Treating gout with olive leaf tea: how it ended agonising pain for a Croatian olive grower, and why it could work for you too – experts explain

Drinking a tea made of olive leaves – dried or fresh, they are steeped in boiled water for five minutes – proved an effective treatment for painful gout

The antioxidants contained in the leaves – and in the olives and their oil – may have many other qualities for fighting cancer and heart disease, experts say

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Goran Morović overcame agonising gout attacks by regularly drinking olive leaf tea. Photo: Villa Nai

Published: 7:15am, 29 Oct 2022Updated: 8:01am, 29 Oct 2022

Eight years ago Croatian civil engineer Goran Morović was enduring agonising attacks of gout, often brought on after indulging in his favourite snack, Spanish ham.

Gout is a form of painful inflammatory arthritis, usually affecting a single joint. It is often triggered by obesity, high blood pressure, or eating foods such as red meat which can cause a build-up of uric acid in the body. This excess acid may form crystals in the joints which cause extreme pain and swelling.

Morović’s doctors were unable to offer effective solutions. One suggested popping pills, another recommended a diet of green salad and water.

Finally, he met a physician who had suffered from gout himself – and had discovered an unusual cure. “He told me to drink olive leaf tea twice a day, every day, which I’ve done since then. I’ve eaten whatever I like and have never had gout return,” Morović says.

Goran and Nives Morović, founders of Villa Nai. Photo: Villa Nai

Olive leaf tea is made from steeping fresh or dried olive leaves in boiled water for about five minutes. It tastes somewhat like green tea with a slightly bitter taste.