Bay Leaves: from Flavouring to Medical Benefits

Green Bay Leaf Wreath on white background

The legends say that once upon a time, bay leaves were used to repel demons, witches, lightning and thunder. It is said that the great Tiberius Caesar Augustus, the second Roman Emperor (reined from AD 14 to 37) had a bay leaf hat to protect him from lightning. Most commonly bay leaves come from an ancient evergreen tree native to the Mediterranean region called Laurus nobilis.

This herb has been around since ancient times and has been used as food flavouring as well as medicinal remedy. The herb is associated with prosperity, honour and fame and has many other ritualistic uses, including protection from misfortune, purification, meditation, accessing higher creative powers, etc. Most importantly this herb lists impressive health benefits in the folk medicine that are yet to be validated by modern medicine.

Harnessing the beneficial effects of bay leaf is easier than one might think in Australia. That is because Bay tree is so easy to grow in pots or garden, but be warned it requires constant pruning.

The leaves are rich in vitamins (specifically vitamin A and C) and minerals including copper, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, selenium and manganese. Furthermore, the leaves contain tannins, flavones, flavonoids, alkaloids, eugenol, linalool, methyl chavicol, and anthocyanins (Batool et al, 2020). Here’s what modern research tells us about bay leaves benefits:

  1. May Improve Lipid Metabolism in Type 2 Diabetes: Just one or 2 grams a day for a minimum of 10 days is able to help decrease risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases for people with type 2 diabetes. (Khan et al, 2009);
  2. May Help Fight Stomach and Duodenal Ulcers: an aqueous extract of bay leaf is as effective as ginger, and nigella in fighting against bacteria (commonly Helicobacter Pyloriis) known to lead to stomach ulcer (Biglar et al, 2014);
  3. Could be useful in wound healing preventing fungal infections: the essential oil from bay leaves has been efficient in combating fungal infections (Candida albicans biofilms) (Freires et al, 2016).

Throughout the history bay leaf has also known for other biological activities including:

  • As a poultice to help with wound healing,
  • As a topical application of the oil to ease the arthritic pain,
  • Bug repellent,
  • Vapour treatment in chest and viral infections,
  • Commonly used in cosmetic creams, perfumes, hair conditioner and soaps.

Bay Leaf Tea

Bay leaf tea is delicious; I love the aromatic fragrance that the leaves release when I make the tea. A coup of bay leaf tea can soothe and relax the body. After work or a stressful day and before bedtime the tea will help you getting into the “zzzzzzzzz” mode in no time. Bay leaf is not a morning tea: save it for the afternoon or evening. The tea should be consumed with caution, as it is known to have some slight narcotic qualities slowing down the central nervous system (Batool et al, 2020).

  • One litre water;
  • 5 bay leaves;
  • Juice of one large lemon;
  • Place ingredients, together, in a pot and bring to a boil. Boil until the liquid reduces to half.
  • Strain and add the lemon juice.
  • Drink the tea after it cools down.

Hair Conditioner. The bay leaf tea can also be used as your best hair conditioner: it will add extra shine to the hair. Use the tea after shampooing your hair.

Safety: If you have a bay leaf tree always make the tea from dried leaves. Fresh Bay leaves have a pungent and bitter taste and should only be used for food flavouring or tea 48 to 72 hours after being harvested. Although, there is insufficient data about the safety of taking bay leaf in pregnancy and breastfeeding it is most probably better to avoid its use during this period.

Ground bay leaf is considered safe when taken in medicinal quantities, less than ¾ of a teaspoon or approximately 3 grams a day, and for a short period (up to maximum 40 days). But, if you cook with whole bay leaf, you must remove it before eating the food. Bay leaf cannot be digested and remains intact in the digestive tract and it may cause piercing of the lining of the intestines.

Final thoughts

Most of the studies I found in my research refer to either in-vitro or testing of bay leaf extracts. As scientific research progresses, we may be able to find out how the savoury leaf makes the jump from being used just as flavouring agent to human medical benefits.

As with all natural products one must manifest caution when embarking on the use of bay leaf for its medicinal properties. When in doubt it is always better to consult and experienced and qualified professional if you feel that your ill-health symptoms require in depth attention.

I would love to hear from you about how you use Bay leaf in your daily life, or if you have any questions please write in the comments below.

