This morning I read about the supposed virtues of pure extra virgin Olive Oil, but I puzzled over how to get the demonstrated benefits without the dangers that Dr. Wallach warns about from consuming any oil, due to the oxidation that begins when the oil is exposed to the air.
It occurred to me that olive leaf extracts might contain the same chemicals that provide the benefits that the oil does -- and would avoid the problem of promoting inflammation that all oils cause (largely depending on how fresh they are, but also on the type of oil).
Aside from the problems of adulteration by vendors passing off cheaper oils as "Extra-extra-Virgin Olive Oil", there is the basic fact that we don't know how long the oil has been sitting on the shelf, exposed to the air that's in the bottle. This might seem like an insignificant problem, but Dr. Wallach assures us it is not and I trust his knowledge. On principle, we are safer to avoid factors we can't control if we want a long healthy life.
Wallach admits that if you're there when the olive oil is pressed, consuming it that day would be a healthy thing, but few of us are.
So, it occurred to me to investigate the benefits of olive leaf extracts to see if they contain the same beneficial ingredient molecules. I found that they do!
Aside from the benefit of not needing to consume large quantities of fattening olive oil, there are specific benefits in the fight against diabetes. As you can read in the link above, the extracts produced superior results in lowering blood sugar and cholesterol, compared to the anti-diabetic drug glyburide (marketed as "Diabeta").
This is exciting. I love to learn another natural way an inexpensive plant extract beats a pharmaceutical drug at producing beneficial results!
I plan to look further into this. I know that the company Dr. Wallach founded -- Youngevity -- markets some olive leaf extracts. I already trust their high standards and may add a page to this Website, once I have tried their extract for myself. Stay tuned, or message me for specific recommendations.