A certain hot drink can lower a high blood pressure reading.
Olive leaf tea extract can lower systolic blood pressure, research finds.
Olive leaf tea has been used for thousands of years for medicinal purposes.
Olive tree leaves contain polyphenols that can help protect against many conditions.
Now scientists have tested its antihypertensive effect in a group of 40 identical twins with borderline hypertension.
For the study, they were given either 500 mg or 1,000 mg of olive leaf extract.
After eight weeks their blood pressure was measured.
The results showed that in the high dose group, blood pressure had reduced.
The study’s results on humans build on similar findings in rats.
Mr Cem Aydogan, who works for the company that produces the olive tea extract and funded the research, said:
“The study confirmed that olive leaf extract EFLA®943 has antihypertensive properties in humans.
This works showed that taking a 1000mg dose has substantial effects in people with borderline hypertension.”
Olive leaf tea is available as a tablet containing an extract and as a tea.
The study was published in the journal Phytotherapy Research (Perrinjaquet‐Moccetti et al., 2008).
