Bay Leaf

Bay Leaf

General Features

Bay leaf comes from the laurel family which is a family of evergreen trees and shrubs most commonly found in Asia and America. It is different from other laurels because it originates near the Mediterranean region.

Food Applications

Bay leaves may be used fresh, dried, ground, or whole. The herb is delicately fragrant with a bitter taste and a variety of health benefits that makes it a popular spice for flavoring dishes like soups, stews, and other foods.

Therapeutic Applications 

Bay leaves are a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Adding some bay leaves in meals promotes general health. Leaf contains enzymes that help to breakdown proteins and digest food faster, helping to calm indigestion. It is also useful in the treatment of migraines.

A new study has found that the extract of the bay leaf plant is a natural option that might be able to help preventing breast cancer. The extract may help to kill cancer cells.

Bay leaf essential oil offers antimicrobial and antioxidant benefits.

It has been shown that bay leaf provides antifungal properties.

The active ingredients contained in the bay leaves help dry and stressed skin avoiding the appearance of wrinkles. Because of the healing and anti-inflammatory properties of the bay leaves, they can be used to heal small wounds or cuts or in the treatment of some skin problems such as redness and irritation.

Bay leaf have strong effects on the gastrointestinal system which helps decreasing the toxicity of the body and further helping the body in functioning well. Organic compounds found in bay leaves are effective for settling an upset stomach and soothe irritable bowel syndrome.

Since bay leaves contain polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants, they can help with lowering and managing glucose and cholesterol levels in people with diabetes. A study revealed that taking capsules that contain one to three grams of bay leaf daily is enough to get better results.

Another study also showed that bay leaf extract could help prevent kidney stones.

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