FAITH NEWSWIRE – A naturopathic doctor in Queens, NY has identified a tree that according to Dr. Simone Lord, “has mythical powers to heal the nations. Its leaves are potently anti-viral and have been used for centuries to treat malaria, flu and other plagues.”
Dr Lord says that she was inspired to find something to help people ‘fight back’ by her 8 year old grandson, who believes in the power of her herbal remedies.
Her path as an pastor led her to the leaves of a mysterious tree written about by St John the Theologian, (who was exiled in Patmos, Greece) in the book of Revelation called the tree of life. The passage in Revelation 22 verse 2 described that the leaves of this tree were for the healing of the nations. Dr. Lord believes this tree to be the olive tree.
According to a 2008 Archaelogy.org interview with Adelphi University’s Anagnostis Agelarakis, scientist, anthropologist and cultivator of olives in Crete, “Hippocrates used olive oil-based ointments for all kinds of uses and for treating trauma, scratches, wounds… it was considered to have healing power.” Agelarakis went on to say that the Greek “considered the olive not only as a health product but something that had in essence a divine power embedded in it–defined in a pragmatic way not in a occult or abstract way.”
The Greeks used the olive leaf as symbol of peace, prosperity, health and wisdom. Their Olympians and other athletes used olive oil to rub their bodies down before games. The olive leaf was/is a symbol of peace and used as a symbol of truce in Greece. In Noah’s time, the dove brought back an olive leaf to show that it was safe to leave Noah’s ark.
Olive leaf has been studied to be anti-viral plant that can treat stomach issues. According to Healthline.com, “Olive leaf extract is a natural source of wellness with therapeutic properties that are:
gastroprotective (protects digestive system)
neuroprotective (protects central nervous system)
antimicrobial (inhibits microorganism growth)
anticancer (reduces risk of cancer)
anti-inflammatory (reduces risk of inflammation)
antinociceptive (reduces pain stimuli)
antioxidant (prevents oxidation or cell damage)
These properties mean that olive leaf extract may help with weight loss, heart health, and herpes breakouts.”
According to olivewellnessinstitute.org, “Olive leaf extract has been researched for its antimicrobial and antiviral activity: In vitro and animal studies show that olive leaf extract has some potential activity against the influenza virus. (8) Research suggests that olive leaf extract may reduce the infectivity and inhibit the replication of viruses that cause colds, influenza and lower respiratory tract infections – further clinical trials in humans are needed to validate these findings. (8) Olive leaf extract has been shown to stimulate phagocytosis – which may enhance the body’s response to a viral infection. (8) Gargling olive leaf tea may alleviate symptoms of a sore throat – potentially due to a reduction of inflammation and viral infectivity. (8) Over the past 10 years, in vitro research has demonstrated that olive leaf extract is effective against a wide range of pathogens. (9,10-17) Specifically, oleuropein has been shown to have invitro antibacterial activity against some gram-positive and gram-negative human pathogenic bacterial strains. (11) Despite the antimicrobial effect of specific biophenols found in olive leaf extract, research shows that the antimicrobial activities of the combined phenolics has a similar or better effect than any one individual biophenol. (18) To date, there are no human clinical trials which evaluate the effect of olive leaf extract against pathogens for common infections.”
Olive leaf tea is one of the most common, traditional herbal teas used among Mediterranean people to treat disease. (38) It has been used for centuries for the treatment of conditions and diseases such as the common cold, malaria and tropical illnesses.
According to an April 14, 2020 article in Guardian.com, “Greece’s efforts at keeping the country virus-safe appear to be paying off: in a population of just over 11 million, there were, 2,145 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 99 fatalities, far lower than elsewhere in Europe. Italy to date has registered 20,465 deaths.”
“We have seen the power of preventative and natural medicines like the olive tree. We have been using olive leaf tea, olive oil and other natural remedies, elixirs and decoctions made at our juice bar, including fervent prayers to keep us, our family and our customers safe. So far we have been doing fine. Some customers who have complained of viral symptoms are also improving quickly. We offer free olive tea to all essential workers including pastors.” said Dr. Lord.
Dr. Simone Lord is a board certified naturopathic doctor who teaches the proper use of plant medicines and herbal remedies. She operates Mother Earth Juice Bar & Health Food Store in Queens, NY. For webinars and speaking engagements please visit http://www.DrSimoneLord.com
References:
Healthline.com
Archaeology.com
- Roxas M. Jurenka J. Colds and Influenza: A review of diagnosis and conventional, botanical and nutritional considerations. Alt Med Rev. 2007.2(1):25-48.
- Lee O, Lee B. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of individual and combinedphenolics in Olea europaea leaf extract. Bioresour Technol. 2010;101:3751–4.
- Sudjana A, D’Orazio C, Ryan V, et al. Antimicrobial activity of commercial Olea europaea (olive) leaf extract. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2009;33:461–3.
- Omar S. Oleuropein in olive and its pharmacological effects. Sci Pharm. 2010;78:133–54.
- Malik S. Antibacterial activity of olive (Olea europaea) leaves and arugula (Eruca sativa) seeds extract. IJPPR. 2015;7(2):307–10.
- Altemimi A. A study of the protective properties of Iraqi leaves against oxidation and pathogenic bacteria in food applications. Antioxidants (Basel). 2017;6(2): pii: E34. doi: 10.3390/antiox6020034.
- Shah F, Hasan Z, Zaidi K. Phytochemical constituents and synergistic activity of Olive leaf extracta Europaea plant extracts against some human disease-causing species. 2017. J Microbiol Exp. 4(5): 00127.
- Debib A, Boukhatem N. Phenolic content, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of “Chemlali’ olive leaf (Olive leaf extracta europaea L.) extracts. Int J Pharmacol Phytochem Ethnomed. 2017;6:38–46.
- Hussain A, Qarshi I, Liaqat R, et al. Antimicrobial potential of leaf and fruit extracts and oils of wild and cultivated edible olive. Pak J Bot. 2014;46(4):1463–8.
- Halawi M, Rahman S, Yusef H. Comparative study of the antifungal activity of Olive leaf extracta europaea L. against some pathogenic Candida albicans isolates in Lebanon. Int J Curr Microbiol App Sci. 2015;4(6):970–84.
- Lim A, Subhan M, Jazayeri J, et al. Plant phenols as antibiotic boosters: in vitro interaction of olive leaf phenols with ampicillin. Phytother Res. 2016;30(3):503–9
- Sedef N, Karakaya S. Olive tree (Olea europaea) leaves: potential beneficial effects on human health. Nutr Rev. 2009;67(11):632–8
