Everything you need to know about Bonolive® and women’s health

Maastricht, 29th March, 2024

How do we define women’s health?

Woman’s health encompasses a range of physical, emotional, and mental aspects. Good health allows women to engage in daily activities with ease and vitality. It enables them to pursue their goals, whether personal or professional, without being limited by health issues. Hence, women’s quality of life is largely dependent on their health and mental status (1, 2).

A pivotal milestone in a woman’s life is the menopause, primarily characterized by hormonal fluctuations, particularly a decrease in oestrogen levels. This hormonal imbalance may have implications for women’s physical and mental health. However, with proper support and a holistic approach, the individual needs of each woman can be catered for.

How can we support women’s health (particularly during menopause)?

Women’s quality of life benefits from a holistic approach, including a comprehensive and integrated plan that addresses physical, mental, emotional, and social aspects of well-being (3). The top 3 strategies to support women’s health are listed below:

1. Nutrition: Encouraging a balanced and nutritious diet is fundamental to women’s health. Emphasize whole foods, plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats, and whole grains. Proper nutrition supports hormone balance, bone health, immune function, and overall vitality (4).
2. Regular Exercise: Physical activity is essential for maintaining a healthy weight, reducing the risk of chronic diseases, improving mood, and enhancing overall well-being (5). It is advisable for women to engage in regular exercise that they enjoy, whether it’s walking, swimming, yoga, or strength training.
3. Stress Management: Chronic stress can negatively impact women’s health. Teach stress management techniques such as mindfulness meditation, deep breathing exercises, yoga, or progressive muscle relaxation. Encouraging women to prioritize self-care activities would help them relax and unwind.

Exploring nutritional solutions for women’s health

As explained above, nutrition is a top priority to maintain and support health status. If we zoom in on women’s needs during peri- and post-menopause, we can explore in more detail what are the micronutrients that could provide a benefit during this stage of life. Typically, menopause is accompanied by acute symptoms such as bloating, night sweats, hot flashes, and long-term ones like loss of bone mineral density or imbalance in blood lipid profile.

Fortunately, there are quite a few nutritional strategies to explore in terms of lowering the risk of the above-mentioned conditions (6). For example, the sufficient intake of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids (7) is important for lipids metabolism as well as skin health. Furthermore, vitamin D (8) contributes to mineral turnover and bone health. In addition, olive polyphenols like oleuropein have great potential to support women in menopause by lowering the risk of bone loss and alleviating joint pain (9, 10).

What is oleuropein?

Oleuropein is the primary polyphenol found in olives and olive leaves (11). It contributes to the bitter taste of olives, especially the unripe ones. This compound has gained recent attention due to its potential health benefits for the human body such as anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties (12). Research suggests that it could support cardiovascular health by improving blood lipid levels. Oleuropein is also studied for its potential to aid bone health and skin health as it may reduce chronic inflammation. Moreover, Solabia Nutrition is the pioneer in research innovations with oleuropein and it is now under investigation for supporting women’s health, especially during and post-menopause.

How can oleuropein support women’s health?

Oleuropein may offer several potential benefits for women’s health during various stages of life, including menopause. Here’s how oleuropein can support women’s health:

• Bone Health: During menopause, women are at an increased risk of osteoporosis due to declining estrogen levels. Oleuropein has been shown to promote bone health by stimulating osteoblast activity (cells responsible for bone formation) and inhibiting osteoclast activity (cells responsible for bone resorption) (13). By supporting bone density and strength, oleuropein may help reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures in postmenopausal women.
• Cardiovascular Health: Cardiovascular risk increases after menopause, partly due to changes in hormone levels. Oleuropein has been found to have cardioprotective effects, including lowering blood pressure, reducing LDL cholesterol levels, and improving endothelial function (the function of blood vessel lining) (14). These benefits may help support heart health in women, particularly postmenopausal women.
• Anti-inflammatory Effects: Menopause is associated with increased inflammation in the body, which may contribute to various health issues such as joint pain, cardiovascular complications, and cognitive decline. Oleuropein has potent anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, potentially alleviating symptoms and reducing the risk of chronic diseases associated with inflammation.
• Immune Support: The immune system can undergo changes during menopause, potentially leading to increased susceptibility to infections and immune-related conditions. Oleuropein exhibits antimicrobial properties and may help support immune function by inhibiting the growth of bacteria, viruses, and fungi (14). By bolstering the immune system, oleuropein may contribute to maintaining women’s health and resilience to infections.
• Hormonal Balance: Although more research is needed, some studies suggest that oleuropein may potentially help alleviate menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, and skin dryness by modulating hormone levels.
• Skin Health: oleuropein holds promise in lowering skin inflammation and supporting skin hydration due to its moisturising and antimicrobial properties (14, 15). vigorous research is currently ongoing in this area, as technological advancements allow for accurate monitoring of improvements in skin health parameters.

