MEDICINAL PLANTS

The olive is a small tree belonging to the family of Oleaceae. It has a thick trunk, irregular and twisted as it becomes more thick. The leaves are elliptical, entire, narrow, pointed, glossy green and the beam and whitish on the underside. The flowers are small and white and arranged in axillary bunches. The cup is tiny and the corolla is of a piece. It grows wild, either isolated or forming ACEBUCHAL lowland near the sea in the provinces of Mediterranean and Atlantic coast of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands. It is supposed to originate in the eastern Mediterranean.

FLOWERING

It blooms in May or even earlier. Mainly interested harvest the fruit, the olive-known, although the leaf is used in some preparations. The olive oil-more commonly-called "cherry" in Latin, is very diverse in shape and size depending on the breed of olive concerned. It may be 2 to 4 cm. The widest point, is bitter, yellowish green or purple in some varieties and a very hard stone enclosing the seed. The olive harvest takes place in winter-hard work by the climatic conditions characteristic of that time. The leaves may be harvested in any month of the year and kept no more concern than once dry, indoor storage and dry, always protected from moisture.

APPLICATIONS

The olive leaves contain a glycoside called oleuropein. They also have sugar, tannin and resin materials. The fruits are fleshy part in a lot of oil, why is a tree so beloved, since for some years now globally recognized the great qualities of olive oil over other oils on the market. It is also a fat that takes a long time rancid and therefore very useful in pharmacy to prepare numerous medications. The leaves are slightly febrifuge and also have antihypertensive properties. Besides behaving as a good diuretic action is reinforced by the flavonoids and potassium salts having in its composition. The oil-apart from having a high nutritional value recognized in all five continents, has a cholesterol-lowering action, mild laxative and emollient in topical application.

ADMINISTRATION

Infusion. They take about 40 g. Crushed fresh leaves per liter of boiling water. This infusion can take up to three cups a day.
Oil. Two or three tablespoons of olive oil taken fasting with lemon juice act as a laxative, cholagogue or inflammatory bowel disease. In the pharmaceutical market there are many preparations that contain fruit or leaves.

SUMMARY

FAMILY: Oleaceae
HABITAT: Andalusia
FLOWERING: May
PART USED: Leaf and fruit
CASTILIAN: Aceituno
CATALAN: Oliu
BASQUE: Olibo
GALICIAN: Oliveira

USES

Vasodilator Moderate, Diuretic Moderate, Mild antiseptic.