Bay leaf- This is one of the most common culinary spices. It is added to the first and second courses, canned foods. Also, a noble plant has medicinal properties, is used in traditional medicine recipes. Many legends and myths are associated with the laurel tree; a wreath of laurel symbolizes victory.
Laurel is evergreen tree, which grows in the subtropics and tropics. It is especially common in the Mediterranean countries. Laurel flowers are small white color collected in inflorescences-umbrellas. The main value is its leaves. They are dense, have an elongated shape, dark green color.
In Greece, there is a legend that tells about the appearance of a plant.
The god of love Eros was angry with Apollo and decided to punish him for his arrogance. At him he shot an arrow that evokes love, and at the nymph Daphne - an arrow that causes disgust. Apollo suffered from love for Daphne and pursued her everywhere. Daphne asked the gods for protection, and Zeus turned her into a laurel tree. Apollo made the laurel evergreen. Since then, the Greeks have revered this tree as sacred.
Laurel wreaths are still a symbol of victory. The word laureate, which is called the winners of competitions or competitions, is translated as "crowned with laurels."
Bay leaves contain vitamins and minerals:
- ascorbic acid;
- vitamin A;
- B vitamins;
- fatty acid;
- iron;
- potassium;
- magnesium;
- sodium;
- manganese;
- zinc.
100 grams of product contains 48 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of protein, 7 grams of fat. Calorie content of 100 grams of spice - 313 kcal. The composition of the seasoning contains an essential oil - cineole. It has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory action.
In nature, there are several plants similar to laurel and also used in cooking:
- Malabar cinnamon, Indian bay leaf, tei-pat. This tree grows in the south of the Himalayas. Its leaves smell like cinnamon and cloves. The seasoning is popular in Northern India.
- Salam, Indonesian bay leaf. Grows in Indonesia, Malaysia. It has small leaves with a sour taste.
- West Indian bay leaf. In fact, these are allspice leaves, popular in the Caribbean.
- Boldo is a Chilean spice. It has a bitter taste and rich aroma.
Real bay leaf has a spicy, slightly sweet aroma. The taste is woody, with tart resinous notes. In the past, the fragrant plant was added to handwashing water. As a seasoning, it has been used since the Middle Ages. Now the main suppliers of spices are Greece and Türkiye. In Russia, laurel grows in the south.
To view the program about the secrets of the spice:
The benefits of bay leaf for the human body
The mineral and vitamin composition of bay leaf makes it beneficial for health:
- improvement of appetite and digestion by stimulating the production of pancreatic enzymes, bile;
- manganese stimulates metabolism, prevents the development of anemia;
- ascorbic acid helps to strengthen the immune system, reduces the risk of bleeding from the nose, gums, hemorrhoids;
- seasoning lowers blood glucose levels;
- the plant has a diuretic effect, therefore it removes excess fluid, salts from the body, helps with small kidney stones;
- essential oils and B vitamins have an analgesic effect, regulate the functioning of the nervous system;
- fatty acids prevent the accumulation of cholesterol in the vessels, reduce the risk of atherosclerosis;
- essential oils are good for dry and wet coughs, help to remove sputum;
- laurel phytoncides facilitate nasal breathing, reduce shortness of breath;
- pleasant aroma helps with insomnia, improves sleep quality;
- due to the anti-inflammatory effect, the decoction is used for papillomas, pustular rashes on the skin.
The use of seasoning every day in small quantities is indicated for people with chronic diseases - hypertension, diabetes, urolithiasis and cholelithiasis.
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For women
The benefits of seasoning for women lies in the healing effect on the organs of the genitourinary system:
- antiseptic action allows you to use the spice from cystitis, urethritis;
- fatty acids regulate the production of sex hormones, normalize the menstrual cycle;
- essential oils relieve well-being during painful menstruation;
- saturated bay decoction can cause menstruation a few days before the due date.
With the help of laurel decoction, you can remove the exacerbation of cystitis in one procedure.
Boil 10 liters of water, pour 30 grams of parsley, boil for 10 minutes. Cool the broth to a temperature of 50 degrees, pour into a basin. The woman sits in the basin so that the decoction reaches the pubis. After 10 minutes, you need to urinate directly into the pelvis - the decoction will fall into the urethra, wash it. Then you should wash off with warm water.
Useful seasoning for cosmetic purposes. When using a decoction for washing or masks, the condition of the skin and hair improves. The spice is added to food with a purpose.
For men
For the elderly and children
It is especially important for older people to consume bay leaves. It regulates cholesterol levels, prevents the formation of cholesterol plaques in the vessels. It slows down the progress coronary disease heart, atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels. Potassium and sodium regulate blood pressure, reduce the severity of arrhythmias.
Bay leaf helps with edema due to its diuretic action.
In children, bay leaves are allowed to be used almost from birth - first externally, and from 6 months, if necessary, can be given orally in small doses. From skin allergies for newborns, a decoction of lavrushka is used. It is added to the bath, bathe the child before bedtime.
Also, the plant is used for bathing with diaper rash, prickly heat. For older children, seasoning is given to improve digestion and strengthen immunity.
Bay leaf contraindications
Do not use bay leaf orally or externally with individual intolerance. The spice is contraindicated in people with exacerbation of gastritis or gastric ulcer due to the content essential oils. With exacerbation of pancreatitis, bay leaf is also contraindicated, because it stimulates the production of enzymes.
Excessive consumption of bay leaf can cause an allergic reaction.
Irritation of the gastric mucosa leads to bleeding. This should be kept in mind when treating alcohol dependence, as alcoholics already have an increased risk of gastroesophageal bleeding.
Is it possible to bay leaf pregnant and lactating
The use of bay leaves in food is prohibited. Its ethers increase the tone of the uterus, which can provoke a miscarriage or premature birth. External use for cosmetic purposes is allowed, but not more than once a week.
Application of bay leaf
Essential oils, vitamins and trace elements allow the use of seasoning in various situations. The main areas of application are cooking and traditional medicine. The properties of the plant also allow it to be used in cosmetology, for domestic purposes.
Laurel tree is endowed with magical properties. There are several ways to use the plant by magicians and healers:
- strengthening family relationships - a special conspiracy is pronounced over the laurel decoction, then it is divided into two parts and the spouses are given a drink;
- protection of the house from theft, misfortune - four bay leaves in the shape of a cross are placed under the door mat;
- attracting good luck, financial well-being - a leaf is worn in a wallet;
- protection from the evil eye - a leaf is worn in a pocket.
With the help of spices, rituals are performed for well-being and fulfillment of desires:
In cooking
The culinary use of the bay leaf is very wide. This is an obligatory component of home preservation - pickled cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, some types of jam.
Seasoning is added to the first, second courses, used to make sauces. Lavrushka is not used only for the preparation of dairy and fruit dishes. Spice is added:
- in mushroom soup, borscht, fish soup, pickle;
- stewed potatoes, goulash, vegetable stew;
- baked meat or fish;
- aspic, jellied fish.
Lavrushka is added to the water, where dumplings or unsweetened dumplings are boiled.
Seasoning is added to soups towards the end of cooking, and then removed from the broth. One leaf is enough for a three-liter pan. Lavrushka is put in the main dishes immediately and also taken out at the end of cooking.
By itself, the bay leaf is unsuitable for eating. It is too hard and has a bitter taste. But this does not mean that the plant is poisonous.
It is almost impossible to accidentally swallow it, and if a person nevertheless ate a piece, nothing terrible will happen. Under the action of gastric juice, the leaf will soften and come out with feces.
A tip on when to add the spice to soups:
In folk medicine
Lavrushka has found wide application in folk medicine. Seasoning is useful in diseases of various organs with an acute or chronic course. Based on the bay leaf, several types of medicines are made.
