Olive leaf extract comes from the leaf rather than the fruit, and its active compound is oleuropein — the bitter substance that protects the tree from infection. It carries that protective role over: oleuropein is antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory all at once, which is an unusually broad profile.
That breadth explains its spread across this book. Toenail fungus draws on the antifungal action. Swollen feet draw on the anti-inflammatory action. Cold feet and dry feet draw on its effect on circulation and on the skin's antioxidant defences.
It comes as dried leaf for tea, as a tincture, or as a standardised extract. The dried leaf is the cheapest and works perfectly well for soaks.
