The Mediterranean diet, which includes healthy fats like olive oil, is widely considered a blood pressure-friendly diet.
Extensive research has earned olive oil its reputation as one of the healthiest foods on earth.
The medicinal use of the fruit of the olive tree (Olea europaea) actually dates back thousands of years. But as it turns out, the lesser-hyped olive leaf may, in fact, possess the olive tree's most powerful healing properties.*
Clinical Research Shows Amazing Blood Pressure Results
In what is perhaps the most significant clinical trial demonstrating the remarkable impact of olive leaf extract in reducing blood pressure, researchers looked at 20 sets of identical twins (to minimize any differences in response based on genetics), with each twin assigned to a different group. Two clinical trials were conducted.*
In the first trial, which lasted 8 weeks, one group was given 500 mg of a highly purified olive leaf extract daily, while the other group only received advice on lowering blood pressure with lifestyle changes.
Remarkably, the group receiving olive leaf extract showed reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, while the control group actually showed slight increases. What's more, the olive leaf group began to show improvements in as few as 7 days!*
In a second 8-week trial, researchers compared the effects of 500 mg daily dosage of the same olive leaf extract to a daily 1,000 mg dose. The results were astounding. Participants taking 1,000 mg of olive leaf extract saw significant reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as modest, but statistically significant reductions in total cholesterol and triglycerides after 8 weeks when compared to the 500 mg daily dose participants.*
The Vitamin K2/Blood Pressure Connection
Vitamin K2 is vital for two things: bone health and cardiovascular health.
Vitamin K2 is required to carboxylate, or “turn on”, the matrix GLA Protein (MGP), which shuttles calcium where it is needed in your body, such as your bones.
But if you are low on vitamin K2, instead of fortifying your bones, calcium can continue to circulate in your blood steam, forming deposits on your blood vessels and arteries, forcing your heart to work harder and increasing your blood pressure.*
By reducing the risk of calcium deposits forming on blood vessel walls, vitamin K2 can help keep blood vessels flexible and pliable, helping to keep your blood pressure in the normal range.*