Bay Leaves In Folk Medicine

Bay leaves in folk medicine

What is bay leaf

Bay leaf is a well-known spice to all of us, which gives dishes a sugary-sweet smell and a bitter taste. Bay leaves are added when cooking fried meat, soups, aspic fish, sauces, as well as pickling and salting. The best are the combinations of bay leaves with cabbage, beets, pickled cucumbers and beans.

Seasoning leaves - dried leaves of laurel, go on sale and fresh sprigs with leaves. Laurel is an evergreen subtropical tree, up to 15 meters high, a native of the Mediterranean, currently also cultivated in the south-west of Krasnodar Territory and the Caucasus. Laurel is also grown as an ornamental plant. Laurel leaves are elliptical, dark green, on the lower side their color is slightly lighter, up to 20 centimeters long and up to 4 centimeters wide. The flowers are small, yellowish, collected in multiple inflorescences in the leaf axils, in October - November fruits (drupes) ripen up to 2 centimeters long, ovoid, dark blue. The collection of leaves begins in the fourth year of the plant's growth, after the onset of the fruiting phase.

Since ancient times, laurel has been a symbol of success, greatness, victory and glory. Wreaths woven from laurel twigs are awarded to the winners. The word "laureate" means "crowned with laurels."

The use of bay leaves in medicine

Leaves, fruits and laurel oil are used for medicinal purposes. Due to the high content of essential oils, tannins, bitterness, organic acids, laurel leaves are widely used in folk medicine to increase appetite, improve digestion, treat liver diseases, gastrointestinal tract, treat joints and as a diuretic. The high content of phytoncides allows the use of laurel to enhance immunity and in the prevention of tuberculosis. Oil extracts are used externally to treat rheumatism, paralysis and colds.

For medicinal purposes, it is necessary to use only high-quality raw materials, the leaves should be olive-colored with a strong aroma. Before use, the leaves must be sorted out and rinsed in cold water. Bay leaf cannot be stored for more than a year, it loses its aroma and acquires bitterness.

The use of bay leaves in traditional medicine

Bay leaves are widely used in folk medicine, for a number of diseases. Below are bay leaf recipes:

Arthritis and joint pain, to cleanse joints, remove salts and toxins. Pour 5 grams of leaves (half a pack of bay leaves) into an enamel pot and simmer in 300 milliliters of water for 5 minutes. Wrap well or pour into a thermos and leave for 3-5 hours. Strain the resulting liquid and drink in small sips during the day. It is necessary to prepare a fresh broth and drink it for 3 days, repeat the procedure in a week. In the first year, the course should be conducted once a quarter, then once a year. On the days of the procedures, it is necessary to consume only vegetarian products and exclude alcohol. When taking, a temporary exacerbation of pain is possible. This broth is also suitable as a prophylactic agent that improves the general condition of the body.

Cramp pains. Pour 5 g of chopped leaves into a thermos and pour 300 ml of boiling water, leave for 3 hours, drain. Drink the infusion in small sips for 12 hours. Apply the specified recipe for 2 days.

Diabetes. Pour 10 leaves into a thermos and pour 3 cups of boiling water, leave for 2-3 hours, drink the prepared infusion in half a glass 30 minutes before meals 3 times a day. Take a two-week break every two weeks. After two weeks of use, with the normalization of carbohydrate metabolism, sugar should return to normal.

Renal failure Boil 1 teaspoon of chopped leaves in two glasses of water over high heat, leave for 2 hours, drink 1 tablespoon 2 times a day.

Psoriasis. Pour 10 large leaves into a thermos and pour half a liter of boiling water, leave for 2 hours, drain. Drink the prepared infusion in half a glass 20 minutes before meals 3 times a day.

Discharge from the ear. 2 tablespoons of crushed leaves pour 200 ml of boiling water over to insist 1-2 hours. The infusion is used for washing and instillation 3 times a day or 1 time at night (after the procedure, close the ear opening with a cotton swab).

Barley. Brew 3 large leaves with 1 cup boiling water in a teapot or teapot. Drink a little like tea until it gets cold. Do this every hour, replacing the leaves with new ones. In total, you need to drink 6-7 cups during the day. During the night the barley will ripen, and by morning it will be gone.

Sinusitis. Pour 10 leaves with 1 liter of water, put on fire, simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Breathe in steam for 5 minutes, covering your head with a towel. Repeat the procedure if necessary. After the procedure, pus will begin to drain.

Joint diseases, cramps, paralysis, bedsores. Pour 30 g of crushed leaves with 200 g of linseed (sunflower) oil, insist in the heat for 7-10 days (or warm up for 1 hour in a water bath), drain. Rub in externally.

Stomatitis. Chew on fresh bay leaves.

Bee sting. Chew a fresh laurel leaf, apply to the bite and bandage.

Using bay leaf infusions, control your body's responses. With its astringent properties, bay leaves contribute to constipation. Persons who have a tendency to their occurrence when using infusions should consume prunes, beets or reduce the amount of infusion consumed.

Bay leaf contraindications

Contraindications to the use of bay leaves are pregnancy, glomerulonephritis (acute or chronic renal failure), bleeding tendency, amyloidosis (protein metabolism disorder). Remember to consult your doctor when using prescriptions.