HIGHLY ACTIVE ANTIOXIDANT
PROTECTION OF PROTEIN DAMAGE BY UV LIGHT
Olives function as a highly active antioxidant in the body. Antioxidants are bioactive molecules which are present in many plants, but not all of them exhibit the same levels of activity. The olive leaves have an ORAC value (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity — the ability to absorb cell-damaging free radicals) of about 4,000,000 μmolTE/100 g — which is considered to be 15 times higher than green tea, and 3 times higher than the ORAC of Coenzyme Q10 and quercetin. Well-documented studies confirm their anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant and cardioprotective health benefits. Olive leaves have some very special characteristics which contribute to their effectiveness. They are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and tissues, where they can perform their free radical scavenging duties. They contain the only phenol that is able to cross the blood-brain barrier, which allows it to also absorb free radicals throughout the central nervous system. They also contain a metabolite of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which may play a role in neuroprotection. Olive oil polyphenols offer additional benefits when incorporated into topical formulations, including the following:
The delivery of the polyphenol anti-oxidant benefits directly to the skin provides an all-natural approach to the prevention of free-radical damage. They minimize the appearance of lines and wrinkles while brightening and evening the skin tone. Extremely gentle and non-irritating, they are safe for even the most sensitive skin. Olive oil polyphenols protect from the signs of premature aging. Researchers worldwide have found out that olive leaves polyphenols can actually slow the skin aging process by stabilizing the part of the cell known as the cell plasma membrane. The extract of olive leaves directly inhibits melanin formation in vitro on human melanocytes by inhibiting tyrosinase maturation. The reason might be an increase of the glutathione level. The increased glutathione level, on its behalf, provides two major effects: It leads to the formation of pheomelanin, the light and easy soluble melanin type. At the same time, glutathione acts as a strong body owned antioxidant and protects the skin from all kinds of oxidative stress: stress initiated by UV-rays, by autoxidation or by other sources. Publications show that olive leaves also protect the human melanocytes in vitro from protein damage, induced by long-wave UV light, and reduce the release of inflammation inhibitors like Cox-2 in macrophages.