Home Ingredients Osteol® (Olive Polyphenol Extract)
Bone HealthCardiovascular

Osteol® (Olive Polyphenol Extract)

Olea europaea
Evidence Level
Limited
1 Clinical Trial
3 Documented Benefits
2/5 Evidence Score

Osteol® is a standardized olive (Olea europaea) polyphenol extract studied for bone health. The one twelve-month human trial behind this page tested Bonolive, a branded olive leaf extract supplied and paid for by BioActor, so the evidence here is borrowed from another company's material. In that trial the extract raised osteocalcin, a blood marker of bone-building activity, and lowered total and LDL cholesterol in postmenopausal women with low bone density. The authors called the study exploratory, and it did not show stronger bones: the difference in spine bone density between the two groups was not statistically significant.

Studied Dose In the trials, 250 mg per day of olive leaf extract standardized to about 40 percent oleuropein, which supplies roughly 100 mg of oleuropein. In the bone trial both groups also took 1000 mg of calcium daily.
Active Compound Standardized olive polyphenol extract concentrated for oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol.

Benefits

Bone formation

In one 12-month randomized trial in 64 women after menopause with thinning bones, an olive leaf extract raised serum osteocalcin by about 32 percent while it fell about 6 percent on calcium alone. Osteocalcin is a blood marker of bone-building activity, not a measure of bone strength or bone density. In the same trial the bone-breakdown marker CTX rose by a similar amount in both groups, and spine bone density fell less with the extract but not by a statistically significant margin.

Supported by Trial 1

Heart health

In that same trial, as a secondary outcome, total cholesterol fell by about 26 mg/dL on the extract versus about 16 mg/dL on calcium alone, and LDL cholesterol fell by about 35 mg/dL versus about 20 mg/dL. Triglycerides fell slightly on the extract while rising on calcium alone. HDL did not differ between the groups. A separate 8-week randomized trial of a different olive leaf extract in 77 adults with mildly raised cholesterol found no effect on cholesterol, triglycerides or blood pressure, so this finding is not settled.

Supported by Trial 1

Antioxidant support

Oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol behave as antioxidants in laboratory testing. No antioxidant or oxidative-stress outcome was measured in the human trial cited here, so this is a laboratory observation rather than a demonstrated effect on bone or blood vessels in people.

Supported by Trial 1

Mechanism of action

1

Bone-cell signaling

In laboratory and animal work, olive polyphenols increase the activity of bone-building osteoblasts at the expense of fat-cell formation in the marrow. That preclinical idea is what the human trial set out to explore; it was not measured directly in people.

2

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action

Lowering oxidative stress and inflammation is the proposed explanation for olive polyphenol effects on bone and blood vessels, based on laboratory models. Neither oxidative stress nor inflammation was measured in the human trial cited here.

Clinical trials

1
Bonolive Olive Leaf Extract and Bone Markers, 12-Month Exploratory RCT
PubMed

Twelve-month double-blind randomized trial that its own authors call exploratory, run to get a first insight into how an olive extract affects bone turnover in 64 postmenopausal women with osteopenia, meaning a lumbar spine bone density T-score between -1.5 and -2.5. Both groups took 1000 mg of calcium daily and the treatment group added 250 mg of Bonolive, a branded olive leaf extract from BioActor, which funded the trial and employs two of the authors. The primary endpoints were bone turnover markers measured in blood, not bone density or fractures. (Filip et al. 2015, Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging)

Postmenopausal women with osteopenia.

Serum osteocalcin rose about 32 percent on the extract and fell about 6 percent on calcium alone. The bone-breakdown marker CTX rose by a similar amount in both groups. Lumbar spine bone density fell 1.9 percent on calcium alone and 0.9 percent with the extract, a difference the authors state was not statistically significant between groups, and femoral neck density did not change in either group. Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides improved significantly versus calcium alone, while HDL did not change. No serious adverse events were linked to the treatment.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

Generally well-tolerated — adverse effects are uncommon at normal doses.
Mild digestive upset is occasionally reported.
Stop taking it if any unusual reaction occurs. Osteopenia and osteoporosis are diagnosed medical conditions; if a scan has shown you have bone loss, work with your doctor rather than relying on a supplement.

