People are asking, “Does olive leaf kill viruses?” Their reasons for asking are varied. Some of them suffer from serious health problems, such as HIV or AIDS. Others are hoping to fight the flu or the common cold with a natural remedy. Still others have chronic viral infections on their skin, such as warts.
Sadly, there are no definite answers to their questions. Most of the research has focused on HIV, but to date, only two studies have been indexed on PubMed.com, the database for the US National Library of Medicine.
There are rumors that other studies have been conducted and some alternative healthcare providers are currently including the ingredient in the nutritional cocktail they create for AIDS patients. But, there is very little reliable evidence supporting its use.
The studies that have been conducted were laboratory studies. The researchers used cell lines and proteins infused with the virus to study the results. Those were conducted in 2003 and 2007. If the findings had been of interest to major research groups, there would have been additional studies, using laboratory animals.
If the results of those studies were positive, the researchers would attempt to answer this question. Does olive leaf kill viruses in humans? The research group would have enlisted volunteers suffering from HIV or other viral infections.
No research using human volunteers has been published, to date. From what I can tell, no human research is in the works. No plans are in progress.
If you go back to 1998 and “Positive Health News”, a doctor sites a single case in which elderberry extract, chondroitin, glucosamine and olive leaf extract were given to a woman taking none of the modern HIV drugs. The doctor says there was a huge drop in her “viral load”.
But, what would be his answer to; does olive leaf kill viruses? He refers to it as a reverse transcriptase inhibitor. Reverse transcriptase is an enzyme needed by viruses to reproduce. So, while the extract may not actually kill anything, it might prevent further replication, in other words, a spread or worsening of the infection.
Drugs classified as reverse transcriptase inhibitors are used to treat not only HIV, but benign and cancerous tumors, as well. So, there could be many uses for the leaves. There just isn’t a lot of research yet to prove it.
While we don’t have an answer to; does olive leaf kill viruses? There are some things that we do know. The oils are beneficial to the skin’s health. They may help prevent and reverse some of the signs of aging.
The oils are good ingredients for body lotions, far better than the mineral oils on the market. But, to be most effective, the lipids (fats) must be reduced in size, to allow them to penetrate deeply.
There are some deeply moisturizing body lotions on the market that have been shown to prevent acne breakouts and reduce scarring. If you were wondering does olive leaf kill viruses, because you have warts, the lotions may be beneficial for those, too. There’s no reason not to give them a try.
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