(Olea europaea)

Olive is an evergreen tree indigenous to the Mediterranean and is revered throughout the region for its many beneficial qualities.  It has traditionally symbolized peace and harmony and the fruit and the oil it bears have long been staples of the region’s diet.  According to Greek mythology, the olive tree was created by the goddess Athena who endowed it with powers to illuminate the darkness, cure illness, heal wounds, and provide nourishment.  In keeping with the myths, the fruit and the oil have been used for these purposes for thousands of years and still hold merit today.  Researchers have claimed for some time that, because of their consumption of olive oil, Mediterraneans have healthier hearts, lower cholesterol levels, and less incidences of heart disease.  It should come as no surprise that another part of the olive also has beneficial properties.  Olive leaves have been used medicinally since biblical times.  Moses reportedly decreed that men who cultivated the olive leaf be exempt from serving in the army and the Bible lauds the leaf as a healing agent.  As with the other herbs, a growing number of scientific studies address the ability of the leaf to function as a powerful tool in keeping and regaining health.  See oliveleaf.com to view a compre-hendsive library of abstracts of peer-reviewed professional journal articles on the subject.

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