The history of the use of laurel in everyday life by man is rooted in antiquity. It is difficult to say how long people have known about this plant. In ancient Greece, it was revered so high that the crown of laurel leaves adorned the heads of the winners of the Olympics and even royal persons.
Bay leaf application
The laurel always had a good and good glory, was considered a sign of strength, victory and greatness. And this is no coincidence, since people since ancient times knew not only about the semantic status of this plant, but also about its magnificent healing qualities. Bay leaf, the healing properties of which are known to many, are used very extensively:
- In cooking. The leaves of this plant have a pronounced aroma and bitter taste, which is especially appreciated when cooking. Laurel is often added to soups, stews, main dishes, sauces, marinades and is used for preservation.
- In classical and traditional medicine. Having a unique natural composition, bay leaf, the healing properties of which are universal, can help with various diseases. It has antimicrobial and antifungal, diuretic, astringent, anti-cancer, immunostimulating effects, improves digestion and lowers blood pressure. Extracts and oils of bay leaves 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 production cycle of camphor and cineole.
Features of the composition
The composition of the bay leaf in terms of the content of specific chemicals is very interesting. Its structure includes organic compounds useful for humans:
- Formic and acetic acids have the properties of natural antibiotics and preservatives that can prevent the occurrence of putrefactive processes.
- Butyric acid has the properties of energy, activates metabolic processes. It also provides a protective effect on the colon, preventing the occurrence of pathological processes in it.
- Caproic acid has the ability to stop 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 bad cholesterol.
- Linalool is an aromatic substance with a mild sedative effect on the human nervous and cardiovascular systems.
- Camphor has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, stimulating blood circulation and antimicrobial effects. Also, this substance has a vasoconstrictive, cardiotonic, expectorant effect on the human body, increases blood pressure and heart rate.
- Tannins have pronounced astringent, hemostatic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects.
In addition, the bay leaf contains many vitamins: A, B1, B2, B6, B9, C, PP. This makes it a valuable source of natural biologically active components. The bay leaf 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 include an accessible bay leaf for everyone. The product may lose its medicinal properties after the expiration date. Therefore, it is very important to know how to choose the bay leaf.
Purchase Features
The plant retains its unique qualities even during the harvesting process. Bay leaf, the healing properties of which are not lost even 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:
- Color. It should be dark green. Khaki leaves will indicate that the product has already expired. Leaves with a rusty tint or stained indicate that the plant was affected by the disease.
- The aroma should be full, sugary-sweet and a little tart. If this indicator is poorly expressed, then the leaves have been stored for a very long time.
The shelf life of the dried product is 1 year. Do not buy expired bay leaves, medicinal properties and contraindications in this case will be unequal, and the latter will be an order of magnitude more. Give preference to the product in vacuum packaging, in them all the beneficial substances are stored better. If you purchased fresh leaves, then they should be stored in a glass jar with a tight lid in a cool and dark place.
Laurel cures many ailments
It was previously described how many diverse biologically active substances contain bay leaf. The medicinal properties, contraindications are based 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 miraculous plant, infusions, decoctions, extracts are made, and essential oil is also obtained.
Bay oil
Its basis is a bay leaf. The healing properties, the use of this miraculous remedy can solve some health problems.
To prepare the elixir, you need 40 g of bay leaf and 200 ml of vegetable oil. Any, in principle, will suit: sunflower, olive, cotton - to your taste. It is necessary to grind the raw material, fill it with oil preheated to fifty degrees in advance. The resulting 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 squeezing the leaves. During this time, almost all of the valuable components managed to go into oil.
The resulting product is used in the following cases:
- For inhalation for colds.
- Outwardly with convulsions, bedsores, joint pain.
- For pouring into aroma lamp. Spreading around the room, fragrant laurel oil has a bactericidal effect and kills viruses. An indispensable tool during seasonal exacerbation of acute respiratory infections.
- For the shortest healing of bruises, fractures and sprains.
Water infusions and decoctions
The basis for the preparation of infusions and decoctions is the bay leaf. Its healing properties are very extensive. As extractant, you can take water or alcohol. The most commonly used water. For various diseases, infusions of different concentrations are used. The saturation of the water extract can be controlled by a greater or lesser amount of raw material taken for a specific 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 of laurel leaves and 400 ml of boiling water is prepared and aged in a thermos overnight. This is the daily norm of the remedy that you need to drink dosed, stretching for 12 hours. The course of treatment is 3 days. Then you can relax for a week. After resting, the three-day course of taking the broth is repeated. The treatment is carried out against the background of a lightweight vegetarian diet with strict abstinence from drinking alcohol.