References

Batool, S., Khera, R. A., Hanif, M. A., & Ayub, M. A. (2020). Bay Leaf. Medicinal Plants of South Asia, 63–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102659-5.00005-7

Biglar, M., Sufi, H., Bagherzadeh, K., Amanlou, M., & Mojab, F. (2014). Screening of 20 commonly used Iranian traditional medicinal plants against urease. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR, 13(Suppl), 195–198. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3977070/#__ffn_sectitle

Peixoto, L. R., Rosalen, P. L., Ferreira, G. L., Freires, I. A., de Carvalho, F. G., Castellano, L. R., & de Castro, R. D. (2017). Antifungal activity, mode of action and anti-biofilm effects of Laurus nobilis Linnaeus essential oil against Candida spp. Archives of oral biology, 73, 179–185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archoralbio.2016.10.013

Khan, A., Zaman, G., & Anderson, R. A. (2009). Bay leaves improve glucose and lipid profile of people with type 2 diabetes. Journal of clinical biochemistry and nutrition, 44(1), 52–56. https://doi.org/10.3164/jcbn.08-188

Blog COVID19 2020

Stay Home and Stay Safe during COVID19 Pandemic

A Bingo Style Holistic Approach

We are facing unprecedented effects due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When an epidemic of this proportion hits our Planet it is normal to be scared. In our state, non-essential businesses are shut down to preserve health and combat the spread of the Corona virus.

While understanding that physical distancing is essential to stop spreading the virus, w e also have a sense of duty helping our community. We do so by letting you know that we understand the challenges you are facing, because we are experience them ourselves. While quarantined, though perfectly healthy otherwise, in my own sacred space, in this blog I am sharing my Aromatic and Herbal expertise. Thus I have collated eight easy ways that may be helpful and bring some life-rebalancing effects during this “stay-at-home and save life” time.

Obviously you can tweak some of the elements to suit your needs. Bottom line is that this blog is about how to go about loving yourself inside out and stay as healthy as possibly can during these challenging times.

Feel free to use this Bingo style collage as you find fit for your circumstances and enjoy its benefits.

Strengthening the Immune System

Keeping the immune system functioning at its optimal parameters depends a great deal on the gut microbiota. This not only affects the state of the physical health but also the state of the emotional health.

Garlic an essential prebiotic

During a viral attack, garlic is recommended as the easy to reach out anti-viral home remedy. While garlic has many other proven medicinal properties (anti-fungal, anti-protozoal, anti-microbial even anti-tumour), the research on its anti-viral properties is rather limited (Bayan et al, 2014). However, garlic is an exceptional prebiotic dietary fibre, helping the growth of beneficial Bacteria in the gut, thus strengthening the immune system (Carlson et al, 2018). Other prebiotic dietary fibres to consider are leeks, onions, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes. The lesson here is: increase the consumption of the prebiotic dietary fibres to support the defence mechanisms provided by your immune system.

Spices: important antioxidant sources

Harnessing the beneficial effects of spices in every day cooking is a practice as old as the cooking itself. Various spices can be used either for seasoning your salt or simply used them in teas and general cooking. The highlighted spices in the presented collage were chosen either because they taste awesome or they have specific properties. They are my go to remedies for flu-like situations as their anti-oxidant characteristics act as a natural shield against viral infections.

Star anise (Illicium verum) is the spice used in the Chinese medicine for thousands of years for its pharmacological potential in fighting flu-like symptoms. The spice is used in the Indian “Garam Masala” blend. It is known to provide a natural shield against some deadly ever-changing viruses. The aromatic amino acid, shikimic acid, is the important metabolite that was used in Tamiflu, for example.

Star anise is frequently used for combating influenza symptoms. Its potential to treat or fight the multitude of viral infections in humans requires significant more research to understand its full capacities.

Caution: children under 5 and pregnant women should avoid the use of this spice because of possible contamination with Japanese star anise (Illicium anisatum), which may cause unwanted poisonous effects (Vermaak I et al, 2013).

Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum)is a very aromatic spice that has extraordinary anti-oxidant properties (Verma et al 2009). I mostly use it due to its phenomenal aroma in deserts.

