From the very ancient period, olive oil is being used as an essential component of the Mediterranean diet. But it is widely used all over the world for its enormous health benefits. It was found in different studies that the components of olive oil have widespread anti-oxidant, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, and cardio-protective properties.
As related to our website, we will discuss the use of olive oil and different olive products in urinary problems. After reading this article, you will get an understanding of how olive oil improves your kidney and bladder health, the role of olive oil in infection prevention, its use in urinary tract infection, and so on. We will also discuss in brief the use of olive oil as a personal lubricant and the use of essential oils in UTI. Let’s start.
Does olive oil have anti-microbial effects?
It may be a bit of technical discussion, but don’t worry. The scientific terms will be simplified for your better understanding.
We often get diseased due to a lot of microorganisms which include bacteria, viruses, and fungus. Antibiotics works against bacteria; anti-viral against viruses; and anti-fungal are required in fungal infections. Different types of drugs for different kinds of causative organisms are available in the market.
But surprisingly olive oil and various olive products show anti-microbial properties against various bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Bacterial resistance against various antimicrobial agents is one of the main culprits in treatment failure. Natural products in the form of olive and their constituents are a good therapeutic approach in the management of infectious diseases and also they are economical, devoid of side effects.
It was reported in different studies that olive leaf, seed extract shows a vital role in the inhibition of bacterial activity both in-vivo(within the living body) and in-vitro(outside the body).
An important study based on olive leaf activity against bacteria such as Campylobacter jejuni, Helicobacter pylori, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) showed anti-microbial activity.
An important study showed that Virgin olive oil has a protective effect against foodborne pathogens and olive oil also reduced the count of inoculated Salmonella enteritidis and Listeria monocytogenes in salad and mannose.
Helicobacter pylori is the main culprit in stomach cancer and is also responsible for gastric cancer. Another interesting study showed the antimicrobial activity of olive oil against the Gram-negative bacteria Helicobacter pylori.
One study reported that different constituents of olive play a significant role as inhibitory effects or slow down the growth of various types of bacteria and fungi.
In the support of olive as an antimicrobial, a study has shown that olive hydroxytyrosol might be considered a promising antimicrobial agent for treating human infections. Olive oil vegetation water acts as toxic for both phytopathogenic Pseudomonas syringae (Gram-negative) and Corynebacterium michiganense (Gram-positive) bacteria.
Olive leaves’ phenolic compounds were also evaluated against several microorganisms that are causative agents of human intestinal and respiratory tract infections including Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus, B. subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus), Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae), and fungi including Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans.
The leaf extracts showed an unusual combined antibacterial and antifungal activity at low concentrations against the stated species which suggests their potential as nutraceuticals.
Olive leaf extracts exhibited relatively high antimicrobial activity against Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Note that Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are responsible for urinary tract infections. We will discuss this later.
A very effective compound of olive leaves extract is Oleuropein. Along with the antibacterial activity, it contains powerful antiviral activities against some viruses such as herpes mononucleosis, hepatitis virus, rotavirus, bovine rhinovirus, canine parvovirus, and feline leukemia virus. Some studies also reported that oleuropein has vital antiviral activity against viruses including respiratory syncytial virus and parainfluenza type 3 viruses.
The summary is olive compounds have significant activity against a lot of microbes which play an important role in infection prevention including Urinary Tract Infection.
Did you know Neam also have antibacterial activity against UTI bacteria
Does olive oil promote kidney and urinary bladder health?
You will be surprised to know that olive oil is highly effective to prevent kidney diseases.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a type of illness that leads to death day by day. It often remains asymptomatic and is only detected at an advanced stage when treatment options are limited. Renal transplantation is an option but that is very costly and difficult. CKD is a great economical burden for the patient and family.
But fortunately, extra virgin olive oil may help to prevent the development of CKD. Hypertension is one of the leading causes of CKD and multiple studies on animal model shows that extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) may protect against hypertension and kidney injury.
Many toxins and drugs (e.g. amikacin) may injure your kidney leading to CKD. It is found that EVOO reduces the development of drug-induced kidney injury.
Kidney stone is another common condition that may be prevented by olive oil. There are various types of kidney stones. Among those oxalate stone is caused by hyperoxaluria. A study showed that supplementation with olive oil reduced and prevented the growth of urinary stones. And you know the urinary stone is related to recurrent urinary tract infection. Preventing stones will help you to prevent UTI too.
Extra virgin olive oil also promotes bladder wall health and helps to prevent urinary bladder cancer. It also aids in the action of anti-cancer drugs to treat bladder neoplasm. Recent studies support the epidemiological evidence of this health benefit indicating that olive oil may represent a starting point for the development of new anticancer strategies.
Does olive oil help to prevent UTI?
Can you guess the answer? If you have read the former paragraphs carefully, you will definitely say, yes. Olive oil and olive leaf extracts can inhibit a lot of microorganisms. Among those, there are some uropathogenic organisms too.
As you have learned that olive leaves’ phenolic compounds can inhibit Pseudomonas and E. Coli bacteria. These two are notorious for causing UTI. Olive oil also prevents urinary stone and promote bladder wall health. Considering all of these we can theoretically conclude that, olive compounds should be able to prevent UTI.
