How to Use Bay Leaves for Diabetes?

Hello my dear readers, 

Today I want to talk about how you can get benefit from bay leaves and how to use bay to lower blood sugar levels. 

I want to remind that there is nothing magic as for any other natural remedies for diabetes. The special components in bay exctract can help a lot of health benefits including reducing blood glucose. 

To start our topic journey, let's see what bay leaves you should use and what is the one you should be aware of?

What is Bay?

It is a plant of Mediterranean origin. This makes it special for me to discuss about this topic. This is the one we should use for culinary purposes and to get desired health benefits. It is the Laurus nobilis species, or also known as Grecian Laurel. 

I was doing some research, and I have found that there are other types of bay around the world. So, there is this Californian bay leaf, Indian / Indonesian Bay leaf. As bay was native to Asia minor, bay leaves found in India and Indonesia / Pakistan are being used for culinary purposes. However, we should admit that they differ in taste and aroma. Of course, not all of them can be used for culinary purposes. 

The one most suitable is Laurus nobilis (or Bay laurel). It can be used for medicinal purposes too. 

Healthy Components of Bay Leaves

As for any other herb or natural remedy for diabetes, there is nothing magic in them. What makes them magic is their ingredients. So, basically bay leaves contain important amounts of :

- vitamins : A, C, folates, niacin, pyridoxine, riboflavine

- minerals: calcium, copper, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, zinc, selenium

- electrolytes: good source of potassium and sodium

- essential oils : cineoil, eugenol, linalool, geraniol, terpineol, etc.

What Bay leaves can do for diabetes?

Nothing magic of course. But, some studies have reported increased insulin sensitivity resulting in reduced blood sugar levels. 

Of course, its effects can be enhanced if mixtured with cinnamon and healthy changes in your diet and lifestyle regimen. 

How can you use Bay leaves?

Ok, there are two ways you can use it: fresh or dry. Keep in mind that dry leaves have a stronger and pungent fragrance than the fresh leaves. 

Here, I will show how to prepare bay leaf tea from dried leaves. I did have fresh leaves, but better enjoy dried leaves fragrance. 

Bay Leave TEA

1. You can use 10 dried or fresh bay leaves. 

I like to use more dried bay leaves for the stronger taste and fragrance it has.

I have used 10 dried bay leaves. 

2. Bring water to boil. Then, put in the dried bay leaves.

Reduce hit. Let boiling for about 15-20 minutes.

I let them for around 15 minutes this time on low heat. 

Usually, I can understand when the tea is ready. You wil feel a strong odor, plus the color of water will change. I say tea-like, but has dark colored.

3. At the end, this was the bay leave tea, actually I did put a stick of cinnamon in order to enhance flavor and get all benefits to reduce blood glucose. 

Enjoy your healthy cinnamon bay leaf tea, can take twice or once a day, preferrebly before meals. 

References

• Khan A, Zaman G, Anderson RA. Bay Leaves Improve Glucose and Lipid Profile of People with Type 2 Diabetes. Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition. 2009;44(1):52-56. doi:10.3164/jcbn.08-188.
• Sridharan K, Mohan R, Ramaratnam S, Panneerselvam D. Ayurvedic treatments for diabetes mellitus. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 2011;(12):CD008288. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD008288.pub2.
  
• Abdulrahim Aljamal , 2011. Effects of Bay Leaves on the Patients with Diabetes Mellitus. Research Journal of Medicinal Plants, 5: 471-476.