Olive leaf tea
Olive leaf tea or olive leaf tea is made from fresh or dried leaves from the olive tree .
preparation
The olive leaves are chopped up or poured whole with boiling water. If the olive leaves are crushed, the ingredients can develop better. It is recommended to let the tea steep for 5–8 minutes when crushed, 10 minutes or longer for whole leaves.
history
Olive leaf tea is mainly common in Mediterranean countries. Tea has a long tradition there and is also used in natural medicine. Many positive properties are attributed to tea. Even in antiquity, it was valued for strengthening the immune system, for high blood pressure, sleep disorders or nervousness, among other things. To protect the corpse from fungal, bacterial and parasite infestation, pressed olive leaves were also used for mummification in ancient Egypt . Hildegard von Bingen recommended olive leaf tea for stomach and digestive problems.
ingredients
Like olive oil , olive leaves contain oleuropein , phenolic compounds ( hydroxytyrosol , caffeic acid ), organic acids and secondary plant substances such as flavonoids (olivine, rutin , hesperidin , quercetin ). The active ingredient oleuropein is largely responsible for the health properties of olive oil. Oleuropein occurs in a higher concentration in the olive leaf than in the olive. The oleuropein contained in the olive leaf protects the evergreen olive tree from diseases. Olive trees live for several centuries.
In a Swiss study it was shown that extracts from olive leaves have been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Unlike green or black tea, olive leaf tea is naturally caffeine-free. In terms of taste, olive leaf tea is reminiscent of green tea. Golden yellow in color, soft, slightly sweet and with a green note. With a longer brewing time, the olive leaf tea develops the slightly bitter note known from olive oil in the aftermath.
Web links
- Information about olive leaf tea. paradisi.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ Food supplementation with an olive (Olea europaea L.) leaf extract reduces blood pressure in borderline hypertensive monozygotic twins . In: Phytotherapy Research . 2008 Sep; 22 (9), pp. 1239-1242, PMID 18729245