- . A handful of leaves are washed, poured with a liter of boiled water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cook for another 5 minutes. Cool, drink warm for colds, diseases of the joints, stomach.
- Infusion. A tablespoon of crushed leaves is poured into 500 ml of boiling water, covered with a lid. Infuse for 4 hours, drink warm in case of inflammatory processes, diseases of the stomach. Useful infusion for external use in dermatitis, eczema.
- Ointment. Several leaves are ground to a powder. Badger, pork or bear fat is heated in a water bath, mixed with powder. Used for rubbing joints, lubricating skin inflammation.
- Oil. Heat up 100 ml of sunflower or olive oil. Add a handful of crushed leaves, close the lid. Insist in a dark place for 2 weeks. Use externally or internally.
- Tincture. It is made on vodka, used inside and out. A handful of fresh leaves are crushed, poured with a liter of vodka. Insist in a dark place for 3 weeks.
Different diseases are used for different dosage forms plants. The spice is used as an independent remedy or combined with other folk recipes, medicines.
- Joint diseases - arthritis, arthrosis, gout. Use a decoction for oral administration. To cleanse diseased joints, drink 100 ml of it in the evenings for a month. With exacerbation of gout, rheumatism, the joints are lubricated with bay ointment or oil.
- In chronic rhinitis, sinusitis, a drop of bay oil is instilled into the nose. The course of treatment is 5-7 days.
- The infusion of the plant is used for gargling in chronic tonsillitis, adenoids in children.
- Inhalations over a saucepan with a decoction of bay leaf alleviate the condition of a cold.
- Wash the eyes with warm decoction for conjunctivitis.
- In case of intestinal upset, diarrhea, they drink a rich decoction of lavrushka. Take 20 grams of leaves per liter of water. You need to drink such a decoction little by little, in small sips. It is also used to call menstruation before their due date.
- At the initial stage of diabetes, a decoction of the plant is used for oral administration. To lower blood sugar, drink a decoction of 100 ml in the morning for at least 3 months.
- In order to cleanse the blood vessels, an infusion of seasoning is used. With an increased level of cholesterol, the remedy is drunk 50 ml in the morning before meals. The course of treatment is 2 months. From high cholesterol, when there are already atherosclerotic plaques, the infusion is taken in 100 ml.
- Lavrushka tincture helps with smoking. It is dripped on a cigarette, from which the process of smoking causes nausea, disgust.
- The tincture is used to treat drunkenness. It is poured into vodka, and when a person drinks it, he begins to vomit violently. Gradually, this causes an aversion to alcohol.
- To remove salts from the kidneys, a decoction of bay leaves is used. It is drunk 100 ml in the morning, the course of treatment is 1 month. With cystitis, urethritis, it is useful to soar the legs in a decoction of lavrushka.
- Lavrushka infusion helps with toenail fungus. The feet are lowered into a basin with warm infusion, held for 10 minutes. Then wipe dry. The procedure is repeated daily for a month.
- From children's prickly heat, a decoction of lavrushka is used, adding it to bathing water.
- Bay leaf oil helps with exacerbations of psoriasis. They smear rashes.
- Chewing laurel eliminates the smell of fumes, improves the condition of the oral cavity. It is useful to chew it for caries, inflammation of the gums.
To view an overview of how seasoning is used to treat the body:
In cosmetology
Based on the bay leaf, many cosmetic recipes have been created.
- Cleansing mask for oily skin faces. Take a tablespoon of yogurt, mix with a teaspoon of tincture of bay leaves. Apply the mass to the skin, after 15 minutes, rinse with warm water.
- For acne, use lotion. For 100 ml of vodka take 10 grams of leaves, a tablespoon of cucumber juice. Mix, insist 3 weeks. With the help of a cotton pad wipe acne.
- A decoction of bay leaves is used. After washing with shampoo, they are rinsed not with plain water, but with a decoction.
- Baths with infusion of bay leaves make the skin soft and silky. A liter of strong broth is poured into the bath, it is taken for 15-20 minutes.
Additionally, watch the video on how to make a mask for hair growth:
At home
Lavrushka essential oils are able to purify the air in the house, and the pleasant smell helps to relax and relieve stress. To carry out aromatherapy procedures, you need to set fire to several dry spice leaves by placing them in a glass jar. The procedure helps eliminate unpleasant odors.
The strong smell of the spice helps to get rid of domestic cockroaches. The crushed leaves are laid out along the baseboards, under the furniture. After a few days, the insects leave the room.
To view the recipe for how to get rid of insects with spices:
Collection and preparation of laurel at home
You can buy spices at any store. However, it will be more useful if you collect fresh leaves and dry them yourself.
On a branch of a tree, bay leaves live for about five years. But it is better to collect them when they reach the age of 1.5-2 years. By this time, the leaves accumulate a maximum useful substances and become dense enough to withstand long storage.
Bay leaves are harvested from April to October. They are torn off with whole branches, then dried in the shade for 7-10 days.
It is also better to store the seasoning with branches, gathering them in a bundle and hanging them in a cool, dry place. If this is not possible, dry leaves are carefully separated from the branches, placed in sealed containers. The shelf life is not limited, but the aroma begins to be lost after a couple of years.
On one's own. Do this with the help of seeds or layering. The seeds are sown in the ground. When a sprout appears with two or three branches, it is transplanted into a separate pot. The layer is first placed in a glass of water, when the roots appear, they are transplanted into the ground.
A laurel-like plant is the cherry laurel. This is a shrub whose leaves are similar in shape and smell to laurel, and the fruits resemble cherries. It is easy to distinguish bay leaf from cherry bay leaf. It is smaller, tougher and has a strong flavor.
Bay leaf is a whole collection of useful components and properties. It gives a special taste to dishes, is able to replace many medicines. Seasoning can be safely given to young children, the elderly. And women love it for the possibility of using it as a cosmetic product.
How do you use bay leaf? Share your stories in the comments, do not forget to tell your friends from social networks about the article.
In the kitchen of a good housewife there is always a bay leaf. This overseas spice, which is native to the subtropics, is so popular in our country that we can rightfully call it our own. Just take a look: we add bay leaves to pilaf and shurpa, fry meat with it and prepare sauces, season soups and aspic fish. What can we say about all kinds of pickles and marinades, the preparation of which is not complete without fragrant "lavrushka".
The surprising thing for many will be the fact that the bay leaf is not only a valuable spice, but also a unique gift of nature, which mankind has used from time immemorial to treat various diseases and ailments.
It is today that we use "laurel" exclusively in cooking, and there were times when this wonderful foliage was actively used to improve digestion and increase appetite, used it as a diuretic, treated the stomach and joints, rheumatism, paralysis and colds. Even today you can improve your health with the help of bay leaves, you just need to know how and from what diseases this spice helps.
Valuable composition of bay leaf
The fact that laurel is a unique plant is evidenced by the fact that this evergreen tree, which is a symbol of the Mediterranean, lives up to 1000 years! This phenomenon can be explained, perhaps, by the unique composition of this plant. Scientists have found valuable fatty acids in the leaves, including acetic and valeric, many essential oils and tannins. Moreover, bay leaf is a valuable source of vitamins A, PP, C, B vitamins, as well as minerals necessary for all living organisms, including manganese and iron, zinc, copper, selenium, potassium and many other substances.
But more importantly, the foliage bay tree is a storehouse of phytoncides - biologically active substances that are distinguished by the ability to kill pathogenic bacteria and inhibit the growth of pathogenic microflora. It is these substances that provide the healing effect of laurel on a variety of organs and systems of our body.
Where is bay leaf used?
