Our natural ethos - from the land not the lab

‘From the land, not the lab’ isn’t just a saying here at Olive Lifeᵀᴹ. It’s an integral part of our ethos – and it has been since our original founders first planted their dedicated olive leaf farms in Queensland, Australia, back in 1974.

From the beginning, we’ve made our olive leaf extract with only natural, fresh-pickedᵀᴹ olive leaves, harvested at sunrise, then water-extracted within hours to retain as much of nature’s purity and potency as possible.

But our belief in natural doesn’t stop there. Our olive leaf extract supplements are plant-based, vegetarian, vegan, free from gluten, GMO and alcohol, and fully traceable - from the grove to the shelf.

In this article, we explain why that matters - and why choosing natural, sustainably grown olive leaf extract always feels good. Read on to find out more...

All good ingredients, from nature

Every part of Olive Life’s sustainable process of making olive leaf extract is kept as close to nature as possible. Unlike many other brands, we use only fresh-pickedTM leaves in our olive leaf extract - and NEVER dry leaves or reconstituted powders because dried leaves have started to degrade, so they’re not as rich in health-giving nutrients.

What’s more, our extract is free from added sugars, chemicals, preservatives, GMO ingredients, and alcohol. Why? Because we truly believe that ‘nature knows best’ – and most of our passionate ‘Olive Lifers’ do too!

So what’s in our olive leaf extract?

The short answer is ... lots of olive leaves. Our olive leaves are fresh-pickedTM at dawn for maximum goodness, then processed within minutes of harvest to retain high levels of oleuropein and many other natural flavonoids and polyphenols found within fresh olive leaves.  
 
And when we say ‘processed’, it’s very minimal. We use a proprietary water-extraction method to extract the antioxidant polyphenols. Then we add sustainably sourced, plant-based glycerol to keep the olive leaf extract concentrate fresh and potent - no alcohol and no chemicals. 
 
Then the concentrate is tested, sealed and packaged to protect the vital active ingredients from heat, light, air and impurities. And that’s it – from olive tree to extract by lunchtime. 

What does ‘sustainably sourced’ mean?

Another of our long-held beliefs is to ‘tread lightly on the earth’ and our olive leaf extract certainly does that. Our farm lies at the edge of Australia’s renowned ‘Artesian Basin’ in sunny Queensland. Here, the nutrient-rich soils, artesian water and plentiful sunshine enable our trees to flourish without the need for chemical fertilisers.

To minimise waste and promote healthy growth, all of our olive leaves are spread back under the trees as mulch once they’ve been harvested and passed through the extraction process. This ensures all the remaining goodness makes its way back to the tree.

We also make great use of natural ecosystems to ensure our leaves stay healthy and pest free without impacting the environment. We aim to only use ‘good bugs’ to fight off harmful bugs through carefully building up the population of beneficial ladybirds and lacewing right across the farm.

Speaking of wildlife, we’ve also created a ‘wildlife corridor’ through our farm so that kangaroos and other animals can roam freely – all part of creating a truly natural, sustainable environment for all.

Why eating more plant-based foods is important

If you’re taking Olive Life to support your cardiovascular health, you’re probably already aware of the longer-term benefits of eating mainly plant foods. Research shows that eating a plant-based diet can help you live longer and reduce the risk of chronic disease, including heart disease, hypertension, stroke and type 2 diabetes.¹

In fact, loading up on plant-based foods could be doing your ticker a real favour.⁵ A 2019 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that eating a plant-based diet may reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by around 16 percent - and the risk of dying of it by about 31 percent.²

One of the most highly studied, plant-based, eating patterns is the Mediterranean diet. Comprising predominantly plant-based foods, the Mediterranean diet also includes olive oil, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt a few times a week, with meats and sweets less often.

In recent decades, researchers noticed that those living in Mediterranean countries were exceptionally healthy, had a low risk of many common chronic conditions and often lived to a ripe old age.³,⁴

Further studies have supported their claims, showing that the Mediterranean diet has been linked to a reduction in cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, cholesterol, cancer risk, type 2 diabetes, as well as neurodegenerative diseases and overall mortality.⁵⁻⁷

A daily dose of plant-based goodness

Of course, the leaves, oil and fruit of the olive tree are the heart of the Mediterranean diet. A number of scientific studies have shown that Olive Lifeᵀᴹ Olive Leaf Extract can benefit cardiovascular health – helping to maintain normal healthy blood pressure, lower cholesterol and blood fats, and maintain normal blood sugar levels.⁸⁻¹⁰

All the more reason to start taking a daily dose of plant-based Olive LifeTM Olive Leaf Extract, today. It might just help to sustain your health, as well as the health of our planet.  

Note: The contents of this blog are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice. You should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider if you have any questions regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this website. 

References

1. Everydayhealth.com: https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/plant-based-diet-tied-to-lower-stroke-risk-but-only-if-you-stick-to-healthy-foods/  

2. Heart.org: https://www.heart.org/en/news/2021/08/04/eating-a-plant-based-diet-at-any-age-may-lower-cardiovascular-risk 

3. US News. U.S. News Reveals Best Diets Rankings for 2020. January 2020. Accessed November 2020: https://www.usnews.com/info/blogs/press-room/articles/2020-01-02/us-news-reveals-best-diets-rankings-for-2020 

4. Grosso G, Marventano S, Yang J, Micek A, Pajak A, Scalfi L, Galvano F, Kales SN. A comprehensive meta-analysis on evidence of Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular disease: are individual components equal? Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. 2017 Oct 13;57(15):3218-32. 

5. Estruch, Ramón; Ros, Emilio; Salas-Salvadó, Jordi; Covas, Maria-Isabel; Corella, Dolores; Arós, Fernando; Gómez-Gracia, Enrique; Ruiz-Gutiérrez, Valentina; Fiol, Miquel (2013-04-04). "Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet". The New England Journal of Medicine. 368 (14): 1279-1290 doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1200303. hdl:10171/28216. ISSN 1533-4406. PMID 23432189 

6. PubMed: The Mediterranean Diet and Cardiovascular Health: M A Martínez-González, A Gea, M Ruiz-Canela, March 2019. 

Dinu M, Pagliai G, Casini A, Sofi F. Mediterranean diet and multiple health outcomes: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational studies and randomised trials. European journal of clinical nutrition. 2018 Jan;72(1):30-43. 

8. Lockyer et al. (2017). Impact of phenolic-rich olive leaf extract on blood pressure, plasma lipids and inflammatory markers: a randomised controlled trial. Eur J Nutr, 56, 1421–1432. 

9. Lockyer et al. (2015). Secoiridoids delivered as olive leaf extract induce acute improvements in human vascular function and reduction of an inflammatory cytokine: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Brit J Nutr, 114, 75–83. 

10. De Bock et al. (2013). Olive (Olea europaea L.) leaf polyphenols improve insulin sensitivity in middle-aged overweight men: a randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. PLoS ONE, 8, e57622.