Olive Leaf
Most of the research on olive leaf’s anti-viral properties have come from studies on calcium elenolate. Calcium elenolate is not in olive leaf extracts nor does it occur in your body. “Calcium elenolate came from acid hydrolysis of elenolic acid. Where by they boiled elenolic acid with calcium carbonate to produce Calcium elenolate.” according to Richard Hall of Ameriden International.
Ameriden - Olive leaf extract The antiviral studies to date have proven strong effectiveness in-vitro (test tubes) and using nasal washes. When taken orally they results were not the same. Olive leaf does contain Oleurpein. When Oleuropein is taken orally it breaks down into other compounds, one of which is elenolic acid. Elenolic acid has been found to be highly virucidal in lab tests. (Kaij-a-Kamb, M; Amoros, M; Girre, L. “Search for new antiviral agents of plant origin. Pharma-Acta-Helv, 67(5–6):130–47, 1992). Scientists for Upjohn learned in the 1970s that calcium elenolate blood serum protein bound in all the human studies (in vivo) rendering it ineffectual. (I do not understand this completely so cannot describe it more simply). This is an important point because many products selling olive leaf as antiviral back their claims by citing the results from calcium elenolate. More testing needs to be done to confirm effectiveness of olive leaf as an anti-viral treatment.
Global Information Hub for Integrated Medicine Olive leaf extract has reported antiviral activity, reportedly caused by the constituent calcium elenolate, a derivative of elenolic acid.(13, 14) Some viruses inhibited by calcium elenolate in vitro include rhinovirus, myxoviruses, Herpes simplex type I, Herpes simplex type II, Herpes zoster, Encephalomyocarditis, Polio 1, 2, and 3, two strains of leukemia virus, many strains of influenza and para-influenza viruses.(15, 16, 17) The mechanism of action of the antiviral activity is reported to include
18)
An ability to interfere with critical amino acid production essential for viruses.
An ability to contain viral infection and/or spread by inactivating viruses or by preventing virus shedding, budding, or assembly at the cell membrane.
Ability to directly penetrate infected cells and stop viral replication.
In the case of retroviruses, it is able to neutralize the production of reverse transcriptase and protease.
Stimulation of phagocytosis.
13 Renis HE. In vitro antiviral activity of calcium elenolate. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 1970;167–72. PMID: 5396483
14 Heinze JE, et al. Specificity of the antiviral agent calcium elenolate. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. Oct1975;8(4):421–5.
15 Renis HE. Inactivation of myxoviruses by calcium elenolate. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. Aug1975;8(2):194–9.
16 Hirschman SZ. Inactivation of DNA polymerases of murine leukaemia viruses by calcium elenolate. Nat New Biol. Aug1972;238(87):277–9.
17 Soret MG. Antiviral activity of calcium elenolate on parainfluenza infection of hamsters. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1969;9:160–6. PMID: 4319307
24 Hansen K, et al. Isolation of an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor from olea europaea and olea lacea. Phytomedicine. 1996;2:319–325.
Influenza virus infection of hamsters. A model for evaluating antiviral drugs. Arch Virol. 1977;54(1–2):85–93. PMID: 889443
http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/picrender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&blobtype=pdf&artid=153148 page 11
Global Information Hub for Integrated Medicine
http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/11571.cfm?RecordID=592 Oleuropein is converted into elenoic acid in the body which may prevent viruses and bacteria from replicating (8).
(8) Horn C. Olive leaf to fight infection. Natural Health 2000;30:40
Anti-HIV properties of Olive leaf extract include up-regulation of the expression of apoptosis inhibitor proteins as well as protein kinase signaling molecules (4).
4) Lee-Huang S, Zhang L, Huang PL, Chang YT, Huang PL. Anti-HIV activity of olive leaf extract (OLE) and modulation of host cell gene expression by HIV-1 infection and OLE treatment. Biochem.Biophys.Res Commun. 2003;307:1029–37.
CAUTIONS
Olive Leaf Extract is non-toxic. However, a “die off” or Herxheimer’s reaction may occur from killing too many pathogens too quickly. This is experienced as “flu-like” symptoms or allergic attacks which pass quickly leaving the patient feeling much better than before taking the extract.
Someone at risk for Herxheimer’s should try a reduced dose at first, then work up.
Olive Leaf Extract may inactivate antibiotics and should not be taken with them.
The amino acids glycine, lysine, histadine, and cysteine including N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) may interfere with the action of one of the components of Olive Leaf Extract. However, there are at least six active substances in the extract and it may not have a significant clinical effect. These six substances work together to prevent resistance by pathogenic organisms.
