An extract from olive leaves could help to reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol, new research suggests.
Scientists from Switzerland and Germany carried out a trial involving 20 sets of identical twins with mildly raised blood pressure.
Participants were given supplements containing either 500mg or 1,000mg of olive leaf extract or a placebo (dummy pill).
After an eight-week period, the researchers found that individuals who had take olive leaf extract benefited from reduced blood pressure readings and lower blood cholesterol.
The findings, which are published in the journal Phytotherapy Research, support previous research in rats which suggested that olive leaf extract may be beneficial for treating high blood pressure.
Study co-author Cem Aydogan, general manager at Frutarom Health, commented that the findings "confirmed that olive leaf extract...has antihypertensive properties in humans".
The expert added that a 1,000mg dose of the plant extract has a "substantial" effect in people with mild hypertension.
Estimates suggest that around ten million people in the UK have high blood pressure.
An extract from olive leaves could help to reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol, new research suggests.
