The Russian Olive (aka. Persian Olive, Oleaster; Elaeagnus angustifolia) is a native to Russia, through Western Asia and Europe.
The Russian Olive produces small clusters of very aromatic flowers followed by clusters of small fruits that resemble olives, but are not related, and have a sweet but dry texture.
As the Russian Olive has an ornamental quality and is a vigorous grower, it has been planted in gardens and has escaped cultivation becoming a noxious weed in some areas. It’s ability to fix nitrogen and high seedling survival rates makes it adaptable to spreading in very poor environments.
They are suitable landscape trees otherwise or in agroforestry, as they can be coppiced and often planted for erosion control and as a windbreak.
The fruits can be enjoyed raw or cooked (like in jellies, jams and desserts), but if picked unripe (even slightly) they will be astringent in flavor. There is one single seed and this is also sometimes consumed raw, cooked or used for oil extraction.
The resin is harvested and used for calico printing in the textile industry. The wood is also useful for fuel, carving and making implements and for posts. The leaves have been used as natural dyes. The flowers are used to extract an essential oil that is used in perfumery.
There is interest in the flour as a prebiotic ingredient. It has been found to contain multiple bioactive components including polyphenols, fiber, flavonoids, Sterols, carbohydrates, and protein.
The dried fruit has a history of medicinal use in traditional Persian medicine (mixed with milk) for treating arthritic pain, and there has been some confirmation of this through a randomized controlled clinical trial.
In the clinical trial they found that 300 mg/day of an aqueous extract of Russian Olive fruits had comparable efficacy to 800 md/day ibuprofen in reducing the symptoms of osteoarthritis, while being safe and well tolerated in the trial with no adverse events.
Another study demonstrated the cardioprotective potential of its fruit extracts, revealing their ability to lower blood pressure and improve heart health.
Other conditions for which Russian Olive has been used traditionally include fever, wound healing, dysentery, gastrointestinal complaints, asthma and jaundice. It is the seed oil that is used mostly for respiratory conditions and the flower juice for fevers.
Through pharmacological studies Russian Olives have been found to posses anti-inflammatory, analgesic, gastroprotective, anti-acid, anti-ulcer, antineoplastic, blood pressure regulating, wound healing, antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, analgesic and muscle relaxant activities.
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**This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician.
The Sweet Prebiotic Olive
