HerbalEGram: Volume 4, Number 9, September 2007

In a recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, an olive (Olea europaea) fruit water extract supplement* helped to decrease pain and inflammation in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).¹ The trial has been published in the August issue of the journal Nutrition Research.

The 8-week trial was conducted by researchers from Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute and from CreAgri Inc. (Hayward, CA), producers of the special olive vegetation water (OVW) supplement. In total, 90 OA and RA patients, aged 55 to 75, all of whom were on various conventional pharmaceutical medications, completed the trial. Patients took 2 capsules twice each day, containing either the supplement of 100 mg freeze-dried OVW or a placebo.

By the end of the study, patients in the treatment group showed statistically significant improvements in specific activities of daily living compared to the placebo group, as determined by the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index. Although not statistically significant, the placebo group also showed some improvement over time. Both the treatment and placebo groups showed significant improvement in joint pain and arthritis severity, based on physician assessment; however only patients with OA in the OVW treatment group showed significant improvement in regards to pain and swelling according to the Disease Activity Score with 28-Joint Count index when compared with placebo group.

C-reactive protein (CRP) —a measurement of inflammation—was significantly reduced in patients taking the OVW supplement, particularly in those patients diagnosed with RA. Additionally, RA patients in the treatment group also experienced significantly lower serum homocysteine levels compared to those given placebo. High levels of homocysteine are common to RA patients and are thought to contribute to a high rate of cardiovascular mortality. According to the study’s authors, reductions in CRP and homocysteine levels could, in theory, benefit the cardiovascular health of those taking the OVW supplement. The supplement proved to be safe and was well tolerated by participants.

The authors wrote, “Introducing a natural and safe food extract into the diet may have the same or better beneficial effects as an intervention diet. Unlike current medications that have been found to place users at risk for [cardiovascular disease], OVW acts both as an anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective agent.”

-Courtney Cavaliere

* The olive fruit material is a patented preparation produced by CreAgri Inc., Hayward, CA. According to the paper, the OVW is described as follows: “Manzanilla olive fruit were de-pitted; and the pit-less olive pulp was pressed to yield a liquid phase mixture composed of olive oil, vegetation water, and solids by a mechanical device. Solids were removed from the liquid phase mixture by centrifugation. The oil and aqueous fractions were separated by centrifugation, and the aqueous phase was collected. The aqueous olive fraction was treated with citric acid (1%) for 6 months. The olive water fraction was freeze dried, yielding a golden brown crystalline product containing at least 6% simple phenols and polyphenols. The freeze-dried product was processed into vegetarian-based capsules, each containing 100 mg of freeze-dried product. The capsules were given to the OVW treatment group.”

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