Olive Leaf Extract

Olea europaea · Oleuropein · Olive leaf

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Blood pressure^{1, 2} Lipid profile^{1, 2} Herpes labialis (topical)^{3, 4} Postmenopausal symptoms⁵ Mild Alzheimer's disease⁶	Fluid-restricted heart or kidney disease⁷ Olive pollen allergy⁸

Olive leaf extract, from Olea europaea, is rich in oleuropein, a phenolic compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity⁸. It is taken for cardiometabolic support, meaning blood pressure, lipids, and insulin sensitivity², and as a topical for herpes labialis^{3, 4}. Use also extends to postmenopausal symptoms and cognitive support in aging. The typical patient is an adult with untreated mildly to moderately elevated blood pressure².

Cardiometabolic evidence: a 2026 meta-analysis found olive leaf lowered lipids and blood pressure, with no effect on glycemic markers. Olive pomace showed no consistent cardiometabolic benefit¹. A pilot trial in type 2 diabetes was inconclusive for glycemic control⁹. Topical olive leaf cream healed herpes simplex lesions faster than acyclovir cream in a randomized trial³. In a 2024 randomized trial of patients with mild Alzheimer's disease, an olive leaf beverage added to Mediterranean diet instructions preserved cognitive scores relative to diet instructions alone⁶. Many products list olive leaf extract, mostly capsules; see Form comparison.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) lists blood pressure and glucose-lowering medicines as cautions based on laboratory data of undetermined clinical relevance⁸. The European Union herbal monograph's traditional use promotes renal water elimination, hence its contraindication where fluid is restricted⁷.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

59 sources, 43 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources