Olive leaf facts for kids

Leaves from an olive tree in Portugal

The olive leaf is simply the leaf from the olive tree (Olea europaea). While olive oil is famous for its taste and health benefits, people are also studying the leaves and their special liquids (called extracts) to see what they can do for our health. It's still early research, so we don't know everything yet!

What Olive Leaves Look Like

Olive leaves are a pretty silvery-green color. They are shaped like a long oval, usually about 4–10 centimetres (1.6–3.9 inches) long and 1–3 centimetres (0.39–1.18 inches) wide. If you taste them, they have a slightly bitter and sharp flavor.

Special Stuff Inside Olive Leaves

Olive leaves are packed with natural compounds called polyphenols. These are much more concentrated in the leaves than in the olive fruit or even in olive oil. For example, 100 grams of fresh olive leaves have about 1450 milligrams of these compounds, while the same amount of olive fruit has only 110 milligrams. Even extra virgin olive oil has much less.

Some of the important compounds found in olive leaves include oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol. There are also other polyphenols and flavonoids, like luteolin and rutin. These are all natural substances that scientists are very interested in. The exact mix of these compounds in olive leaf extract can change depending on the type of olive tree, when the leaves were picked, how mature they were, and how the extract was made.

Olive Leaves in the Kitchen

Sometimes, olive leaves are used in fancy Chinese cooking. They have also been used by a chef named Gina Keatley to create a powder called Matche. This powder is made from olive leaves and can be used on desserts or even in tea!

Olive Leaves in History

For a long time, people have used olive leaves in traditional medicine as home remedies to help with different sicknesses. Some studies suggest that olive leaf extract might help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar. However, it's important to know that the European Food Safety Authority (a group that checks food safety in Europe) has said there isn't enough scientific proof yet to say for sure that olive leaf extract causes these health benefits. More research is still needed!