Pink peppercorns (Schinus molle) are not really true peppercorns, yet they provide a lightly peppery flavour that has a rather sweet and floral accent. They are beneficial in that they provide a great source of dietary fiber while their phenolic compounds (especially the bioflavonoids and anthocyanins) offer protection against the damage of the free radicals as well as possess anti-viral benefits.

Caution: there are some reports that they may induce nut-allergy like effects. So if in doubt, better do not use them at all.

Juniper (Juniperus communis) berries are known for their phenomenal flavouring properties especially for their contribution to gin. I chose them because they are beneficial as powerful detoxifying agents, as they support a healthy urinary tract. They should be used sparingly as too much may not actually add the benefit one would want. Though small, these berries are very potent and should be used with caution for children and pregnancy.

Boost the metabolism

Cayenne pepper has metabolism-boosting properties. The process behind is termed diet-induced thermogenesis. The chemical compound behind this process is capsaicin. Occasionally I like to spice up my savoury foods with this lovely spice. Little is known about its viral replication inhibiting properties. Consuming cayenne pepper may be useful during viral infections because it does not affect the virus itself; rather it changes the environment within which the virus replicates itself (Marois et al 2014). Thus it may have potential for preventive treatment.

Stay hydrated

There are multiple ways to stay hydrated when staying at home and experiencing some form of cold or flu. In addition to staying hydrated, it is a good idea to add moisture to home. I like to use a rosemary-based home-made spritz as it also helps with mental fog.

Take an herbal bath

Let’s be honest: who doesn’t like a hot bath? Add some delightful herbs to it in the form of concentrated tea and voila you have a relaxing bath. My fav is lavender; it is so rewarding to grow (Waddington, 2019) and such a delight for the soul.

Reduce stress

Pumpkin kernels are packed with health promoting amino acids including tryptophan and gamma amino butyric acid (GABA). These are two of the most valuable compounds we need when facing emotional stress.

Write a gratitude list

Writing a gratitude list is scientifically proven to increase the level of happiness into one’s life.

Some people write daily some weekly, others just STOP. LOOK. GO (David Steindl_Rast, 2013). Now we are all forced to STOP a little. It means that we have the opportunity to observe and enjoy life as it is given to us.

My gratitude list is constantly growing. It starts something like this:

I am grateful for…today….. because…I am alive and well….

I am grateful for…every opportunity in my life.. because…what goes around comes around….

Increase the feel-good hormone

Lastly we cannot function properly if we do not feel good about things. In other words possessing the happy hormone or not. The science behind this is rather complicated and involves chemistry, physiology and so many other complex medical concepts beyond the scope of this blog. Yet if one knows that certain nutrients have the power to increase the feel-good hormone, dopamine, it would certainly help. One of those nutrients is almond. Not only almonds are nutrient dense, but they are also rich in tyrosine, the precursor for the dopamine: the happy hormone. So next time when feeling a bit blue, eat some almonds – not too many though if you care about your waistline.

Final thoughts

Well this was a rather long blog. Thank the eyes that reached up to this point. I challenge you to try at least three of the suggestion in this Bingo-style approach to stay sane and healthy during this difficult time for All of us.

Stay safe. Stay at home. Stay healthy.

References

Bayan L et al. Garlic: a review of potential therapeutic effects. 2014; Avicenna J Phytomed. 4(1):1-14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4103721/

Carlson JL et al. Health effects and Sources of prebiotic dietary fibers. 2018; Curr Dev Nutr. 2(3):nzy 005. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6041804/

David Steindl-Rast. Want to be happy? Be grateful. 2013. TedX Talk, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtBsl3j0YRQ

Marois I et al. Inhibition of Influenza Virus Replication by Targeting Broad Host Cell Pathways. 2014. PLOSONE, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0110631 https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0110631

Verma K, et al. Blood Pressure Lowering, Fibrinolysis Enhancing and Antioxidant Activities of Cardamom (Elettaria Cardamomum). 2009; Indian J Biochem Biophys. 46(6):503-506. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20361714/

Vermaak I et al. Hyperspectral imaging in the quality control of herbal medicines – The case of neurotoxic Japanese star anise. 2013; J Pharmacol Biomed Anal. 75(5):207-213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpba.2012.11.039 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0731708512006541

Waddington E, 2019. How to Grow Lavender: Care, Types, and Growing Tips. https://happydiyhome.com/lavender/