First of all, let's say that for the treatment of this wonderful seasoning, it is necessary to choose high-quality raw materials, olive in color and exuding a strong aroma. A laurel leaf stored for more than six months is not suitable for these purposes, because over time it loses its aroma and becomes bitter. And now we give recipes of traditional medicine that will help you in a variety of life situations.
1. Indigestion. In case of such a problem, you need to drink 4-5 drops of juice from a fresh leaf of "lavrushka" and drink it with a glass of water. In just a few minutes, the stomach will begin to work and all the unpleasant symptoms of indigestion will immediately go away.
2. Flatulence. If your stomach reminds of itself all day with gas formation and rumbling in the stomach, pour four bay leaves into 100 ml of slightly cooled boiled water and leave for twenty minutes. Take this remedy morning and evening until the problem disappears.
3. Bee sting. If you have been bitten by a bee, wasp or any other insect, you can cope with the irritation that has appeared on the skin with the help of the usual "laurel". Just chew the bay leaf, apply the green mass to the bite site and fix it on top with a bandage or plaster. Unpleasant itching and redness at the site of the bite in this case will quickly go away.
4. Diseases of the oral cavity. People who are struggling with gingivitis, stomatitis and periodontal disease, or those who have bad breath, it is useful to chew the spice in question between meals. In just a week, you will notice how inflammation of the gums gradually disappears.
5. Insomnia. Many will be surprised, but the aroma of bay leaves perfectly calms the nerves and causes drowsiness. If you suffer from insomnia, just sew bay leaves into your pillow. You will see, literally from the very first night you will quickly fall asleep and sleep until morning in a sound, serene sleep. By the way, such an aromatic pillow is suitable not only for adults, but also for kids.
6. Strong cough. If you have a cough, grind a couple of bay leaves to a powder, mix a pinch of this remedy with a teaspoon of thick honey and hold the finished pill under the tongue until it melts. Take 3-5 of these pills a day and your cough will soon disappear.
7. Toothache. With unbearable toothache, you can fight not only with the help of analgesics harmful to the body, but also with the help of a bay leaf. Just grind the “lavrushka” in a coffee grinder to a powder state, pour 2 tsp. such raw materials with a glass of water, bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes. The cooled remedy should be rinsed in the mouth every 15 minutes until the pain subsides.
8. Spasmodic pains. With spastic pains, you also cannot do without a bay leaf. It is enough to grind 5 oblong leaves, pour 300 ml of boiling water over them and hold them in a closed thermos for 3 hours to get a natural and effective pain reliever. Drink the filtered liquid in small sips for 12 hours and after two days only memories will remain from the pain.
9. Deposition of salts. In the case of excruciating pain in the joints caused by the deposition of salts (overgrowth of osteophytes), the bay leaf comes to the rescue first of the traditional medicine. For this, the following decoction is prepared: 5 bay leaves are poured into 500 ml of boiling water, and sent to the fire, where they are boiled for 10 minutes over low heat. Add 1 tsp to the filtered broth. honey and juice of half a lemon. The finished product should be drunk in doses, in small sips, in order to consume all the medicine during the day. The course of treatment lasts 14 days, the same amount is given for a break, after which the therapy is repeated.
10. Foot fungus. The appearance of a fungus on the legs, which is accompanied by damage to the nail plates and the appearance of an unpleasant odor, can be treated with a bay leaf. For this purpose, ten leaves should be placed in the bath, pour 500 ml of boiling water over them and let the water cool slightly. Baths with ready-made infusion are taken for 20 minutes three times a week, preferably at bedtime, until the fungus is completely gone.
11. Purulent inflammation in the ear. The appearance of inflammation in the ear is a serious problem that needs to be addressed to doctors. However, after consulting with a specialist, you can fight purulent inflammation with a bay leaf. It is only necessary to instill 2 drops of bay leaf decoction into the sore ear or apply compresses with this remedy. Such a decoction is prepared simply: 10 sheets of laurel are poured into 200 ml of hot water, placed in a thermos and allowed to brew for 5 hours.
12. Renal failure. With serious kidney problems, the doctor may advise you to decoction of bay leaves, and all because this spice has a pronounced diuretic effect. To cook it, just pour 1 tsp. crushed raw materials with a glass of water and hold on fire for about ten minutes. After this, the remedy should be allowed to brew for two hours and you can take it 1 tbsp. twice a day. The course of treatment with such a medicine should be agreed with the attending physician.
13. Diabetes. With a high level of sugar in the blood, traditional healers advise taking the following decoction. Pour five leaves of this seasoning with a glass of boiling water, send the finished mixture to a thermos and let it brew for 1 day. Take this remedy three times a day, ½ cup before meals. The duration of treatment with this remedy is usually 3 weeks, but after consulting with your doctor, after a month you can re-treat. By the way, this recipe will help both "diabetics" and people who would like to normalize carbohydrate metabolism.
14. Help in losing weight. Normalizing the process of carbohydrate metabolism has helped many people lose weight. That is why if you want to get rid of extra pounds, pay attention to the following recipe. In the evening, grind 5-7 leaves of laurel and, pouring them with a glass of cool water, leave to infuse until morning. The next day, boil this water for literally fifteen minutes and let it brew under the lid for another half hour. After straining the broth, it can be taken in half a glass before each meal, but not more than 4 times a day. You need to drink such a remedy for 7 days, after which you need a two-week break and a second course. According to doctors, 4 such courses are allowed per year. By the way, you can add a pleasant taste to the broth by adding various spices, ranging from cinnamon and cardamom, and ending with nuts and honey.
15. Skin diseases. Laurel leaf - excellent tool against skin diseases, especially if the lesions are caused by pathogenic microbes. For treatment, simply grind a few bay leaves into dust with a coffee grinder, then pour 1.5 tsp. of this powder with a glass of olive oil and let the product brew for 7 days in the refrigerator. The resulting laurel oil can be lubricated on the affected skin twice a day until the problem is completely eliminated. By the way, this drug will come to the rescue with allergic rashes, skin irritation and even bedsores.
16. Improving the condition of the skin. In addition to treating skin diseases, bay leaf can improve the condition of your epidermis, restore softness and silkiness to the skin, and even whiten it a little. This is easy to achieve, just once a week take a bath with laurel decoction. It is prepared simply, just brew 8 leaves of laurel with 0.5 liters of boiling water and let the remedy brew, and before taking a bath, pour the finished broth into the water.
17. Hypertension. You can fight high blood pressure not only with medicines, but also with folk remedies, in particular, with a leaf of "lavrushka". For this purpose, 4 leaves are poured with a glass of boiling water and infused for a day. You need to use the finished product in the morning and in the evening, half a glass for two weeks. Following the course of treatment, a break of a month is necessary, after which it is possible to re-treat. By the way, this recipe is only suitable for those whose pressure does not rise above 160 x 90 mm Hg. For those who suffer from higher blood pressure, experts recommend adding a pinch of dried dill to the bay broth.
18. Inflammation of the lungs. In case of bronchitis, inflammation or tuberculosis of the lungs, the following recipe will help you. In an enameled container, 15 bay leaves are poured into 400 ml of water, brought to a boil and boiled for 10 minutes. Then the hot solution is poured into a porcelain teapot, covered with a terry towel and the warm vapors of bay leaf essential oils are breathed through the spout of the teapot. By the way, this tool is great for helping with sinusitis. In this case, inhale hot air through the nose, alternately one and the other nostril.
19. Barley. Barley that appears on the eye can be cured in just a day if the following treatment is applied. Choose three large bay leaves, fill them with a glass of boiling water in a teapot and after 10 minutes start drinking a hot drink like tea. Take this remedy every hour, constantly brewing new leaves. You need to drink 6-8 such cups per day and the barley will ripen at night, and by morning it will completely disappear.
