Bay leaf: medicinal properties, contraindications, application

The history of the use of laurels in everyday life by man is rooted in antiquity. It's hard to say how long people have learned about this plant. In ancient Greece, it was revered so high that the crown of leaves of the laurel tree adorned the heads of the winners of the Olympics and even royalty.

Application of bay leaves

Laurel always had a good and good reputation, was considered a sign of strength, victory and greatness. And it is not accidental, since people from olden times knew not only about the semantic status of this plant, but also about its magnificent medicinal qualities. The bay leaf, the medicinal properties of which are known to many, is used very extensively:

• In cooking. The leaves of this plant have a pronounced aroma and bitter taste, which is especially appreciated when preparing food. Laurel is often added to soups, stews, second courses, sauces, marinades and used for conservation.
• In classical and folk medicine. Having a unique natural composition, bay leaf, the medicinal properties of which are universal, can help with various diseases. It has antimicrobial and antifungal, diuretic, astringent, anti-cancer, immunostimulating action, improves digestion and lowers arterial pressure. Extracts and bay leaf oils are taken as a basis in the production of medicines and in the practice of traditional medicine.
• In chemical industrial production. Laurel leaves are used in the technological cycle of the production of camphor and cineol.

Features of composition

The composition of the bay leaf in terms of the content of special chemicals is very interesting. Its structure includes organic compounds useful for humans:

• Formic and acetic acids have the properties of natural antibiotics and preservatives, they can prevent the appearance of putrefactive processes.
• Oleic acid has the properties of energy, activates metabolic processes. It also gives a protective effect on the large intestine, preventing the appearance of pathological processes in it.
• Caproic acid has the property of stopping bleeding and gives a good anti-inflammatory effect.
• Lauric acid maintains a balance of healthy cholesterol and is endowed with excellent antiviral properties.
• Phytosterol is able to suppress the deposition of harmful cholesterol.
• Linalool - an aromatic substance that has a mild sedative effect on the nervous and cardiovascular systems of man.
• Camphor possesses anti-inflammatory, analgesic, stimulating blood circulation and antimicrobial action. Also this substance has a vasoconstricting, cardiotonic, expectorant effect on the human body, raises blood pressure and heart rate.
• Tannins have pronounced astringent, blood-restoring, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial actions.

In addition, the laurel leaf contains many vitamins: A, B1, B2, B6, B9, C, PP. This makes it a valuable source of natural biologically active ingredients. The leaf of the laurel is also rich in micro- and macronutrients. It contains calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, copper, selenium and manganese.

Here's how many useful substances it contains in itself all available bay leaf. The product may lose its healing properties after the expiration date. Therefore it is very important to know how to choose the right bay leaf.

Purchase Features

The plant retains its unique qualities even in the process of harvesting. The bay leaf, the medicinal properties of which are not lost and when dried, can be used in any form - there is no significant difference. When choosing this spice, you should pay attention to the following indicators:

• Colour. It should be dark green. The leaves of the khaki color will say that the shelf life of the product has already expired. Leaves with a rusty shade or covered with spots indicate that the plant was affected by the disease.
• The fragrance should be saturated, sugary and sweet and a little bit tart. If this indicator is weakly expressed, then the leaves have been stored for a very long time.

Shelf life of the dried product is 1 year. Do not buy an expired bay leaf, the medicinal properties and contraindications in this case will be unequal, and the latter will be an order of magnitude larger. Give preference to the product in vacuum packages, in them all useful substances remain better. If you purchased fresh leaves, then they should be stored in a jar of glass with a tight lid in a cool and dark place.

Laurus heals from many ailments

Previously, it was described how many different biologically active substances contain bay leaf. Therapeutic properties, contraindications are based precisely on the mechanism of action of the components present in the composition. Laurel is used in the treatment and prevention of various diseases. From this miracle plant make infusions, decoctions, extracts, and also receive essential oil.

Lava oil

The basis of it is the laurel leaf. The healing properties, application of this miracle-remedy allow to solve some health problems. To prepare the elixir, you need 40 g of bay leaves and 200 ml of vegetable oil. Suitable, in principle, any: sunflower, olive, cotton - for your taste. It is necessary to crush the raw material, pour it in advance heated to fifty degrees oil. The mixture should be infused for about ten days in a dark and cool place. At the end of the infusion, the extract must be separated from the raw material, by pressing the leaves. During this time, almost all the valuable components had time to switch to oil.

The received tool is applied in the following cases:

• For inhalations for colds.
• Outer for cramps, pressure sores, joint pain.
• For pouring into the aroma lamp. Spreading around the room, fragrant laurel oil has a bactericidal effect and kills viruses. An irreplaceable remedy during seasonal exacerbation of acute respiratory infections.
• For the shortest healing of bruises, fractures and sprains.

Water infusions and broths

The basis for the preparation of infusions and broths is a bay leaf. Its medicinal properties are very extensive. You can take water or alcohol as an extractant. Most often, water is used. For various diseases, infusions of different concentrations are used. The saturation of the water extract can be controlled by a greater or less amount of raw material taken for a certain volume of water.

