The benefits of bay leaf for body health and types of bay leaves
The benefits of bay leaf for the health of the body are very many because it contains a high nutritional value that includes many important vitamins and nutrients, organic compounds, and antioxidant, inflammatory and antibacterial properties،
Since the body is in dire need of this value, bay leaf is one of the most important natural herbs known for its aromatic aroma, distinctive flavour, and sharp taste, and from here we will learn in detail about the most prominent health benefits of herbal bay leaf extracts, its most important uses, and types.
Types of bay leaves
There are several types of bay leaf extracts, under the laurel tree Laurus nobilis, and each type of them may differ slightly in taste, including:
- Indian bay leaf.
- Mexican bay leaf.
- West Indian bay leaf.
- Bay leaf Bay of California.
Uses of bay leaves
- Bay leaves can be used dry to be boiled in water, and drunk like tea.
- Or grinds are used to add them to cooking food such as soups, savoury dishes, and stews.
- Bay leaf species are also used to make natural skin creams, it is resistant to ageing, and tightens sagging skin.
- It is also used as a lotion to cleanse the skin of dirt and germs and make the skin radiant.
- Bay leaf is used as an essential oil for smoothing hair and treating nasal problems by inhaling steam rising from heating the oil extracted from it.
- Bay leaf is used in the treatment of many health problems by taking it in the form of medicinal capsules.
The benefits of bay leaf for body health
Strong bay leaves have a lot of health benefits that make their consumption essential within the daily diet, the most prominent of which are:
Protection from oncological diseases: bay leaf contains a large proportion of antioxidant substances, and a lot of organic compounds, such as parthenolide, and linalool that protect the body from exposure to cracks and free radicals that cause the transformation of healthy cells into cancer cells, and therefore it is a great option to prevent the risk of fatal cancer diseases, because of its role in stopping this activity.
Enhancing heart health: bay leaf also contributes to promoting heart health, strengthening the walls of the capillaries in the heart, this is due to the fact that it contains important organic compounds such as rutin compound, caffeic acid, which reduces the percentage of harmful cholesterol in the blood, improves the functioning of blood vessels, and reduces hardening or blockage of arteries.
Strengthening the immune system: bay leaf extracts contain a large group of valuable vitamins and minerals, and a lot of antioxidants, which strengthen the immune system, and improve its functions in resisting diseases and viruses that penetrate the body.
Treatment of respiratory diseases: bay leaf plays an important role in the treatment of respiratory diseases causing shortness of breath and suffocation, as it removes phlegm, harmful bacteria stuck in the respiratory tract, relieves the symptoms of colds and runny nose, treats nasal congestion and throat, and enhances the ability to inhale naturally, by inhaling the steam rising from boiling bay leaves, or anointing the rib cage area with bay leaf essential oil.
The benefits of bay leaf for the digestive system
Treatment of constipation: in addition to the benefits of bay leaf, it is one of the ideal options for treating chronic constipation, because it contains a high amount of magnesium mineral, which plays its role in cleaning the intestines of toxins and waste stuck to the colon wall.
Improve digestive functions: bay leaves help to improve digestive functions by a large percentage, thanks to the unique organic compounds and enzymes contained in them, as they improve digestion, stimulate urine, and reduce the occurrence of digestive disorders.
Treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: bay leaves also have a strong and effective effect in treating irritable bowel pain, calming the stomach, stimulating vomiting in the event of the introduction of anything toxic inside the stomach, and it also makes digestion faster thanks to containing some enzymes that break down proteins.
The benefits of other bay leaves
Treatment of menstrual pain: bay leaf helps to relieve unpleasant PMS symptoms, such as abdominal cramps, muscle pain, and constipation, and it is also an ideal drink to regulate menstrual blood flow, getting rid of blood residues present in the uterus.
Promoting dental health: bay leaf is also very useful for promoting dental health, strengthening it, and protecting it from caries because it contains a high percentage of calcium, antibacterial and bactericidal, which disinfects teeth and keeps them clean permanently.
Arthritis treatment: bay leaf is one of the powerful medicinal herbs for the treatment of inflammatory diseases that the body suffers from, including arthritis and rheumatism, and this is because it contains a lot of unique phytonutrients such as parthenolide compounds, and eugenol, as these compounds relieve the pain of inflammatory joints, and reduce the feeling of rapid muscle spasms that affect the shoulder and neck.
Weight loss: bay leaf is used during diets to slim the body, and get rid of excess weight caused by excessive intake of unhealthy foods, and this is due to its control over blood sugar levels and reduces the percentage of fat in the body.
Relieve feelings of anxiety and stress: among the important benefits of bay leaf is to relieve feelings of anxiety and stress experienced by humans because it contains the compound linalool, which promotes the reduction of stress hormones in the body, and helps to feel relaxed, calm and psychological comfort, because increasing the height of these hormones may adversely affect the health of the body by a large percentage.
The benefits of bay leaf for diabetes
Numerous studies have been conducted on the effect of bay leaf tea on patients with diabetes mellitus, the results show that:
- Bay leaf is effective in improving the conditions of diabetic patients by a large percentage, and this is due to its ability to regulate blood sugar levels.
- Improve the function of insulin hormone receptors in the blood.
- Reduce the chances of developing diabetes for healthy people, in case of regular consumption of its intake.
- Studies conducted at universities in the USA have found that consuming 3 grams of bay leaf on a daily basis, can contribute to alleviating the symptoms of chronic type II diabetes.
The benefits of bay leaf for hair
The benefits of Bay Tea Leaves extend to taking care of the health and beauty of the hair and protecting it from exposure to any health problems that affect its beauty and vitality, and the most prominent of these benefits are:
- Bay leaf promotes a healthy scalp and protects it from dandruff infection.
- Eliminates the dryness of the scalp skin thanks to the fact that it contains some volatile natural ingredients that act on the moisture of the skin.
- Improve the health of hair follicles from the roots to the ends because it has a superior ability to promote blood circulation to the scalp.
- Bay leaf is considered a powerful natural remedy for fighting head insects and getting rid of head lice.
- Bay leaf contains a lot of vitamins and important elements that play their role in treating the problem of hair loss and breakage.
- Bay leaf lotion can be used on the hair before washing it with shampoo and conditioner, to maintain its vitality and radiance.
The benefits of bay leaf for the uterus
Studies have also confirmed that regular consumption of bay leaf tea by women, is useful in cleaning the uterus from the remnants of menstrual blood, and treating infections affecting the uterus and vagina, thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, infection-causing bacteria, and it is also an excellent healer of vaginal discharge that many women suffer from, treating fungal infections, and preventing adhesions of the ovaries on the cell walls.
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Recipes from bay leaf
In addition to taking bay leaf tea, it can be used in cooking some diets, to give food a distinctive flavour, an unparalleled aromatic aroma, and a unique nutritional value, and the most prominent of those dietary recipes that require one or two sheets of dry bay leaf extracts are:
- The recipe for Italian chicken with chilli peppers with crispy cashew nuts.
- Indian chicken recipe.
- The recipe for marinated Moroccan chicken, with boiled vegetables.
- Rainbow soup with fresh vegetables.
- The recipe for red beetroot in the Russian style.
Thus, we have finished showing the most important benefits of bay leaf for body health, what are the different types of bay leaves, their important uses, and the most prominent diets that it is possible to enter into cooking, but it is very important to eat dried or powdered bay leaf so that its harsh leaves and sharp edges do not scratch the digestive tract and cause suffocation.