20. Eliminate bacteria in the room. If you have a patient at home with an infectious disease, you can be sure that the air in the room is simply teeming with pathogenic microbes. To eliminate them and save other family members from infection, boil 12–15 bay leaves in water and leave a container with this solution in the room. Soon, a pleasant aroma will spread throughout the house, which will provide essential oils, and all bacteria will disappear.
Contraindications for bay leaf treatment
With all the benefits of this spice for human health, it is worth noting that bay leaf-based products are not suitable for everyone. For example, pregnant women, people suffering from stomach or duodenal ulcers, and patients with severe diabetes should not be treated with bay leaf. Remember that the effect of this seasoning on the body is quite strong, and therefore, before using products based on it, it will not be superfluous to consult a specialist.
Good health to you!
In modern world medicinal properties bay leaves have been somewhat forgotten, supplanted by the use only as a flavoring spice. But folk healers remember the medicinal properties of the plant, who actively use the leaves on their own, introduce them into the composition of medicinal preparations.
plant description
In its homeland - in the Mediterranean and Asia Minor - noble laurel grows among other evergreens. This grouping is called "Maquis". It is characteristic of a tropical climate. The heat-loving plant grows well in Spain, Italy, France, Portugal. It is actively cultivated on the territory of the Crimean peninsula.
Unpretentious to the composition of the soil, noble laurel can grow in the mountain steppe, on rocky and sandy slopes. The main condition for normal vegetation is the constancy of temperature and the absence of severe frosts. At temperatures below 12 ° C, the plant dies.
Morphological features
Laurel noble belongs to the evergreen perennials. Depending on the conditions, a shrub or a tree is formed, the height of which sometimes reaches 15 meters.
- Roots. The root system is well developed, but lies shallow in the soil, which causes the plant to be unstable to severe frosts.
- Run away. Covered with a brown, smooth bark, laurel shoots stretch upward, developing especially well on flooded sunlight plots. Strong branching forms a dense pyramidal crown.
- Leaves. Densely arranged on the branches of the crown alternately. The elliptical leaf plate can reach a length of about 20 cm. The width is up to 4 cm. The edge of the plate is solid, the surface is leathery, very smooth, glossy. green tint on top of the leaf plate, several tones darker than the color of the underside. The plate tapers towards the base. Attaches to the branch with a short petiole.
- flowers. Small, up to 1 cm in diameter, collected from six pieces in small umbrellas. Several umbels are collected in the axils of the leaves at the ends of the branches. Before flowering, the umbrellas are covered with several dry scales, which fall off when the flowers open. The color of the corollas is white-green, with a yellowish tint.
- Fruit. The drupes are black or dark purple in color, reaching 2 cm long, have a round or oval shape. Large seed inside.
It was the laurel fruits that were attributed the most active pharmacological properties in the first edition of the pharmacopoeia. At that time, drupes were called beans, and the ointment prepared from them was called bean.
Procurement process
The main medicinal raw material of the noble laurel is its leaves. Due to the content of a large amount of essential oil, fresh foliage is partially processed. The same is done with freshly picked laurel fruits. The leaves look like this:
- Collection. It begins at the moment of flowering of the first inflorescences on the plant. As a rule, it is early spring. Only good, sunny weather is suitable for harvesting, so that there are no dew drops or moisture from the air on the foliage. Often, leaves are collected along with young branches. These leaves contain the largest number valuable essential oil.
- Preparation. Raw materials are sorted for spoiled or damaged leaves. Check the moisture content.
- Drying. Lay out in dense shade, with good ventilation. When using devices, a low-temperature regime is observed to maintain the concentration of oil. To dry the bay leaf yourself, you can hang young branches on an outstretched twine.
- Storage. After complete drying, the leaves are collected in an airtight container made of glass or cellophane. Keep the bay leaf in a dark place, in the absence of moisture.
The crushed leaves are processed by the distillation method to obtain an essential oil. The use of high-tech devices makes it possible to obtain an extract from the leaves that retains all the beneficial properties of fresh raw materials. Laurel fruits are harvested in autumn. They are used fresh, harvested for future use by freezing. Under industrial conditions, fatty oil is obtained from fruits, which is a thick granular substance with a characteristic odor.
Medicinal properties of bay leaf
The benefit of bay leaf is the content of a particularly valuable essential oil. Its volatile components have bactericidal, astringent, regenerating properties, have a sedative effect on nervous system stimulate the work of the cardiovascular system. Multicomponent essential oil of noble laurel contains:
- limonene;
- camphene;
- cineole;
- pinene;
- geraniol;
- myrcene;
- cadinene;
- sabinene.
Organic acids contained in the leaves (valeric, caproic, acetic) are able to stimulate the production of bile, urine, have anti-inflammatory, immunostimulating and vasoprotective properties. Phytoncides and flavonoids provide antitumor activity laurel, as well as its ability to improve the condition of blood vessels.
Fatty oil extracted from the fruits of laurel is an excellent source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which comprehensively improve the functioning of the body, reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Bitterness and resins help to improve appetite and activate the production of digestive juices.
The vitamin composition of laurel is as follows: vitamins C, A, K, PP, E.
Also, the main macro- and microelements were found in the laurel: potassium, calcium, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, phosphorus, magnesium. Rich chemical composition determines the characteristic taste of the plant, high rates of its nutritional value.
Pharmacological effects
Laurel noble has many therapeutic properties that are actively used in folk medicine. Use fresh and dried foliage of the plant, as well as oils and extracts extracted from leaves and fruits. Due to the low cost, treatment with laurel leaves has the maximum distribution. Indications for use include the following ailments:
An essential oil extracted from laurel has a no less long list of medicinal properties. They disinfect the air indoors, where there are patients with severe infectious diseases. With laurel oil, inhalations are done for bronchitis and pneumonia in order to eliminate coughing fits. Ingestion helps eliminate inflammation of the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), normalize stool and bile flow. External use allows you to get rid of scabies, eczema, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis. Laurel oil is dissolved diluted with water intended for washing festering wounds. Essential oil rubs are used for joints, body aches, muscle and vascular spasms.
Fatty oil has tremendous anti-inflammatory and regenerating properties. It is recommended to use it instead of cocoa butter - for the preparation of candles for hemorrhoids. Laurel oil will complement the action medicines own healing properties. Fatty oil ointments help heal wounds, eliminate the symptoms of arthritis, and completely cure varicose veins. lower extremities. Fatty oil from fruits leads to the cleansing of the body from toxins, radionuclides, provides effective cleaning of blood vessels. Taking it internally helps treat and prevent:
- atherosclerosis;
- complications in diabetes mellitus;
- peptic ulcer;
- nervous disorders;
- obesity;
- hormonal disruptions.
Traditional medicine uses laurel to provoke an abortion. Today, laurel is recommended for girls suffering from regular delays in menstruation, as well as infertility, provoked by hormonal disruptions. Some folk healers successfully treat alcoholism with the help of bay leaves.
Recipes
Laurel treatment is easy to carry out right at home, because ready-to-eat dried leaves are sold in the nearest store and are available to people with any income level. Before treatment, you need to learn some rules.
- Who can't. Bay leaf contraindications include individual sensitivity. If you are allergic to a plant, even external use is prohibited.
- Side effect. Among side effects- diuretic, so people with large kidney stones should not be treated with laurel.
- Timing of therapy is important. The harm of the plant can manifest itself when it accumulates, so the use of fragrant raw materials should be moderate, it is important to take a break every two weeks of treatment.
Oil
Peculiarities. It is used to treat colds, respiratory diseases, as well as articular ailments. Helps improve the functioning of the stomach and gallbladder.
