Therapeutic Uses
- Cancer – Some studies suggest that bay leaf may help inhibit the growth of breast and colorectal cancer cells.
- Diabetes – According to a 2008 study, taking capsules that contain 1–3 grams of bay leaf daily can help lower and manage glucose levels and cholesterol levels in people with diabetes. This is most likely because bay leaves contain polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants. This promising information indicates that bay leaf could help regulate and even prevent diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases
- Kidney Stones – A 2014 study investigated whether bay leaf extract could help prevent kidney stones. The study found that, along with eight other traditional medicinal herbs, bay leaf was able to reduce the amount of urease in your body. Urease is an enzyme that, when out of balance, can lead several gastric disorders, including kidney stones.
- Memory – In a 2021 study, researchers exposed rats to bay leaf for 5 minutes in a smoking chamber apparatus once per day for 22 days. They found that it aided in memory formation and improved cognitive deficits. While animal studies aren’t always applicable to humans, they can offer insight that may lead to human studies.
- Wounds – Bay leaf has been studied for its ability to reduce inflammation in the wound area..
Medicinal Uses: *Anorexia *Anti-stress Agent *Appetite *Arthritis *Asthma *Blood Dysentery *Bronchitis *Cataracts *Chicken Pox *Colds *Colic Ulcer *Congestion of the Kidney *Constipation *Cough *Diabetes *Diarrhea *Digestive Stimulant *Earaches *Emetic to Induce Vomiting *Enhance Perspiration *Fevers *Flu *Fungal Diseases *Headache *Indigestion *Infections from Fungi, Viruses, Bacteria, and Protozoa *Inflammation *Influenza *Inhibiting Growth of Carcinogenic Cells *Lowering Blood Cholesterol Level *Migraine *Neuralgia *Night Blindness *Rheumatism *Sore Eyes *Sore Throat *Sprains
Bay Leaf Side Effects: Taking the whole, intact leaf by mouth is unsafe. The leaf can’t be digested, so it remains intact while passing through the digestive system. This means it can become lodged in the throat or pierce the lining of the intestines.
There isn’t enough reliable information to know if bay leaf is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
Diabetes: Bay leaf might interfere with blood sugar control. Monitor blood sugar closely if you have diabetes and use bay leaf as a medicine.
Surgery: Bay leaf might slow down the central nervous system (CNS). There is a concern that it might slow down the CNS too much when combined with anesthesia and other medications used during and after surgery. Stop using bay leaf as a medicine at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
Bay Leaf Drug Interactions:
Medications for pain (Narcotic drugs) – Taking bay leaf in large amounts may relieve pain but cause sleepiness. Some medications for pain also cause sleepiness. Taking large amounts of bay leaf with some medications for pain might increase the effects and side effects of these medications. Medications for pain include meperidine (Demerol), hydrocodone, morphine, OxyContin, and many others.
Sedative medications (CNS depressants) – Taking bay leaf in large amounts might cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Medications that cause sleepiness are called sedatives. Taking large amounts of bay leaf along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness. Sedative medications include clonazepam (Klonopin), lorazepam (Ativan), phenobarbital (Donnatal), zolpidem (Ambien), and others.
Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs) – Bay leaf may lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes medications are also used to lower blood sugar. Taking bay leaf along with diabetes medications might cause your blood sugar to go too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your diabetes medication might need to be changed. Medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.
