic acid, but what you do find is Oleuropein.

The Science

Olive leaf extract has 98 constituents that can be pulled out of the raw leafs. (a)(m) (See the Handbook of Phytochemical constituents of GRAS herbs & other economic plants list By James A. Duke, Author in the end of this article.) As you look over these constituents the first thing you’ll notice is that there is no Calcium elenolate or Elenolic acid, but what you do find is Oleuropein.

Oleuropein, one of the constituents of olive leaf extract, is only (-) left handed in nature. (b)(c) And is noted as the antiviral particulate of the extract.(f)

By left-handed we mean that Oleuropein does not have stereo isomers (left & right) or twin-molecules as do many compounds according to the Merck Index on phytochemicals. Oleuropein, when ingested, breaks down into other compounds, one of which is elenolic acid. (Elenolic acid has been found to be highly virucidal in lab tests.) (d)(e)(g)

Two enzymes do the job of breaking down Oleuropein to predominately (+) Righthanded elenolic acid in your blood stream. (h)(f)

The enzymes, esterase & beta-glucosidase automatically break down Oleuropein to predominately (+) right-handed elenolic acid in the blood stream. Elenolic acid has altered isomers or twin molecules. The right-handed molecule of elenolic acid does not bind blood serum protein and remains virucidal. That’s the secret of why it works. This means if you have Oleuropein in your extract it will work to some degree in your body depending on how it was processed.

Right-handed elenolic acid does not bind blood serum protein. In the late 70’s The Upjohn Company hydrolyzed (pulled out) elenolic acid from Oleuropein.(I) After mineral acid hydrolysis duly the left-handed form of elenolic acid was produced. Then they took one of its hydrolysates, a salt of elenolic acid, calcium elenolate, which was also only left-handed, and tested it in the test tube and in humans. It worked great in the test tube (in vitro), but blood serum protein bound in all the human studies (in vivo) rendering it ineffectual. The right-handed molecule however was never used.

The difference is that Oieuropeln works much differently In the body, Bio-chemist W. L. C. Veer claimed that Oleuropein, when ingested, automatically hydrolyzcd in-vivo to elenolic acid and produces a hypotensive effect. He believed the hydrolyzing takes place because esterase & beta-glucosidase enzymes are always present in your blood and should yield predominately right-handed, but also some left-handed molecules of elenolic acid.

After talking with Harold Renis, he informed me that they (The UpJohn Co.) believed that the left-handed molecule was the virucidal form, so they disregarded the righthanded form. (j) Further investigation and independent studies have proved that W. L. C. Veer was correct, the rlght-handed molecule of elenolic acid does not blood serum protein bind. It was further noted by Veer that it is beta-glucosidase that hydrolyzes Oleuropein to the dextrorotory or the (+) right-hand form of elenolic acid, which we now know, does not blood serum protein bind. (e)(k)(t)

Calcium elenolate is not in olive leaf extracts nor does it occur in your body.

When researching olive leaf extract components, calcium elenolate is never shown as a component.(a) That is because calcium elenolate is one of the hydrolysates (a salt) of elenolic acid. It is a synthesized compound. It was only produced in the lab by mineral acid hydrolysis, boiling calcium carbonate with elenolic acid, which produces calcium elenolate.(j)(l)(t) No scientific or medical literature exists on the body conversion of elenolic acid to calcium elenolate.

Calcium elenolate cannot be concentrated (right or left) from an olive leaf extract. Since calcium elenolate doesn’t appear in olive leaf extracts, (a) it’s impossible to concentrate it. However, there are some companies that would like you to believe they do. Oleuropein can be concentrated!

Since it is Oleuropein in the olive leaf extract, not elenolic acid or calcium elenolate, Oleuropein is then what is concentrated from an extract. For every molecule of Oleuropein concentrated from olive leaf extract you concentrate one molecule of righthanded elenolic acid. The more Oleuropein you concentrate, the more elenolic acid you have. (e)(h)(p)

Who really discovered the solution to blood serum protein binding?

It was Willaim Robert Fredrickson, a lay chemist, in 1989, that uncovered the mystery.(o) Fredrickson found that when Oleuropein entered the blood stream it was automatically changed predominately to right handed elenolic acid because of the two enzymes esterase & beta-glucosidase.William Fredrickson published papers (which are in the Library of Congress)(h) to this effect.