Preparation and application
- 30 g of crushed dried laurel leaves are poured into a glass of high-quality olive oil.
- The mixture is placed in a dark place for a week, the container is shaken regularly.
- Use a teaspoon of oil three times a day before meals.
Decoction
Peculiarities. A decoction of bay leaf at home is used to treat colds, strengthen immunity. They can also wash your face to get rid of acne. The use of bay leaf for hair can also be carried out according to this recipe - the decoction will strengthen the roots, improve the structure of the hair along the entire length.
Preparation and application
- A handful of bay leaves is poured with half a liter of boiling water.
- The container with the mixture is put on a slow fire, brought to a boil. Boil for five minutes.
- After the specified time, remove the decoction, insist it for four hours.
- After straining, use the remedy up to six times a day for a tablespoon or use it externally.
Ointment
Peculiarities. According to reviews, this ointment does an excellent job with scabies, boils, eczema and psoriasis, as well as inflammatory diseases of the muscles and joints.
Preparation and application
- Powder of bay leaves (6 g) is mixed with 1 g of powdered juniper needles.
- Add 12 g of butter to the vegetable mixture, mix until smooth.
- Apply ointment under the bandage several times a day.
Slimming Tea
Peculiarities. Laurel stimulates metabolic processes, so the leaves in any form are used to make slimming drinks. It is best to brew bay leaf for weight loss along with cinnamon.
Preparation and application
- Five dried bay leaves and a cinnamon stick are placed in a standard tea cup.
- Pour the mixture with a glass of boiling water, insist 15 minutes.
- Drink three cups per day: on an empty stomach in the morning, after breakfast, and also at night.
Tincture
Peculiarities. The recipe for tincture of bay leaves involves the use of fresh raw materials. The prepared remedy is used to treat such serious ailments as atherosclerosis, oncological diseases of various localization.
Preparation and application
- Two glasses of fresh bay leaf are passed through a meat grinder several times.
- The resulting substance is poured with a liter of pure vodka.
- Place the container with the mixture for two weeks in a dark place, shake it daily.
- After straining, the tincture is taken three times a day for a tablespoon.
Dried bay leaf in folk medicine is used after simple steaming in boiling water:
- from a headache- apply on the forehead and temples;
- from cough - they are wound up at night instead of mustard plasters;
- from pain - make a compress from steamed leaves for the night;
- for wound healing- wind the leaves under the bandage.
Healing properties bay leaves are transferred to the essential oil, which is sold in pharmacies in the public domain. It can be used neat and added to neutral base oils.
Bay leaf treatment will help get rid of many ailments, will provide effective prevention of diseases of the blood, immunity, joints, colds and flu. Timely use of bay leaf as a prophylactic will prolong health for many years.
With this spice, which is added when cooking, as a flavoring seasoning, everyone is familiar with since childhood. From cooked dishes, the leaves are removed, because with their prolonged presence, some bitterness appears.
But sometimes they, due to the forgetfulness of culinary specialists and cooks, still remain in food. Maybe that's why it appeared folk omen telling that if the bay leaf is in your bowl of soup, then some new news awaits you.
What is this spice and what plant is this leaf from? Leaves grow on an evergreen subtropical tree - noble laurel ( Laurus nobilis), belonging to the Laurel family, reaching a height of up to 15 meters, which, by the way, is called by many a shrub. Is a long-lived favorable conditions can live up to 400 years.
The noble laurel once grew only in the Mediterranean, it was considered a sacred tree and in Ancient Greece wreaths of its leaves adorned the heads of the winners. In our country, it grows only in the Krasnodar Territory.
Bay leaf medicinal properties
Knowing about the spice used as a familiar component of the first and second courses, as well as canning, pickling and salting, few people are familiar with its extraordinary healing properties. The healing properties of the plant are due to its chemical composition.
What is included in the chemical composition
All parts of the plant contain aromatic resins and essential oils that give the plant a pleasant spicy aroma. The amount of oils in leaves reaches 5%, in fruits its content is much lower - up to 1%.
Tannins and bitterness add a pleasant bitterness. Tannins are natural phenolic compounds, have a strong antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effect, and help cleanse the body. Bitters by their nature are terpinoids, enhance the secretory function of the stomach, cause appetite.
Fatty oils up to 40%, starch and sugars, lauran and phytosterol, mucus were found in the plant. Fatty oil consists of palmitic, lauric and glycerol acids.
The composition of the essential oil includes biologically active substances: limonene and myrcene, cineole and linen, linalool and camphor, and other organic acids.
The leaves are rich in proteins, carbohydrates, and dietary fiber. They are also rich in vitamins and minerals. Of the vitamins, one can name C, A, PP, group B. From micro and macro elements: phosphorus and manganese, selenium and iron, potassium and copper, zinc, sodium and magnesium.
Recent studies by Japanese scientists have supplemented the composition with new discoveries, they have isolated the alkaloids launobine and actinodarphin.
Its main medicinal properties
Experts assure that the ingredients that make up the sheet have a very fast effect on the body. It is recommended to use it in the form of decoctions and infusions, alcohol tinctures. In addition, cosmetic preparations are made at home. And all thanks to a wide range of effects, which is expressed in such properties:
Antitumor effect, reduces to some extent the development of cancer cells, therefore it is used as an additional therapy.
Anti-pain effect, relieving joint pain, convulsive, pain arising from trembling of the limbs. Read more: Tremor of the limbs.
bactericidal effect, which is widely used to restore the functioning of the digestive system, with pronounced signs dyspepsia, treatment of food poisoning.
Anti-inflammatory and expectorant effect, which is used to relieve inflammation in various diseases, including a sore throat, cough treatment.
Immunomodulatory action, which is expressed in strengthening the body's defenses against the effects of microorganisms.
Calming and relaxing effect, balances emotional instability, helps to treat insomnia.
It has a cleansing and diuretic effect, well removes intoxication products from the body, cleansing the blood of toxins, toxins and other harmful substances.
Hemostatic and wound healing effect, used for local treatment.
An effect that stabilizes pressure, which frees the body from its sharp jumps and drops.
A light astringent effect and the ability to lower blood sugar, which is used by healers for diabetes.
How to choose lavrushka for medicinal purposes
Nowadays, dried laurel leaves can be bought in bulk, packaged in bags and jars, and even on a twig. If you buy in bulk, then carefully inspect the leaves, they should be dark green in color and clean. The presence of spots on the leaves indicates a violation of the drying technology of raw materials or a disease of the plant.
Fresh raw materials have a bright, pleasant aroma. Old leaves that have expired have almost no smell. If bitterness is felt when brewing the leaves, such raw materials are not suitable for treatment.
How long can dry raw materials be stored
Dried laurel leaves are stored in glass jars with tightly closed lids or in bags of thick paper. It is important that they are well dried.
Contraindications and possible harm when taking the drug
The daily use of Lavrushka for cooking sometimes misleads people about the impossibility of harming their health. In fact, we must remember that this seasoning is intended only for flavoring dishes, but not for internal use.
It would seem that a completely harmless leaflet, having strong properties, can lead to poisoning, so it is necessary to strictly follow the recommended dosages in the treatment of ailments. An overdose causes persistent constipation.
The plant has contraindications for use, it is not advisable to use laurel leaves, if available:
- hypersensitivity and predisposition to allergic reactions;
- in violation of blood clotting and protein metabolism;
- tendency to frequent constipation;
- pancreatitis and cholelithiasis, acute cholecystitis, cardiovascular diseases;
- duodenal ulcer;
- inflammatory processes in the acute stage;
- not recommended during pregnancy, lactation and children.
