Olive leaf offers hope in fat fight

Sydney Morning Herald

NATURAL DIET BOOST: The anti-inflammatory property of olive leaves aids weight loss.

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Drinking a cup of coffee fortified with olive leaf extract has the potential to combat obesity, new Australian research suggests.

The study, the first to show that olive leaf extract reduced fat stores in rats, was conducted by scientists at the University of Southern Queensland and was published in the American Journal of Nutrition.

Human trials to be conducted by dietitians at the University of Queensland will be completed this year.

The olive leaf is the latest super nutrient to be the focus of intense scientific study as well as eager exploration of its commercial potential.

The phytochemical oleuropein is present in large quantities in the leaf but in lower quantities in olive oil.

Oleuropein has already been hailed for its anti-microbial properties, and its anti-oxidant capacity is almost double that of green tea.

It is recognised for its ability to lower blood pressure, ward off colds and treat cardiovascular problems.

The bitter leaf extract has been sold as a health supplement in Australia for the past decade, mainly as an immune system booster.

The study, led by the University of Southern Queensland's Professor of Biomedical Sciences Lindsay Brown, involved feeding rats a high carbohydrate, high fat diet for eight weeks until they developed signs of metabolic syndrome, including abdominal fat, fatty liver, hypertension and impaired glucose tolerance.

The rats given coffee fortified with olive leaf extract for a further eight weeks showed improved cardiovascular, liver and metabolic signs compared with rats given normal coffee.

Dr Brown said the olive leaf extract led to weight loss because of its anti-inflammatory properties.

The role of inflammation in causing fat storage is the subject of studies around the world. Green tea, turmeric, aspirin derivatives and ibuprofen are thought to have a similar weight-loss effect.

The study was partly funded by a Queensland company that sells olive leaf extract tea and coffee, Dr Red Neutraceuticals.

The firm's biochemist, Greg Jardine, said he had observed that olive leaf extract products encouraged weight loss. Yet the results of the study on rats exceeded expectations.

- © Fairfax NZ News