Is oleuropein scientifically proven to support women?

There are numerous clinical studies assessing the effects of oleuropein. However, BioActor is the first and only to design clinical studies in the context of women’s health. Three publications in international peer-reviewed journals are testimony of BioActor’s trailblazing research for women’s health. So far, oleuropein emerged as a promising ingredient to support women peri- and post-menopause.

1. Firstly, a 12-month oleuropein intake resulted in a significant increase in osteocalcin, a marker for bone formation (12). The intervention group also maintained bone mineral density. Additional outcomes were the significant reduction in LDL-cholesterol and total triglycerides in the intervention group, compared to placebo.
2. Secondly, pain during walking was significantly decreased after 6 months intervention compared to baseline (16). Importantly, oleuropein intake was well tolerated, therefore it may be considered for long-term intake to relieve joint discomfort and improve mobility.
3. Moreover, postmenopausal women exhibited elevated blood plasma concentrations of Bonolive® metabolites. These findings suggest that the bioavailability of Bonolive® is particularly high in post-menopausal women compared to pre-menopausal women (17). Moreover, MDA a marker for antioxidant status significantly improved in post-menopausal women.

Overall, oleuropein has already shown excellent potential in supporting women’s health and menopause concerns. Therefore, our research group continues to investigate the effects of this ingredient on factors related to women’s health and menopause.

What is Bonolive®?

Bonolive® is Solabia Nutrition’s patented olive leaf extract standardized for high levels of oleuropein. This all-natural ingredient is clinically validated in post-menopausal women to support women’s health during post-menopause, notably by:

• Enhancing the number and activity of bone-producing cells (osteoblasts)
• Stabilizing bone mineral density (18)
• Improving blood lipids/lowering bad cholesterol
• Improving mobility/reducing joint pain
• Alleviating menopause symptoms related to mood and skin appearance (19, 20).

The history of Bonolive®

It all started with the breakthrough research of Professor Veronique Coxam on the bone protective properties of oleuropein at the French research institute INRA. Her colleague Marie-Noelle Horcajada continued working on the joint health benefits of Bonolive® at Nestlé Health Science. In parallel, BioActor’s CSO, Dr Yala Stevens and principal scientist Maria Imperatrice have been spearheading the research on Bonolive’s bioavailability and peri-menopause-related effects. More than 150 women took part in our studies as volunteers.

How are the olive leaves sourced?

Olive leaves provide the oleuropein present in Bonolive®. The olive plantation that provides the leaves for Bonolive® is situated near Cordoba, Spain. During the pruning season, the fresh leaves are collected and stored in a special environment to preserve the oleuropein content for extraction. This is an upcycling process, with the olive leaves being a clean and environmentally friendly source of oleuropein for Bonolive®.

Who can benefit from taking Bonolive®?

Bonolive® is a high-quality, 100% clean and scientifically backed ingredient, designed for women by women. Bonolive® targets specifically women in peri- and post-menopause, who need tailored support throughout this important life stage (21). Our latest consumer study suggests that women experiencing acute symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, and night sweats may notice improvements after just two weeks of use (22).

Easy formulation options with Bonolive®

Bonolive® is a great addition to any product formulation targeting women’s health, specifically menopause concerns. It has a convenient clinically validated dose of 250 mg which fits quite well in capsules. This ingredient is also lipids- and water soluble and can be formulated into softgels, effervescent tablets or beverages. It is also suitable for direct compression in the form of tablets.

Current products on the market often combine Bonolive® with other minerals, vitamins and botanicals suitable to support women’s health such as calcium, magnesium, iron, vitamins B, C & D etc. Our team can also offer formulation advice and guidance according to your specific projects.

Bonolive® is a safe solution for menopause support

Moreover, Bonolive® is well tolerated and suitable for long-term consumption to support menopausal women. Bonolive does not contain oestrogens, as opposed to isoflavones. BioActor commissioned extensive safety studies with Bonolive that have been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Recently, the US FDA approved the GRAS status of Bonolive for inclusion in functional foods and beverages, further affirming its high quality and safety standards.