Bay leaf in folk medicine
Traditional medicine has accumulated considerable experience in the use of leaves of a long-lived plant. Their properties are used for treatment both fresh and dried. In this video, Elena Malysheva talks about the benefits and harms of laurel leaves:
What drugs are being prepared for treatment
infusions, which have an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect, strengthen the immune system, cleanse and soothe the body. For the classic recipe for making an infusion, take 10 dried leaves of lavrushka, pour 500 ml of boiling water and leave for about three hours. Take milliliters of 100, three times a day.
Decoctions cook different. Their concentration and dosage of oral administration depends on the nature of the disease, recipes will be given below. When preparing decoctions, the container is not covered with a lid so that the essential oils evaporate and create less stress on the kidneys.
Oil or an oil extract is obtained by infusing the leaves in corn or olive oil, sunflower oil can also be used. Crushed leaves in the amount of 30 g pour 200 ml of hot oil. After it must be kept in a dark and warm place for up to 2 weeks.
If necessary, there is a quick way of cooking, after pouring the leaves with hot oil, it is kept in a water bath for about one hour. The oil is intended for external use as a rub for arthritis, myositis, joint and neuralgic pain, for massage with paralysis of the limbs.
Ointment bean , the so-called essential oil, which is obtained by distillation of leaves with water vapor. This remedy is difficult to prepare at home. It is also used for external purposes, with convulsions, diseases of the respiratory system, treats scabies.
Tincture prepared from a tablespoon of crushed raw materials in half a liter of vodka, insist up to 2 weeks. They are used externally.
Bay leaf treatment
Preparations are prepared from laurel leaves for both external and internal use, and the leaves can be taken both dry and fresh.
For the treatment of skin diseases (urticaria, irritation, dandruff, eczema), rubbing, applying napkins with a concentrated solution of decoctions and infusions are used.
For oral use, weak concentrations of infusions are used, and drugs are prepared according to different recipes for each disease. Laurel leaf oil helps to relieve pain. Drugs are used to treat:
Digestive problems prepare a decoction of 4 g of lavrushka, poured with 100 ml of boiling water and kept on fire for 10 minutes. Take all day, several sips, no more than 2 glasses per day.
Application for joints. Leaf preparations free the joints from salt deposits. To do this, you need to brew 5 g of crushed leaves, 300 ml of boiling water. First, the solution is kept in a water bath for about five minutes, and then it is also insisted in a thermos for five hours.
Take all day in small portions, start taking on an empty stomach, drink until late in the evening. The course is three days. After that, a rest is made for a week and the treatment is repeated. That is, you need to conduct 2 courses of treatment for 3 days, with a week break. The treatment lasts a whole year: every quarter, 2 described courses.
After that, switch to preventive treatment - once a year it is necessary to drink the infusion twice for 3 days with a week break. During treatment, it is better to use a vegetarian diet, without salt.
2nd prescription for salt deposition uric acid. Brew a decoction of 30 laurels in 2 glasses of water, which is boiled for 5 minutes. This volume is designed for a day of treatment, the decoction is taken 100 ml five times a day, it increases diuresis and salts are excreted in the urine.
From allergies an infusion is also prepared from 5 g of a finely broken leaf per 300 ml of boiling water. Which must be kept in a thermos for up to three hours. The infusion is applied externally, they wipe the skin with rashes.
To eliminate bad breath in diseases such as bleeding gums, stomatitis, gingivitis, healers advise simply chewing a piece of leaf. The essential oils contained in it destroy all pathogenic microflora in the oral cavity. After chewing, spit out the contents. Can't be swallowed.
This folk method is powerless if the smell from the mouth is associated with a disease of the internal organs.
For the treatment of sinusitis and other respiratory diseases, steam inhalation is used. Why do you need to pour 15 crushed leaves with boiling water, wait 10 minutes and breathe over the steam. Essential oils are volatile, getting into the respiratory tract with steam, they kill viruses and microbes, contribute to the liquefaction of sputum and its discharge (expectorant effect).
From alcoholism There is folk recipe using medicinal plant lovage. Why a teaspoon of lovage roots and two bay leaves insist two weeks on vodka (250 ml). The use of tincture causes a persistent aversion to alcoholic beverages.
With dysentery a decoction is prepared from 2 laurels and a teaspoon of green tea, filled with cold water. The drug is boiled over low heat until the volume is halved. Take a spoonful of the dining room - five times a day.
From diabetes It is recommended to take leaf powder on the tip of a knife in the morning. You just need to watch the pressure. In severe forms of the disease, such treatment is contraindicated.
2 prescription treatmentin diabetes. 8 leaves after brewing, insist in a thermos, up to 4 hours in 800 ml of boiling water. Drink an infusion of 100 ml before meals, three times a day. treatment is provided for a course, for two weeks, with the same break. It is used as an aid, you can not cancel the treatment prescribed by the doctor on your own.
For rheumatism a tincture is prepared from one spoon of chopped lavrushka for half a liter of vodka, here it is also necessary to add willow bark and lilac color in the same amount. After 2 weeks of infusion, use for rubbing.
Pressure sores, bruises, pain relief useful recipe with vegetable oil. Per glass vegetable oil take 35 g of crushed raw materials and insist for two weeks. After filtering, they are used to lubricate sore spots.
With excessive sweating of the feet and elimination of odor prepare a decoction of 2 sachets of leaves with 3 tablespoons of oak bark in four liters of water. Boil the drug for about 7 minutes, do foot baths. This remedy helps in the fight against fungal diseases of the feet.
For the treatment of barley prepare an infusion of 3 crushed leaves, filled with a glass of boiling water. You need to insist for 20 minutes and take the infusion warm, 100 ml every hour throughout the day. During the day you need to drink 6 glasses, and brew fresh leaves for each glass. Healers claim that after a day's treatment, barley disappears in the morning.
Treatment of flu, colds, acute respiratory infections spend a decoction prepared on a spoonful of crushed raw materials, poured over two glasses of boiling water, aged on a stove (on a slow fire), for about 10 minutes. Take a decoction in half a glass, three times a day, before meals. Increases immunity.
The bactericidal properties of the decoction are used as a disinfectant for a room in which a person with the flu is located. To do this, an infusion or concentrated decoction is poured into a saucer so that it evaporates. Essential oils contribute to the destruction of all viruses and microorganisms.
Bay leaf for weight loss
Due to the effective properties of essential oils and other biologically active substances that make up the plant, leaf preparations are successfully used for weight loss. This is mainly due to the diuretic effect, frequent urination removes not only excess fluid from the body, but also frees the body from toxins and toxins.
When using drugs to lose weight, you will have to change your diet, which may include plant foods, turkey and chicken meat, seafood and rabbit meat, and dried fruits. Smoked and canned food, red meat and flour products, sweets and alcohol will have to be excluded from the menu.
Body cleansing for weight loss is carried out once every six months.
Tea for removing toxins and toxins prepared from 30 leaves, filled in a thermos with a liter of boiling water. It is aged overnight and taken for three days in small sips repeatedly.
To regulate the water-salt balance. When tea and the proposed diet do not bring the expected result, the cause may be a disturbed water-salt balance.
This infusion will help to normalize it: Only 3 leaves brew 300 ml of boiling water and leave for 4 hours. take a tablespoon before meals.
Complicated prescription for removing fluid prepared from 200 g of raw materials, brewed with a liter of boiling water and aged for 20 minutes in a water bath. 2 tablespoons before each meal will allow the body to get rid of 3-4 liters of water in three days.
Laurel recipe with cinnamon. Brew one and a half liters of boiling water 5 leaves of parsley and a cinnamon stick, hold on a slow fire for 15 minutes. Drink a drug of 250 ml before each meal for three days.
