Since the discovery that the incidence of heart disease is much lower across the Mediterranean than in other regions, the positive effects of the healthy Mediterranean diet—a diet high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and especially olives—have been of interest, with new and promising investigations focused on the reduction of the risk of heart disease. Benolea, a clinically proven olive leaf extract marketed under Frutarom Health Ltd.’s high-end EFLA range of ingredient systems, provides the Mediterranean diet’s cardiovascular health-support benefits in an all-in-one ingredient. Olives contain the key health-promoting compounds, oleuropein and polyphenols. These are in even greater concentration in the leaf than in the oil. Oleuropein is a natural compound with proven blood pressure-lowering effects and acts in synergy with the other phytochemicals in Benolea’s multi-component system. 

 

In a recent clinical trial, researchers compared the efficacy of Benolea olive leaf extract to a blood pressure-lowering pharmaceutical in subjects with mildly elevated blood pressure. Benolea showed to be efficient in lowering elevated blood-pressure levels and also positively influenced the lipid profile and blood sugar level of this population, while being safe and well-tolerated. Benolea is produced using Mediterranean-grown olive leaves specially cultivated and carefully selected using state-of-the-art analytics. The use of the in-house developed and patented manufacturing technology, EFLA HyperPure, guarantees a high degree of purity, excellent solubility and improved stability. Additionally, it is water-soluble and can be used in dietary supplements, as well as in food and beverage applications, such as dairy products, breakfast cereals, nutritional bars, baked products, spreads, chocolate, oils and dressings, and more.

 

—Frutarom Health Ltd., www.frutarom.com