The Mediterranean Diet is one of the most popular and effective weight loss diets available today. As the name implies it is based on the eating habits of people who call the Mediterranean home. Their lifestyle includes days filled with physical activities and the enjoyment of delicious wines and plant rich foods. One of the main ingredients in the Mediterranean diet is olive oil. It is believed that when this monounsaturated fat is combined with other plant based ingredients it creates a powerful antioxidant that helps to fight against many common diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure and concomitantly it also helps to increase life expectancy.

It is not surprising then that for many years the Mediterranean diet have been recommended as an effective natural treatment in lowering blood pressure, controlling cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease. It is not clear however whether the benefits of following the diet accrue from a single item in the diet or from the combination of the constituent ingredients. Some efforts are now being made to answer this question.

In a recent study (see John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.; 2008) 40 borderline hypertensive monozygotic twins were placed on a daily regimen of 1000 mg of olive leaf extract for eight weeks. During this period several parameters including blood pressure were monitored. The results indicated significantly lower blood pressure in the subjects that received the extract when compared to blood pressure levels in the control group. Hence, it was concluded that olive oil extract is an effective supplement in reducing high blood pressure. In addition, subjects also showed a significant decline in cholesterol levels. Cholesterol, plaque that builds up inside the walls of blood vessels and obstructs blood flow is highly correlated with the onset of high blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a serious health condition that requires every effort to ensure that it is brought under control. Diet and in particular the Mediterranean diet have been found to be an effective tool in the fight against this affliction. Many believe that the combination of wine, vegetables and fish in the Mediterranean diet may be responsible for much of its benefits, but several studies have isolated olive oil, a primary constituent of the Mediterranean diet as one of the main ingredients in the diet that significantly reduces high blood pressure. The study cited above used olive oil extract but research generally suggest that daily consumption of olive oil, in any form, can have a positive impact on controlling high blood pressure. If you are interested in controlling your blood pressure naturally, olive leaf extract may be a suitable option to include in your supplement regimen, but please consult your healthcare practitioner before taking this or any other natural supplement.