There are not many reliable sources for olive leaf extract information. Most of the info is provided by supplement companies that do not provide links to the research they quote. They focus only on the attributes of the supplement, but spend little time talking about the unknowns or the health consequences for people with ongoing disease.

One of the biggest concerns is for those with hypoglycemia. Because it tends to lower blood glucose levels, a high dose could cause a deadly situation for a hypoglycemic person. Likewise, for a person that has chronically or abnormally low blood pressure levels, the effect that the plant extract has on blood pressure could cause an emergency situation.

That being said, the plant has very low toxicity in animal studies and in vitro testing. But, there have been no clinical trials involving humans. One of the reasons for this is that it is not considered a drug, even though it has pharmaceutical activity.

The Mayo Clinic provides some reliable info about other supplements, but there is no olive leaf extract information on their website. At Drugs.com, there are only “unknowns”. There are no dosage recommendations, no contraindications, no studies concerning safety of use during pregnancy or breast feeding, but the potential problem for hypoglycemic people is mentioned there. Diabetics, too, could be at risk, unless they carefully monitor their blood sugar levels.

There is one supplement company that provides links to seven different studies listed by PUBMED, a database provided by the US National Library of Medicine. Overall, the database provides olive leaf extract information from over 250 scientific studies. The subjects of these studies vary greatly. The plant has been used for everything from a mosquito repellant to an antibiotic. It is currently being investigated for its anti-cancer activity.

The two big killers in industrialized societies are cancer and heart disease. Many scientists spend their lives investigation the potential for new ways to treat and prevent these diseases. Prevention is something that everyone can strive towards. The advice concerning prevention is clear.

Eat a healthy diet, low in animal fat. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Choose healthy oils for cooking. Choose good fats from fish, olives and nuts, rather than dairy products and red meat. Drink a little red wine and maybe some green tea. Focus on achieving a nutritionally balanced diet and try to increase your antioxidant intact.

There is reliable olive leaf extract information concerning its antioxidant activity. Along with lutein, bilberry, L-carnosine, grape seed and green tea extract, it is one of the better ones. But, the best antioxidant of all is l-glutathione. It doesn't receive much attention from supplement manufacturers, because the body can only absorb it if the special reduced form is used. That form is more expensive.

The best supplements on the market contain all of those antioxidants in moderate dosages to help you achieve your optimal daily antioxidant intake. The company that makes the supplements is also the one that provides the best olive leaf extract information.