Infusions and decoctions based on bay leaves are used for the following diseases:

• With the deposition of salts in the body. An infusion of 5 g laurel leaves and 400 ml of boiling water is prepared and kept in a thermos bottle overnight. This is the daily norm of the drug that should be drunk, stretching for 12 hours. The course of treatment is 3 days. Then you can rest for a week. After a rest three-day course of reception of broth is repeated. Treatment is carried out against a background of a light vegetarian diet with strict abstinence from drinking alcohol.
• In fungal lesions of feet, excessive sweating, itching and burning apply decoction of 30 leaves of laurel (a glass of water). The mixture boils for just a couple of minutes, then it is infused for about three hours. The broth is added to the foot bath, which should be taken every evening for 10 minutes. Also, this infusion can be used for various allergic reactions in the form of lotions externally (with the obligatory condition that there is no allergic reaction to the bay leaf itself).
• With oral problems: stomatitis, gum disease - recommend rinsing with a water infusion of laurel, which has a pronounced antibacterial, astringent and anti-inflammatory effect.
• With a high sugar content in the blood will help infusion of 10 leaves of laurel, boiled in three glasses of boiling water. The product should be kept in a thermos for three hours. Then strain filtered three times a day for 100 ml 20 minutes before meals. With regular use, the level of glucose in the blood comes back to normal.
• With barley, an infusion of three leaves of laurel, boiled in a glass of boiling water, effectively helps. A kind of tea, which must be insisted for at least 20 minutes, drunk in six cups, will help to get rid of this ailment in the shortest possible time.
• With a cold and flu, use a decoction of crushed laurel leaves. One spoonful of raw material is added to two glasses of boiling water and boiled for 10 minutes. Then she needs to let her brew. The filtered broth is drunk to 100 ml three times a day for 20 minutes before a meal. This drug fights infection and strengthens the immune system.
• In acute and chronic sinusitis recommend inhalation with decoction of laurel leaves. For its preparation in a liter of water boil 10 leaves of the plant for 10 minutes. Next, over a hot broth, a five-minute inhalation is carried out, covered with a towel. This procedure contributes to the removal of purulent formations of the maxillary sinuses and provides antimicrobial action.

Ingestion warnings

It is worth noting that with oral administration of water infusion of laurel leaves, an unpleasant phenomenon such as constipation may occur. This plant has a tangible astringent effect, which provokes a delay in the stool. To avoid this, it is necessary in parallel with the use of laurel infusion to eat as much coarse fibrous food as possible and to observe the correct drinking regime.

Spirituous infusion

Alcohol extraction is also able to perfectly preserve all the medicinal properties of bay leaf. Preparation of the infusion is carried out in the following way: 5 leaves of laurel are needed, which should be ground and mixed with 200 ml of vodka (40%). This mixture should be infused for several days, after which it is ready for use. Such alcohol lotion is effective in acne. Wipe the place of inflammation with a cotton disc dipped in this product, you need locally, and the result will not take long. This tincture can also be used with pustules on the scalp as a rinse aid. Effectively the agent has shown itself in the treatment of rheumatism and paralysis in the form of rubbing.

Other ways of treatment with laurel

In some folk recipes recommend to use laurel in kind. For example, chew leaflets with stomatitis or apply them to temples with headache. A mixture of mashed laurel leaves with honey in the form of lozenges is recommended for prolonged cough and dyspnea. And the fruit of this tree, which also has a rich flavor, is used to effectively remove toxins and poisons from the human body.

Application for weight loss

Many people know that the laurel leaf, the useful and medicinal properties of which are very diverse, can also be used for weight loss. Relying on the property of this spice to exert a diuretic effect, many use it to combat excess weight. Indeed, infusions and decoctions from this plant can remove excess water from the body, which leads to a decrease in body weight. Preparations based on laurel leaves contribute to the purification of slags, which also helps to lose weight.

For these purposes, the following recipes are used:

• In boiling water (1 liter), lay five leaves of laurel and one stick of cinnamon and cook for 15 minutes, then remove from heat and cool, covering with a lid. A filtered broth is taken on a glass a day on an empty stomach.
• In the boiling water (one and a half cup), 3 leaves of the plant are lowered and cooked for 5 minutes. Then the resulting broth is insisted in the thermos for 4 hours. The resulting infusion is drunk for three days 10 minutes before eating one tablespoon.

It should be noted that one should not get involved with these folk remedies without consulting a doctor. The Bay leaf, the medicinal properties and contraindications of which should be studied in detail, can cause irreparable damage to the body.

Contraindications for use

Despite the fact that this plant has many healing properties, it is not possible for every person to apply the drugs on its basis. The bay leaf, as a medicine of any other kind, has a lot of contraindications. There are a number of conditions and diseases in which treatment with oil or infusion of laurel can lead to serious negative consequences.

Here is the list of contraindications:

• Pregnancy and lactation in women. This is due to the property of the bay leaf to increase the muscle tone, including the uterus. Receiving infusion or decoction from this plant can provoke miscarriage or fetal development abnormalities.
• Acute form of kidney, liver and heart disease.
• Stomach ulcer and 12-colon.
• Allergic reaction to bay leaf.
• Severe degree of diabetes mellitus.

The use of bay leaves can be of great help in the treatment of many ailments. However, do not forget that he has a number of contraindications. It should be taken with care in the treatment of bay leaf, useful and dangerous properties of which go side by side. Therefore, to prevent negative consequences recommended mandatory consultation with a doctor. Having conducted a full examination and having a conclusion about your state of health, the doctor will be able to give a professional advice on the possibility of applying laurel leaf for medicinal purposes.