According to Frutarom, the company’s Benolea - described as a clinically proven olive leaf extract marketed under Frutarom Health’s high-end EFLA range of ingredient systems - provides the Mediterranean diet’s cardiovascular health-support benefits in an all-in-one ingredient.
The company notes that, 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—and especially olives—have been of interest, with new and promising investigations focused on the reduction of the risk of heart disease.
The Mediterranean diet is high in vegetables and fruits, whole grains, legumes and, of course, olive oil.
Olive oil is, according to Frutarom, one of the best known health ingredients in the Mediterranean diet, and the olive leaf contains the key compounds, oleuropein and polyphenols, in even greater concentration. Oleuropein is a natural compound that is said to have proven blood pressure-lowering effects, and acts in synergy with the other phytochemicals in Benolea’s multicomponent 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. Frutarom says that Benolea showed to be efficient in lowering elevated blood-pressure levels and positively influenced the lipid profile of this population, while being safe and well-tolerated.
“This and other proprietary research studies support Benolea’s position as a natural ingredient for heart health,” said Yannick Capelle, product manager for Frutarom Health. “It reflects the essence of the Mediterranean diet, delivering in an all-in-one ingredient cardiovascular health benefits.”
These are said to include beneficial blood pressure range; healthy cholesterol levels; healthy blood sugar level; and coronary and vascular protection (antioxidant.
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The most recent report from The World Health Organization (WHO) lists cardiovascular disease (CVD) as the No. 1 cause of death globally. Most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by addressing risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and obesity, physical inactivity, raised blood pressure, diabetes and raised blood lipid levels.
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, is claimed to guarantee a high degree of purity, excellent solubility and improved stability.
Additionally, Benolea is water-soluble and can be used in dietary supplements as well as food and beverage applications such as dairy products, breakfast cereals, nutritional bars, baked products, spreads, chocolate, and oils and dressings.
