Cyprus and the Olive Tree

I have been busy researching, writing and painting for my book 'Cyprus and the Olive tree' One of the chapters covers the history of the Olive tree or Olea Europaea, the myths and legends as well as the many different uses and beneficial properties of this amazing tree.

The olive tree is the oldest and most important fruit tree in our history, thought to have originated in Asia Minor before establishing itself in the Mediterranean. On the island of Crete, there are some beautiful Minoan fresco paintings featuring the olive tree that date back to 3500 BC. In spain, olive seeds have been found that are eight thousand years old.

In Greek mythology, the Goddess Athena created an Olive tree as a gift to aid mankind. The Gods were so impressed they named the city Athens after her. Athena is often shown with an olive branch as a symbol of peace and abundance.
The Egyptians believed the Goddess Isis taught humans how to cultivate olives and in the Islamic world, 'the value of the Olive tree extends beyond that of a food crop, since the time of Adam, the Olive has been said to represent those seeking God through Science in vibrational herbal medicine'.

The 'Tree of Life' referred to in many religious texts, is thought to be the Olive tree'. If so it is easy to understand why. The olive trees low nutritional requirements, resistance to disease and tolerance to drought and salinity, make them incredibly hardy and long lasting. They can live for over a thousand years, with some said to be between three and five thousand years old. Once established, they would have provided a continuous source of food, oil and wealth to successive generations.

I was very interested to read about the healing properties of the Olive tree, particularly the leaves. Olive leaf extract is said to be one of the best antimicrobial products available and a marvellous substitute for antibiotics. The leaves contain a compound called Oleuropein, which has 23 ingredients, including Elenolic acid. The Elenolic acid combines with Calcium to form Elenolate.

During the 1960's - 1970's research conducted by the Upjohn company in Michigan and published by the American Society for Microbiology, found that the active compounds Elenol acid and Calcium Elenolate inhibited the growth of every virus, bacteria and fungus they were tested against. Perhaps Olive leaf extract is one of nature's defences against the rampant 'super bugs' that are now resistant to almost every known antibiotic?

For more detailed and authoratative information, Dr Morton Walker a health writer, investigator and Author has written a wonderful book called 'Olive leaf extract' .

Here is a home made 'Olive Leave Tincture' kindly given to me, with permission to publish, by Paul Blake aka The Herb Professor. www.theherbprof.com

HOME MADE OLIVE LEAF TINCTURE

Take some freshly picked olive leaves, enough to almost fill a blender. Paul advices that the optimum time to pick the leaves is just as the flower buds are taking shape prior to opening up.

Place the leaves in a large clean bowl with 1/2 cup of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of salt, to clean off the dust and air pollutants, then rinse thoroughly with clean water.

Take the clean olive leaves and place them inside a blender until it is 3/4 full.

Pour some grain alcohol ( vodka or gin 100 proof ) over the leaves to completley cover them. (grain alcohol is an excellent extractor for most herbs)

Cover and blend until the leaves are finely chopped and the contents look like a green smoothie. If the blender is running slow, swithch off and add a little more alcohol.

Pout the contents into some clean jars, cover and leave in a cool dark place.

shake each jar once a day for 3 months, to allow the alcohol to extract all the healing properties of the olive leaves.

Take a large clean bowl and cover with a clean sheet of muslin or sim ilar material.

Pour the contents of the jar onto the cloth, carefully bring up the edges and twist to form a pouch.

Slowly squeeze and twist the pouch to release as much of, what is now the tincture, into the bowl. Discard the remaining leaves.

The tincture can be stored in amber coloured glass dropper bottles. You can make your own labels for them.

Stored in a cool dark place, the tincture has an indeffinate shelf life.

For more information on uses and dosage please visit Pauls website at www.theherbprof.com