- With fungal infection of the feet, excessive sweating, itching and burning, a decoction of 30 leaves of laurel (per glass of water) is used. The mixture boils for only a couple of minutes, then infuses for about three hours. The broth is added to the foot bath, which must be taken every evening for 10 minutes. Also, this infusion can be used for various allergic reactions in the form of lotions externally (provided that there is no allergic reaction to the bay leaf itself).
- For problems of the oral cavity: stomatitis, gum disease - recommend rinsing with an aqueous infusion of laurel, which has a pronounced antibacterial, astringent and anti-inflammatory effect.
- With a high blood sugar content, an infusion of 10 laurel leaves, brewed in three glasses of boiling water, will help. The product should be kept in a thermos for three hours. Then the filtered solution is taken three times a day, 100 ml 20 minutes before a meal. With regular use, blood glucose levels return to normal.
- With barley on the eye, an infusion of three sheets of laurel, brewed in a glass of boiling water, effectively helps. A kind of tea, which must be infused for at least 20 minutes, drunk in the amount of six cups, will help to get rid of this ailment in the shortest possible time.
- For colds and flu, a decoction of crushed bay leaves is used. One spoonful of raw material is added to two glasses of boiling water and the mixture is boiled for 10 minutes. Next, she needs to let her brew. A strained broth is drunk 100 ml three times a day 20 minutes before a meal. This remedy fights infection and strengthens the immune system.
- In acute and chronic sinusitis, inhalation with a decoction of bay leaves is recommended. To prepare it in a liter of water, 10 leaves of the plant are boiled for 10 minutes. Next, a five-minute inhalation is carried out over a hot broth, covered with a towel. This procedure promotes the discharge of purulent formations from the maxillary sinuses and provides an antimicrobial effect.
Cautions regarding oral administration
It is worth noting that with the oral intake of water infusion of laurel leaves, such an unpleasant phenomenon as constipation can occur. This plant has a tangible astringent effect, which provokes a delay in stool. To avoid this, it is necessary to eat as much coarse fiber food as possible while using laurel infusion and observe the correct drinking regimen.
Alcohol tincture
Alcohol extraction is also able to perfectly preserve all the healing properties of bay leaves. The preparation of the infusion is carried out in the following way: you will need 5 leaves of laurel, which should be crushed and mixed with 200 ml of vodka (40%). This mixture should be infused for several days, after which it is ready for use. Such an alcoholic lotion is effective for acne. Wipe the site of inflammation with a cotton pad dipped in this tool, you need locally, and the result will not be long in coming. This tincture can also be used for pustules on the scalp as a rinse. Effectively, the drug proved to be in the treatment of rheumatism and paralysis in the form of rubbing.
Other treatments for laurel
In some folk recipes, it is recommended to use laurel in its natural form. For example, chew leaflets with stomatitis or apply them to the temples for headaches. A mixture of mashed bay leaf with honey in the form of lozenges is recommended for prolonged coughing and shortness of breath. And the fruit of this tree, which also has a rich aroma, is used to effectively remove toxins and poisons from the human body.
Weight loss application
Many people know that bay leaf, the useful and healing properties of which are very diverse, can also be used for weight loss. Based 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 are able to remove excess water from the body, which entails a decrease in body weight. Preparations based on bay leaf help to cleanse toxins, which also helps to lose weight.
For these purposes, apply the following recipes:
- Five laurel leaves and one cinnamon stick are placed in boiling water (1 liter) and boiled for 15 minutes, then removed from the heat and cooled, covered with a lid. A filtered broth is taken in a glass a day on an empty stomach.
- In boiling water (one and a half glasses) 3 leaves of the plant are lowered and boiled for 5 minutes. Then the resulting broth is insisted in a thermos for 4 hours. The resulting infusion is drunk for three days 10 minutes before a meal, one tablespoon each.
It is worth noting that one should not get involved in these folk remedies without consulting a doctor. Bay leaf, the medicinal properties and contraindications of which must be studied in detail, can cause irreparable damage to the body.
Contraindications
Despite the fact that this plant has many medicinal properties, not everyone can use drugs based on it. 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 a list of contraindications:
- Pregnancy and lactation in women. This is due to the property of bay leaves to increase muscle tone, including the uterus. Reception of infusion or decoction from this plant can provoke a miscarriage or abnormality of the fetus.
- An acute form of kidney, liver, and heart disease.
- Peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum.
- Allergic reaction to bay leaf.
- Severe diabetes.
The use of bay leaf can be of great help in the treatment of many ailments. However, do not forget that it has a number of contraindications. Care should be taken in the treatment of bay leaf, the useful and dangerous properties of which go side by side. Therefore, to prevent negative consequences, a mandatory consultation with a doctor is recommended. After conducting a full examination and having a conclusion about your state of health, the doctor will be able to give professional advice on the possibility of using bay leaves for medicinal purposes.