“Therefore, [olive leaf extract] can be evaluated as an effective nutritional strategy to help women navigate the postmenopausal years being less affected by its negative symptoms,” wrote scientists from Maastricht University and Solabia Nutrition in the journal Nutrients.
The study used the Bonolive brand of olive leaf extract, marketed by Solabia Nutrition in the Netherlands, which won this year’s Nutraingredients Innovations in Women’s Health Award.
Bonolive is described as a clinically validated extract from Manzanilla olive leaves, standardized for 40% of the active ingredient oleuropein. The supplement has reported positive effects on bone-formation markers, reducing joint pain and improving blood lipid profiles in previous studies, which are all key areas in menopausal health.
How does olive leaf extract affect hormones?
Oleuropein is the most prevalent polyphenol in olive tree leaves, Olea europaea. Its structure resembles oestradiol, and scientists have researched the compound’s ability to compete with estrogen for receptor-binding sites.
Phytoestrogens may bind to estrogen receptor α (Erα) and estrogen receptor β (Erβ). Erα has been linked to breast cancer cell proliferation, but Erβ has been shown to counteract this.
“Phytoestrogens show a higher binding preference for Erβ than for Erα,” the researchers explained.
“Therefore, when compared to estrogen and HRT, phytoestrogen exposure has been related to reduced risk of side effects,” they added, noting that laboratory studies demonstrated that oleuropein has this effect.
Postmenopausal benefits
Menopause can cause various physical and psychological symptoms such as hot flashes, anxiety, depression, decreased sexual function and lower bone mineral density.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is prescribed for menopause but may increase the risk of breast cancer, stroke or heart disease.
As a natural alternative to HRT, studies suggest that olive leaf extract is beneficial for maintaining bone mineral density by enhancing the formation of new bone cells and improving lipid and cholesterol profiles.
“Our results show that [olive leaf extract] improves lipid dysregulation and might thereby decrease the risk of CVD,” the researchers noted.
Study details
The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial recruited 60 healthy postmenopausal women between the ages of 47 and 70 who had not used hormone replacement therapy or supplements for three months before the study. They consumed a daily dose of 250 mg of Bonolive olive leaf extract (OLE) from Spanish Manzanilla olive leaves or placebo for 12 weeks.
The intervention dose was based on previous research evaluating Bonolive’s effect on lipid profiles and bone health in postmenopausal women.
Researchers assessed participants at baseline, six weeks, and 12 weeks using blood samples, DEXA scan, Menopause Quality of Life questionnaire (MENQoL), handgrip strength and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-L).
The results showed that singular vasomotor, psychosocial, physical and sexual domain scores for MENQoL were not significantly different between groups, but the overall MENQoL score was significantly improved after OLE supplementation compared to placebo.
DEXA scans showed that bone mineral density in the right arm significantly increased in the OLE group after 12 weeks compared to the placebo group. Positive trends were observed in the handgrip strength tests, but no significant differences existed between groups.
Blood lipid analysis revealed significant decreases in triglycerides and the triglyceride/HDL cholesterol ratio in the OLE group compared to placebo.
Source: Nutrients
2024, 16(22), 3879; doi: 10.3390/nu16223879
“Olive leaf extract supplementation improves postmenopausal symptoms: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel study on postmenopausal women.”
Authors: M. Imperatrice et al.
