Appetite comes with eating… spicy stew with dried bay leaves. Your nose smells the appetizing smell and the meal tastes like coming back. The spice adds complex flavor to dishes and is a staple ingredient in many soups and sauces. The application in the kitchen refers to the sweet laurel (Laurus nobilis). But is it the same variety when you wonder how to treat yourself with bay leaves? How many options and what to use them for?
Although many claims are made regarding the health benefits of bay leaves, not all of them have been proven. Meanwhile, despite the therapeutic and spiritual effects bay laurel burnt as an ancient practice, nutritional and pharmaceutical research indicates varying levels of efficacy of the leaves of the shrub for medicinal purposes.
- California bay leaf, Umbellularia californica
- Indian bay leaf, Cinnamomum tamala
- Indonesian bay leaf, Syzygium polyanthum
- Mexican bay leaf, Litsea glaucescens
- West Indian Bay Leaf, Pimenta Racemosa
- Turkish bay leaf, Laurus nobilis
It is the last variety, the most commonly used, which will be in the sights of our article. If we consider the chemical composition of the plant, it can be seen with amazement that this aromatic green spice has something to boast regarding in terms of the content of useful substances. Bay leaf is a source of vitamins A, C, B and PP, contains selenium and manganese, magnesium and phosphorus, potassium, calcium, copper and many other minerals. Its composition includes tanning substances and dietary fiber, organic acids and essential oils, as well as aromatic components such as linalool and cineole, camphor and limonene. So, the question “How to heal with bay leaves?” is sensible.
What are the health benefits of bay leaves following internal application?
Following an internal application in the form of herbal tea, it is a powerful antiseptic which perfectly disinfects the body and increases immunity by providing it with vitamins, preventing avitaminosis. Toxins, slags and heavy metal salts are eliminated.
Pain syndrome in joints and muscles is removed, cramps and tremors of limbs are relieved.
The healing properties of bay leaves extend to blood vessels and can stop bleeding.
In case of swelling and hypertension, herbal tea has a diuretic effect and categorically cannot be listed among the drinks to avoid.
Intestinal problems are rare because drinking bay leaf tea regularly helps digest food.
Its expectorant effect is beneficial in relieving an unbearable cough.
Do you have disturbed sleep? Take a herbal tea that acts as a sedative.
How to heal with bay leaves is a question that people who are diagnosed with cancer ask themselves. Too bad that this anti-cancer effect on the body is not fully proven.
Laboratory studies have found bay leaves to have antibacterial properties. This means that they prevent the development of bacteria. More specifically, bay leaves inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus (the bacteria that causes staphylococcal infections) and E.Coli. An early lab study also shows that bay leaves fight H. Pylori, a bacteria that causes ulcers and even cancer.
One hope for people with diabetes 2 are ground bay leaves in capsule form. More research is needed to determine if this effect appears when people consume much smaller amounts.
Possessing an antifungal effect on the skin and mucous membranes, one can get rid of psoriasis which is a stubborn suffering. Take 10 leaves of this amazing shrub, put them in a thermos and pour 500 ml of boiling water over them. Close the thermos, let the remedy stand for regarding two hours, following which you can take half a cup of tincture 3 times a day before each meal.
To deal with a stye, pour a cup of boiling water over three bay leaves, allow the mixture to cool a little and take it as a tea while it is hot. Drink it every hour, infusing new leaves. In order for the stye to ripen and completely disappear at night, it is necessary to drink 7-8 glasses of drink during the day.
Stings from horseflies, bees and wasps are very painful and dangerous for allergy sufferers. It is enough to take a fresh leaf of the plant, chew it and apply it to the bitten place, and wrap it followingwards with a bandage. After an hour the problem will go away.
If you suffer from sinusitis, do not overlook the healing properties of bay leaves. Take 10 leaves of the plant and pour 1 liter of water over them. Boil the mixture for regarding 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and inhale the hot steam while covering your head with a towel. Do the procedure twice a day and you will see a considerable amount of pus released from the nostrils following each inhalation.
Toothache is a nightmare! Grind a few bay leaves, enough for 2 teaspoons and pour a glass of water. Boil the resulting mixture and leave on the fire for another 5 minutes. Cool down to rinse your mouth every 15 minutes until the pain subsides.
A natural remedy for dandruff, ear inflammation with pus and yeast infection
Mix an amount of bay leaf oil with the same amount of warmed jojoba oil. After applying the mixture to the scalp, cover the head with a towel and wait 40-60 minutes. You can add bay leaf oil to your favorite shampoo and in two weeks dandruff will be just an unpleasant memory.
Purulent inflammations of the ear should be treated under strict medical supervision, as the infection can easily reach the meninges. And yet, with the permission of the doctor, you can fight them with the help of the following recipe: take 10 bay leaves, cover them with 200 ml of hot water and leave in a thermos for 5 hours. You can apply compresses or put 2-3 drops in the diseased ear 3 times a day.
If you suffer from foot mycosis, take 10 bay leaves, put them in a suitable basin and pour 500 ml of boiling water over them. Once the water is lukewarm, put your feet in it for regarding 20 minutes. Do such procedures 3-4 times a week. You can expect a result in 15 days.