Cinnamon helps burn fat, relaxes the intestines, reduces appetite.
Application in home cosmetology
The bactericidal and anti-inflammatory properties of the plant help to cope with skin problems, essential oils, vitamins and minerals nourish and rejuvenate it. Do not forget that the composition includes tannins that dry the skin, so it is better to use medicinal preparations for oily skin.
For skin rejuvenation and acne treatment prepare an infusion of 25 crushed leaves, poured with half a glass of boiling water. Which is first boiled for about 5 minutes, and then insisted for four hours. Wipe the face with the prepared infusion.
Steaming the skin over decoctions helps to open pores and cleanse them.
Wrinkle mask prepared from 20 ml of broth, raw protein, 10 g of yeast and a tablespoon of oil. The finished mixture is applied to the face and kept until completely dry. The mask is applied to the skin after three days.
Infusionfor hair prepared from 30 laurel leaves, filled with a liter of water, which must be put on fire and brought to a boil, and then poured into a thermos and kept for about three hours. Rinse your hair with this infusion after washing. The infusion helps to eliminate dandruff, heals skin rashes, redness, peeling.
At home treatment, it must be remembered that the bay leaf has medicinal properties that have an astringent effect that causes constipation. Therefore, people prone to this problem, during the period of treatment, it is necessary to switch to a vegetarian diet or more often include vegetables and fruits that have a laxative effect in their diet (beets, prunes, apples, figs ...)
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Medicinal plants can have the same effect on the human body as medical preparations. Laurel leaf is considered one of the well-known folk remedies. It is thanks to popular love and respect that it is extremely important to have information on the topic “Bay leaf medicinal properties and contraindications”.
What is useful bay leaf
This culture has gained wide popularity in folk, traditional practice, as well as in cooking. Before use, you need to get advice from your family doctor, in order to avoid possible consequences. The undeniable benefits are due to the natural composition.
There are a considerable amount of: proteins, carbohydrates, sodium, fats, copper, dietary fiber, selenium, calcium, iron, essential oils, vitamin C, PP, B, A, manganese.
The culture has a unique cleansing quality, for which it is valued by cosmetologists. Specialists often use it to eliminate teenage acne, complicated manifestations of acne, pimples, boils.
Culinary gurus use it as a spice that gives dishes a spicy flavor, adding additional usefulness to products.
Informative! In more ancient times, the laurel was attributed magical properties. It was believed that if a leaf is set on fire in the house, then evil spirits will not be able to enter the dwelling.
The plant is able to almost instantly have a therapeutic effect on the internal organs of the body. It is possible to use alcohol tinctures, decoctions or cosmetics prepared independently.
The drug has the following therapeutic properties:
Laurel has an unlimited shelf life, is available on any shelf in the grocery department of the store. It is difficult to consume a fresh product. It is recommended to brew according to the prescribed proportions. Common diseases with which the appointment of laurel is possible are: seasonal beriberi, diabetes mellitus, impaired water-salt balance,
arterial hypertension, prolonged drunkenness, rheumatism, any disease of the upper respiratory tract.
Interesting! The use can be recommended by the therapist, due to the ability to enhance the action of medications.
Healing properties for women
The medicinal plant has useful qualities. At female body the plant is of particular importance. When long time missing menstruation, helps induce bleeding.
In order to obtain a medicinal drug, 10 g of a plant is poured into 500 ml of boiling water, boiled for 60 minutes on low heat, insisted for about 3 hours. Therapeutic effect manifests itself after one glass of potion.
Be sure to remember to exercise caution, monitor your own health, consult with specialists. 
Treatment with bay leaf for a cold
To get rid of a runny nose, you can use a decoction or infusion, as well as bay oil. Efficiency is due to the following qualities:
- Stimulation of immunological reactivity of the local, general level due to the presence of essential oils, trace elements.
- Inhibition of growth, reproduction of infectious agents due to the contained phytoncides (natural antibiotics), which contribute to the formation of a bactericidal action.
- Anti-inflammatory effect due to a large amount of tannins and organic acids.
The procedure for getting rid of a runny nose may consist of inhalation, washing, instillation of the nose, applying compresses to the area of the paranasal sinuses, and ingestion.
Before carrying out inhalations, it is necessary to prepare a wide pan. 20 grams of culture is placed in the dishes, water is poured, boiled for 5-10 minutes. After preparation, allow the liquid to cool for a couple of minutes, proceed to inhalation. The duration of the procedure is 20 minutes, after which all the departed mucus must be thoroughly blown out. Before washing the nose, prepare a decoction in a special way:
- 100 g of crushed product is poured into 300 ml of hot water;
- cover, leave to infuse until the liquid has completely cooled;
- filter, add sea salt (a solution in the proportion of a tablespoon per 250 ml of water).
The resulting solution is washed with the nose, alternately drawing in the liquid with one or the other half of the nose. For a compress you need soft tissue moisten with a warm solution, squeeze out excess liquid, apply to the bridge of the nose, capturing the forehead, wings of the nose. Cover the compress with a woolen scarf, keep until completely cooled. The compress is recommended to put at night, daily for 21 days. Although already on the 7th day there is a discharge of mucus from the nasal cavity.
Remember! If there are any pathologies, chronic diseases, before using alternative methods of treatment, you should consult your doctor.
Use of bay leaf for diabetes
In order to normalize the level of sugar, a decoction is used. The result appears quickly enough. After conducting a study of blood counts, the doctor can confirm the changes. To get a healing liquid you need:
- pour fresh spice (15 pieces) with cold water (300 ml), bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes;
- pour the liquid into a thermos, leave to infuse.
Divide this amount of liquid into three doses, consume per day.
Know! This recipe can be used to relieve symptoms of allergies, swelling of the extremities.
The benefits of bay leaf for children
For children, the benefits of a wonderful plant are simply invaluable. To get rid of staphylococcus a bath solution is prepared. 10 leaves are poured with a liter of boiling water, insisted for about 12 hours. While bathing, add to the bath with water.
After the appearance of children's rashes, the damage sites are smeared with laurel oil. Laurel is also useful for allergic rashes in children. 3 small leaves are poured with water, boiled. Leave to insist. Give a teaspoon. The result is noticeable after the first day of use.
How to use bay leaf for dermatitis in infants
An infusion of spices for dermatitis in infants does not harm the baby's skin at all. Thanks to its antiseptic, antibacterial qualities, the drug does an excellent job of healing diaper rash and other skin rashes. When applying to babies, it is necessary to use only external application.
The best option is to add infusion to the bath while bathing. Children under two years of age are strictly prohibited from ingestion. In order to prepare the solution, perform the following steps:
- 5 pieces of laurel are poured with boiling water, covered with a lid;
- after 20 minutes, filter, then you can add to the water.
The baby is bathed with a medicinal solution for no more than 20 minutes. After that, be sure to wash the baby with baby soap, wash clean water. Such baths can be carried out 2 times a week. During the break, you can bathe the baby with other healing potions, such as chamomile, a string.
Important! Lavrushka is often used as a component of aromatherapy. But children under two years of age should not have such procedures.
Folk recipes with bay leaf
The miraculous culture is popular with adherents of traditional medicine, due to the minimal negative impact on the body. Such folk remedy more of an ancillary than a primary one. However, the positive effect is visible almost after the first application. The use will give results only after the correct selection of the recipe, daily dose, method of application.
Bay leaf in the treatment of cystitis
The attending physician may prescribe a decoction of laurel for a course of antibiotics. This addition will help reduce pain when urinating, remove the inflammatory process.
The recipe for making the medicine is quite simple: a culture (10 pcs) is poured with three glasses of boiling water, boiled slightly, left to infuse. The resulting amount must be divided into three doses. Take after meals, before use, add a spoonful of honey. The duration of the course is about 10-14 days. It is not recommended to store more than a day.
