To most of us, bay leaves simply flavor food.
They do a great job of that. We enjoy soups, stews, salads, pot roasts and slow-simmering foods more when we’ve added a bay leaf or two. They make a lot of cooked foods, from meats to potatoes to tomato sauces taste richer and deeper.
Most of us, however, while we enjoy the added flavor from the leaves, we simply push them aside.
Mistake.
Bay leaves are a superfood with substantial nutritional benefits, especially for anyone concerned about their metabolism – which should be all of us.
But you do have to be careful.
Background
The ancient Greeks and Romans knew bay leaves were important. They wove laurel leaves into crowns awarded to victorious Olympic athletes as a symbol of triumph. The Latin name for the species – Laurus nobilis – reflects how the ancients thought the plant was “noble.”
They’re used in Greek, French, Filipino, Caribbean and Indian cooking. They’re particularly good at adding flavor to starches, such as beans, rice and potatoes.
Bay leaves contain Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 – plus plant flavonoids, calcium, iron, manganese, tannins, flavones, alkaloids, eugenol, linalool, methyl chavicol, antioxidants, triterpenoids, essential oils and anthocyanins. These give the bay leaf its sharp, bitter taste.
Bay leaves have also been believed to protect against witchcraft, lightning and even evil itself.
The leaves themselves are fairly thick, fibrous, and stiff, making them suitable for long cooking.
Bay leaves have been used to treat such medical conditions as skin rashes, ear infections, and rheumatoid arthritis. Bay leaf tea is often used to ease an upset stomach, to aid in wound healing and to clear up mucus in the lungs.
Actual laboratory studies have demonstrated bay leaves inhibit the growth of at least ten species or strains of harmful bacteria. These include Staphylococcus aureus – which causes staph infections, E. coli and P. mirabilis – which contributes to urinary infections.
Metabolic Benefits of Bay Leaves
In one research study, 30 patients with Type II diabetes were given 1-3 grams of bay leaves every day for thirty days. Ten received one gram, ten received two grams and another ten received three grams. Another ten diabetics formed the control group, getting only a placebo.
All the patients who consumed bay leaves benefited. The ones who got 2 grams per day demonstrated more benefit than the ones who received 1 gram. The ones who got 3 grams per day demonstrated more benefit than the ones who received 2 grams.
The placebo group exhibited NO improvements in their diabetes markers.
The results:
The ranges reflect the results for the one-gram-per-day group up to the three-gram-per-day group.
* Triglycerides went down 25-34%
* Serum glucose decreased 21%-26%
* Total cholesterol – down by 20%-24%
* HDL (good) cholesterol dropped 20%-29%
* LDL (bad) cholesterol plummeted 32%-40%
In another study, Type II diabetics given bay leaf powder in cookies experienced smaller after-meal spikes in blood sugar levels. The bay leaves appeared to improve insulin sensitivity.
Digestion
In a report published in 2019, bay leaves exhibited the power to relieve:
* Abdominal pain
* Gastrointestinal infections
* Bloating
* Flatulence
* Diarrhea
* Constipation
* Irritable bowel syndrome
The enzymes in bay leaves are particularly effective at relieving such distressing symptoms.
Therefore, science has confirmed the efficacy of the primary way the ancients used bay leaves: to improve digestion.
Heart Health
Bay leaves contain powerful phytonutrients such as rutin and caffeic acid. Rutin helps to strengthen your capillaries. Caffeic acid helps lower and regulate LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Bay leaves also contain the minerals potassium and magnesium, which most of us don’t consume enough of to balance the high amounts of sodium and calcium we eat.
Relieves Stress
Bay leaves also contain the plant compound linalool. That helps to lower stress hormones in our bodies. This reduces anxiety, promoting relaxation.
Consuming Bay Leaves
Because the leaves remain tough and stringy even after long cooking, most people simply push them aside.
However, because they are so beneficial, you may want to ingest them, at least a little bit – carefully. After the leaves have been cooked, try crushing them into a fine powder. You can then sprinkle them on soups, stews, salads or other foods. That way you get the extra flavor plus the health benefits contained within the leaves themselves.
Keep the dry leaves in an airtight container away from heat, moisture and air. They should last two years, but follow all expiration dates.
WARNING: Because bay leaves remain stiff even after long cooking, eating a large piece of one is a choking hazard. They may also scratch your mouth, esophagus, or even the rest of your digestive system, so it’s advisable to grind them into a powder.
Or simply buy them pre-ground. Sprinkle small amounts of that on your soups, stews and other appropriate dishes.
Bay Leaf Tea
Boil five to eight bay leaves in two cups of water for five minutes.
Allow the leaves to steep in the water for three to five minutes, but no more. After five minutes, the tea could become bitter.
Some people find bay leaf tea tastes uninspiring, so feel free to add anything you enjoy with it. That could be simply the juice from a slice of lemon. Or other herbs such as peppermint, lavender or rosemary.
Conclusion
Even if you didn’t win any medals in the Paris Olympics, you can enjoy the health benefits of a “laurel crown” by adding bay leaves to your cooked foods and drinking bay leaf tea.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2613499/
https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2023/8
https://www.mccormick.com/articles/mccormick/about-bay-leaves
https://www.webmd.com/diet/bay-leaf-health-benefits
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7152419/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_leaf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le8dOlV7tuw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmUbp49XpII
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVcZyQ7QQQg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wzhx_SfL1I