Who really discovered the solution to blood serum protein binding?In 1995 there was only one company making an olive leaf extract.

Therefore, in 1995 there was only one extraction method.(s) It is true that all conventional methods of manufacture will produce an extract that is useless in the body. All conventional methods are too hot and would burn up Oleuropein.(n) Oleuropein is classified as an iridoid by nature and iridoids can be extremely heat sensitive and unstable.(r)

Where is the original olive leaf extract?

Since extracts have been made for hundreds of years, no one really knows! We do know however, that in 1811 Dr. Pallas used his own liquid extract to stop malaria fever out breaks on the island of Mytelene. France has also produced powdered olive leaf extracts for more than 50 years.

Currently there is no extract in the retail market today that contains higher than 16% Oleuropein when tested by the Merck Index HPLC test procedure.

Many companies claim very high percentages of Oleuropein however when tested by the Merck lndex’s HPLC test guidelines none have shown to be higher than 16%. (y) (aa) A balanced (synergistic) extract of flavanoids & phytochemicals works much better than an extract with high Oleuropein alone.(o)(q)

Suggestions & Cautions

Oleuropein (pronounced O-lee-u-ro-peen), when extracted out of olive leaves, along with the other phytochemicals (a), works as a very wide spectrum natural antibiotic,(o)(q) but it does not work on all things for all people. There are a certain amount of people that this wonderful extract will not work on. How can you tell you are one of those people? You can’t! You simply have to try it.

It would be a benefit to you to be able to call upon a company or person with a good amount of experience with Olive leaf Extracts so that you can determine the right protocol for you. Each condition can vary greatly in relation to your body weight & metabolism. Many times people believe it doesn’t work for them simply because they aren’t taking enough of the extract or are using a weak brand.

As good as olive leaf extracts are, they should not be taken along with antibiotics, additional amino acids or any other mold or fungus derivatives. It is not that they will do you harm, rather Olive leaf extract will see those things as invaders and kill them cancelling the positive effect of the extract, instead of working on what’s important, healing you. This can be a frustrating experience. So, avoid taking them together.

To help avoid the die-off effect (Herxheimer reaction) drink plenty of water and if shortly after starting on olive leaf extract you experience cold or flu like symptoms, decrease the dosage you take by one capsule each time you take them until the symptoms go away, I would recommend not stopping it all together, as you will have to start your protocol all over.(k)

If you are concerned about the amount of Oleuropein your product really has or if it is a good extract, call the company on the bottle and ask for a certificate of analysis on the batch number located usually on the bottom of the container you’ve purchased. Also ask for a copy of the method by which they determined their percentage from the HPLC (high-pressure liquid chromatography) test. If they can’t supply you with it I’d be suspicious!

The information contained herein was derived from several sources

Footnotes...
(a) Pharmaceutical Journal of Provincial Transactions 1854, p.353 & 354
(b) Arzneimittel-Forschung 1972, Sep-22 (9)1476-1486
(c) Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry 1991,13,231-237
(d) Journal of Applied Bacteriology 1993,74,253-259
(e) Antimicrobal Agents and Chemotherapy 1969 pp.160-176
(f) Antimicrobal Agents and Chemotherapy .1975 pp.194-l99 and 421-425
(g) Nature New Biology Vol.238, Aug. 30, 1972
(h) Nutrition Research Vol.15, No.1, pp.37-51,1995
(i) Life Sciences Vol.55, No.24, pp. 1965-1971, 1994
(j) Phytochemistry Vol.31, No.4, pp.1173-1178, 1992
(k) Applied Microbiology, Nov. 1969,Vol. 18, pp.856-860
(I) Applied Microbiology, Nov.1973, Vol.26 #5, pp.777-782
(m) Keep Hope Alive, P0. Box 27041, West Allis, WI 5322

Reports from patients dramatically reveal some of the many potential uses of Olive Leaf Extract. The accounts appearing here, however, are intended as information only and should not be construed by readers to mean that the supplement will be effective or provide relief in all such cases.

Please note: This information is provided is for information purposes only because it has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. It is not intended to diagnose or prescribe and these products are not intended to treat, cure prescribe or prevent any disease. If you have a medical condition, please see your health professional.