Important Drug interactions

Blood pressure or anticoagulant medication — olive polyphenols may have additive effects; monitor.
Generally compatible with a healthy diet.
Tell your doctor if you take cardiovascular medication.

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Frequently asked questions about Osteol® (Olive Polyphenol Extract)

What is Osteol?

Osteol® is a standardized olive (Olea europaea) polyphenol extract studied for bone health. The one twelve-month human trial behind this page tested Bonolive, a branded olive leaf extract supplied and paid for by BioActor, so the evidence here is borrowed from another company's material.

What is Osteol used for?

Osteol is researched primarily for Bone Health and Cardiovascular. In one 12-month randomized trial in 64 women after menopause with thinning bones, an olive leaf extract raised serum osteocalcin by about 32 percent while it fell about 6 percent on calcium alone.

What is the recommended dosage of Osteol?

The clinically studied dose is In the trials, 250 mg per day of olive leaf extract standardized to about 40 percent oleuropein, which supplies roughly 100 mg of oleuropein. In the bone trial both groups also took 1000 mg of calcium daily. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is Osteol safe, and does it have side effects?

For most healthy adults, Osteol is well tolerated at studied doses. Reported effects can include: Generally well-tolerated — adverse effects are uncommon at normal doses. Mild digestive upset is occasionally reported. It may also interact with some medications. Osteol is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does Osteol interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Blood pressure or anticoagulant medication — olive polyphenols may have additive effects; monitor. Generally compatible with a healthy diet. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Osteol?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Osteol as Limited (2 out of 5). It is backed by 1 clinical trial and 3 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(3 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Filip R, Possemiers S, Heyerick A, et al. Twelve-month consumption of a polyphenol extract from olive (Olea europaea) in a double blind, randomized trial increases serum total osteocalcin levels and improves serum lipid profiles in postmenopausal women with osteopenia. J Nutr Health Aging. 2015;19(1):77-86..PubMedUsed to support: Human randomized controlled trial, 64 postmenopausal women with osteopenia, 12 months, described by its own authors as exploratory. It tested Bonolive, a branded olive leaf extract from BioActor, which funded the trial and employs two of the authors; the extract was taken with 1000 mg of calcium and compared against calcium alone. Serum osteocalcin and blood lipids improved, while the between-group differences in bone mineral density and in the bone-breakdown marker CTX were not statistically significant.
  2. Imperatrice M, Lasfar A, van Kalkeren CAJ, et al. Olive Leaf Extract Supplementation Improves Postmenopausal Symptoms: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Parallel Study on Postmenopausal Women. Nutrients. 2024;16(22)..PubMedUsed to support: Second randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of the same branded material, Bonolive olive leaf extract standardized to 40 percent oleuropein, 250 mg per day for 12 weeks in 60 postmenopausal women. Funded by BioActor BV, with two BioActor employees among the authors. Of all the skeletal sites scanned by DXA, bone mineral density improved significantly at only one, the right arm (p=0.019); the lumbar spine, total body and the remaining sites did not change. Triglycerides (p=0.010) and the triglyceride to HDL cholesterol ratio (p=0.029) fell, while total cholesterol (p=0.116), LDL (p=0.232) and HDL (p=0.530) did not change significantly. Qualifies both the bone and the cardiovascular claims on this page and shows the bone density result is still not established after two industry-funded trials.
  3. Stevens Y, Winkens B, Jonkers D, et al. The effect of olive leaf extract on cardiovascular health markers: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. Eur J Nutr. 2021;60(4):2111-2120..PubMedUsed to support: Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial, 77 overweight or obese adults with mildly elevated cholesterol, 8 weeks of an olive leaf extract standardized to 16.7 percent oleuropein supplying 83.5 mg oleuropein daily, funded in part by BioActor BV. Null result: blood lipid levels were not significantly affected at 4 or 8 weeks, and there were no significant differences in oxidised LDL, blood pressure, glucose or insulin. A necessary counterweight to the cardiovascular claim on this page, which rests on a secondary endpoint in a single exploratory trial of a different extract.