Remember! If there is a tendency to allergic reactions, then honey should be excluded from the recipe.
Bay leaf for colds
Everyone knows the recipe for a steam bath with boiled potatoes for a cold. But a steam bath using lavrushka is much more effective than an old recipe. Wanting to get a medicinal drug, put 5 g of culture on a pot of boiling water, everything boils well. Then inhalation is carried out over the pan under a large towel.
For the laziest, unwilling to cook, for prevention it is enough to add a healthy product during the preparation of everyday meals.
Know! Such inhalations are medicinal features not only from colds, but also from sinusitis. A five-minute inhalation is enough, after which the nasal sinuses will open in a couple of days.
Treatment of alcoholism with bay leaf
What only folk methods did not try to cure from drunkenness. Separate two methods:
- psychotherapy practiced by priests and healers;
- aversion to alcoholic beverages using various home remedies.
It is the second method that has been widely used. It is believed that you can get the desired result after just a few sips. The leaves, the root of the culture have a strong medicinal quality. To drink the potion imperceptibly, the plant was often insisted on vodka. A certain amount of culture and the root were poured with a glass of vodka, left in a dark place to infuse for 14 days. Then this glass of infusion was offered to the patient. It is important that the whole glass is drunk at once, then the effect is observed immediately.
Important! Abusing alcohol damages the internal organs. Culture renders Negative influence to such bodies. Therefore, having inflammatory processes, an ulcer, the use of lavrushka is extremely contraindicated.
Bay leaf for joint pain
Treatment of diseased joints consists of two stages:
- The use of infusions inside.
- The use of drugs with calcium and chondroprotectors to restore cartilage tissue.
To get the drug, the plant (5 pcs) is dipped in 300 ml of water, brought to a boil. They boil for about three minutes, turn it off, wrap it in a warm blanket, leave it to infuse overnight. In the morning, filter the liquid.
The resulting amount is divided into equal portions, consumed for 12 hours. The time intervals between doses should be the same, the main thing is to use the medicine 15 minutes before meals.
To consolidate the result, the course is repeated every three months for a year. The treatment regimen is as follows: we take three days - a break for 7 days - again we take three days, etc.
Infusions and decoctions of bay leaf: properties, recipes, application
To obtain a medicinal drug, fresh leaves are collected from the branches, boiled, left to infuse. It is possible to use the culture in dry form, but it is important to observe the proportions in order to avoid overdose. Laurel refers to poisonous plants therefore, violation of the daily dose can lead to food poisoning. If the daily dose is correctly selected, the liquids have the following qualities:
- lowering the level of sugar;
- getting rid of epidermal rash;
- elimination of symptoms of a cold, acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections;
- removal of toxic substances, toxins;
- getting rid of digestive problems;
- relaxation of the nervous system.
To get a miracle potion for all diseases, you need to insist the culture on vodka. For example, during joint pain, back pain, the infusion is taken orally, as an antiseptic is used topically to eliminate acne. For the sake of making an infusion, 5-6 leaves are dipped into a container with alcohol or vodka, insisted for 14 days.
Must be remembered! Culture infusion is contraindicated in the presence of chronic diseases Gastrointestinal tract, as it can cause an exacerbation of the disease.
Laurel oil use in the treatment
The oil form retains the beneficial properties as much as possible, besides, it is so convenient to store. It is quite possible to make an oil solution yourself. The oil form is used to eliminate the following diseases:
- an increase in sugar levels during a relapse of diabetes mellitus;
- inflammation of connective tissues, joints;
- weakening of the immune system;
- deep wounds.
Bay leaf for weight loss
Quite often, women began to use the plant as a way to get rid of excess weight. The decoction is started to be taken before the diet, preparing the body for the transition to new mode nutrition. The use of the knot contributes to the following processes:
- accelerates metabolic processes;
- cleanses the body of substances that slow down the process of weight loss;
- helps the body fight fat.
There are several ways to get a knot:
- 3 sheets pour 300 ml of boiling water. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Cool, filter. Take three times a day, 15 minutes before meals, 1 tablespoon.
- 30 pieces of leaves are immersed in a liter of boiling water. Leave overnight, filter in the morning. The resulting amount is drunk during the day. Every day you need to prepare a fresh broth. The course lasts three days.
- 5 leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 liter of boiling water are placed in a saucepan. Put on fire, cook for 15 minutes after boiling. The finished broth is filtered, consumed half a glass in the morning on an empty stomach for three days.
Main! The effect of the drug is observed only in the absence of hormonal failure. Having hormonal disorders, you will need healthy food, regular exercise, reduced calorie intake of foods.
The use of lavrushka in cooking
The culture is a world famous spice. Cooks use fresh, dried leaves, a powder made from a dry product. Some dishes require the addition of fruits of a noble tree. The spice is used to give a special flavor to various soups, borscht, cooked in meat or vegetable broths. It is also used in second courses of fish, seafood, meat, vegetables. Special lovers add during the preparation of sauces, cereals.
The product is indispensable during the food preservation process. It is used for pickling, pickling cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, and other vegetables. Also added during the preparation of vegetable, fish, meat canned food. On food production Lavrushka is put in sausages, stew, pastes, sauces, marinades, etc.
Laurel is put to the first dishes 5 minutes before readiness, to the second - 5-10 minutes before. Different nationalities have different norms for laying spices. The average amount is 2-4 leaves per dish.
Lavrushka is indispensable in the preparation of offal dishes. The spice helps to get rid of unnecessary specific flavors of the product very well. Laurel is added to the composition of spice mixtures. The most famous such mixture is "hops-suneli".
Necessarily! You can not overdo the spice in the finished dish. Otherwise, the dish will acquire a bitter aftertaste.
How to properly store bay leaves
We can say that the culture has no expiration date. But this is only a fraction of the truth. The longer the spice is stored, the less remains in it. palatability. If the original packaging is not broken, it can be stored for a year. If already opened, then you should use the spice as soon as possible.
Lavrushka does not like high humidity, daylight, and other spices in the neighborhood. It is these storage conditions that should be avoided. The ideal option will be stored in a glass resealable container, in a dark, dry place. Can be stored on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. If the shelves for storing spices are open, then it is better to change glass containers to opaque containers.
Contraindications and harm
You should refuse to use the product if you have the following diseases:
- pancreatitis;
- kidney failure;
- acute cholecystitis;
- individual sensitivity to spice components;
- recurrence of inflammatory processes;
- cardiovascular diseases;
- period of lactation and breastfeeding;
- duodenal ulcer;
- cholelithiasis.
Important! The main reason for refusing to use the plant is pregnancy, chronic alcoholism.
Forum, reviews
Popular women's forums discuss mainly the medicinal properties of laurel. A user under the nickname Chernika talks about the positive effect on the normalization of blood pressure. Having also fallen ill with a sore throat, the attending physician recommended that she gargle her sore throat with infusion of lavrushka.
Lavrushka has helped a Strict B user to increase immunity resistance to seasonal diseases. In addition, the treatment of diathesis in a baby was successful using a decoction of spices.
But, oddly enough, not everyone likes to use spice while cooking hot dishes. To people with more subtle taste recipes, the taste of the spice seems strongly pronounced.
In ancient Greece, laurel was considered a sacred tree. A wreath woven from laurel branches was crowned on the heads of the winners as a sign of greatness and victory. Centuries later, other features of the laurel were revealed, it began to be used in cooking, folk, traditional medicine. If you carefully study the bay leaf medicinal properties and contraindications, then its use will become safe, the culture will give all its beneficial properties.
Video: bay leaf treatment at home
