When research looks into a major health challenge of our time such as Parkinson's Disease, it will include in the process a careful study of the wider background in which the condition first occurs, and takes hold. Patterns that appear in this area may be useful as warnings for others who are not yet showing signs of being under the same threat. In the case of Parkinson's Disease there is indeed one recurrent pattern among others, which points to higher levels of oxidative damage as a primary role-player in the early pathological cascade
What is oxidative stress?
Oxidative stress is defined as an imbalance between oxidative and antioxidant compounds in the body in favour of the former. Throughout life there is normal wear and tear on the body's internal systems, much of it as a result of the action of oxygen on our biochemical make-up. This produces waste and detritus which is generally cleared quite naturally, particularly during sleep. But there can be build-up, especially where free-radicals are concerned.
What are free radicals?
Free radicals are remains of bio-chemical processes in the body that can weaken and eventually harm us. Although inevitable, the oxidation process can be delayed by what are known as antioxidants. These are naturally occurring biochemicals that enhance oxidative stability by preventing the propagation of lipid peroxidation or by removing free radicals. In view of the importance of maintaining a healthy oxidative balance, it is extremely helpful for the body to have a source of anti-oxidant molecules from elsewhere to add to its own natural response should that become necessary. And that is where the leaves of the olive tree step into the story.
What antioxidants are found in Olive Leaves?
Olive leaves are packed with antioxidants including the polyphenol Oleuropein. Polyphenols are made ready and stored in plants ready at all times to resist the challenges in their daily life. In the case of the olive tree these powerful compounds are stored in greater density in the leaves of the olive canopy rather than in the fruit. That may seem surprising at first, but an individual leaf, however insignificant looking it may be among a thousand others, has a longer life on the tree than the fruit and contributes more to the tree's ongoing good health. The fruit lives less than half a year on the tree, from its formation during the spring flowering to the harvest, or fall, in the autumn, while a leaf may have a life cycle over a year or two. This is why the tree stores greater anti-oxidant power in the leaf, and why science finds greater density of Oleuropein there.
What is Oleuropein?
Oleuropein is believed to be one of the main contributors to the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, it is a powerful phenolic compound with potent antioxidant activity. Researchers are in agreement that Oleuropein is the most valuable phenolic compound in olive leaves and even though olive leaves contain many other phytonutrients it is the most keenly researched.
What is the role of Oleuropein in Parkinson's Disease?
It has an important role to play in the development and treatment of Parkinson's, and is particularly effective at inhibiting platelet aggregation and the build-up of oxidative stress, both of which are markers for the weakening of the immune system in which Parkinson's Disease can develop. Oleuropein is therefore a vital active in the clutch of phenolic compounds so richly present in Olive Leaf Extract. Indeed there is no other plant with such an important concentration of this valuable phenol as the leaves of the Mediterranean olive tree.
Further research is necessary.
Parkinson's Disease is a terrible affliction, and it more frequently affects men than women. There is at present no cure, nor reliable palliative treatment. Mounting evidence points towards the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diets in delaying ageing and in preventing age-related dysfunctions, cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases Worldwide research is looking for possibilities which may lead to helpful solutions, and herbs with applications around the problem are sensible starting points for further work. It is on this basis that Olive Leaf extract is attracting more and more attention, but there is still a very long way to go.