But there are some problems. To be able to kill the organisms from the urinary tract, any drugs/must be secreted in urine in the required concentration. Our body metabolizes the olive compounds before excretion through urine. So it is not possible to ensure the availability of those compounds in urine.
Olive oil can also be used as a carrier for essential oil which shows promising results in UTI. We will discuss that in the upcoming part of the article.
However, we often get patients who claim that olive oil helped them to get rid of recurrent UTI. But still, enough studies are not available to prove or deny that claim. Hope future studies will help us to get the required evidence. Till then, we recommend you take olive oil as a supplement but don’t avoid the regular antibiotic regimen if once get infected.
Learn more about antibiotics for UTI
In short, olive oil can kill the bacteria that is most responsible for causing UTIs like E. Coli and Pseudomonas, but it can’t reach where that bacteria is residing in the human body, which is in urine, during the infection, in sufficient amounts to execute an antibacterial effect.
Can olive oil be used as a personal lubricant in UTI patients?
You might have heard this question. Olive oil was used as a personal lubricant for hundreds of years. But its safety and suitability as a lubricant are controversial. There are both advantages and disadvantages of using olive oil as a personal lubricant during sexual intercourse.
It is widely available, not so greasy and a small amount can provide lubrication for long period. And due to its antimicrobial properties, it may help to prevent urinary tract infection. You must have heard the term “honeymoon cystitis”. It means the occurrence of UTI after sex. Using olive oil as lubricant will not only prevent wear & and tear around the urethra, but also add antibiotic effect.
But there are some drawbacks. Olive oil is not water-soluble, so it may be difficult to clean up which is not optimal for UTI patients because you want that area around the genitalia as clean as possible. And it may disrupt the condoms. So, avoid it if you are using a barrier method for contraception.
Does essential oil help to treat UTI?
This topic is being discussed here because olive oil is often considered as one of the best carrier oil to use essential oil. Antibiotics are the mainstay of treating UTI. But the scope is being limited due to increasing antimicrobial resistance. So alternative ways are being investigated to combat infection.
A promising result was found in studies with essential oils. Various essential oils like cinnamon oil, thyme oil, etc. showed profound efficacy against different bacteria. A study to evaluate the effect of essential oils on uropathic organisms revealed promising evidence. Some inhibit bacterial growth and some potentiate the action of antibiotics. So, essential oils may be a safe weapon to combat urinary tract infection.
How to use olive oil and leaf extracts for UTI?
The simplest way to take olive oil is with food. Olive oil is an essential part of the Mediterranean diet for thousands of years. And it has so many health benefits. So you can use olive oil to cook food, which will even enrich your food with nutrients. You can also take it with salad or bread. Extra virgin olive oil will be best for eating as it is unprocessed and retains all of its nutrients.
You can take extra virgin olive oil with or without food. However, EVOO tastes bitter and you may not like to take it directly without food. To avoid the bitter taste, you may think about diluting olive oil with water. But actually, oil and water do not mix. You can take water during or after swallowing it to alleviate the taste. However, it can be mixed/diluted with other vegetable or canola oil safely if required.
For UTI, you may think about taking olive oil directly in the urethra. But that is not recommended. Direct inoculation of olive oil into the urinary tract may cause harm to the urethral mucosa. However, in the case of honeymoon cystitis, it may be used around the urogenital orifice and as a sexual lubricant.
Olive leaf extract is available as capsules, liquids, and tinctures. You can use any of those. The standard dose is 0.5-1 gm/day.
If you want to take olive products for urinary tract infection, the olive leaf extract will be better than the oil. Though olive oil has a lot of health benefits like anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive effects, leaf extract has a more potent antibacterial effect. You have already read that olive leaf extract is effective against uropathogenic bacteria like Pseudomonas and Escherichia coli.
These are just olive oils that my mom uses.
Which will be the best brand for olive oil?
It is a difficult question to answer in short. Because the taste and quality of olive oil vary according to its country of origin and season of cultivation. And the availability of different brands varies in different countries. We like to discuss some features of pure extra virgin olive oil. It will help you to choose the best one from your local market.
Tips to choose the best EVOO:
- Look for the country of origin. There should be a certification from IOC( International Olive Council) or NAOOA (North American Olive Oil Association).
- Look for the brand with dark or opaque bottles. Olive oil may lose its quality in bright light. So it is best preserved in dark-colored containers.
- Check the manufacturing date. Try to buy the newer one. Unlike alcohol, it loses quality over time.
Now you will get a list of 5 brands that are praised by consumers and experts all over the world:
- California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Rincon de la Subbetica Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Balcon del Guadalquivir Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Oliveira da Serra – Seleccaoouro Extra Virgin Olive Oil
It is tough to recommend a single one for you. The California Olive Ranch and Filippo Berio EVOO are placed top because you will get a combination of cost and quality with those. If you are a beginner, any of these two may be a good choice.
However, the next three brands mentioned above are chosen from the ranking of world’s best olive oil of 2021. If affordable, you can pick any of those without hesitation. And these are not the least. Go through your local market and find out the available best.
Summary
Olive oil and olive leaf extract have numerous health benefits including the prevention of infection. It promotes bladder health and helps to prevent UTI and honeymoon cystitis. But still, there is no clinical trial available and it can’t replace the regular antibiotic regimen. But it will definitely strengthen your protection against UTI and help you to get early recovery. So, continue following your doctor’s advice and take olive as a supplement.