Bay

(Laurus nobilis)

Bay has other known names like sweet bay and bay laurel.  It has a wide shrub with small yellow flowers and dark purple berries.  Its leaves commonly known Bay leaves and its essential oil is used as remedies.  Due to its digestive properties, the herb is also used as spice.

This plant has a known reputation of helping digestion, help relieve colic and flatulence. To help digestion infusion of bay leaves is taken after meals.  Its dried powder or infusion can be taken to help flatulence, dyspepsia and indigestion. It can be added to your daily cooking to get the same results. It is generally added to rice, soaps and desserts for flavor.

Due to its anti-bacterial activity, it is known be effective against Salmonella enterica and E. coli. It has a long tradition of use in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicines.

Essential bay oil is mixed with other herbal oils and used externally for rheumatism. Generally some other herbal combination is used internally to help relieve or cure the symptoms. Creams are developed from bay oil to cure skin problems like bruises, scabies and mouth ulcers. For mouth ulcers a gargle prepared from bay leaves is used.  Bay is also used to treat dandruff.  Add cold infusion of the leaves to your favorite herbal shampoo before washing your hair. Another technique is to rinse your hair with its infusion and wash it with a good herbal shampoo after an hour or so.

When bay extract is added to hair oils, it encourages hair growth. One easy way to use it is to buy an over the counter hair oil, boil it in liquid extract of bay leaves till the water is completely evaporated. Use it as hair oil to get the desired effects. Diluted essential oil of bay is used to rub sprained joints. As it promotes hair growth its oil should be applied to the scalp. For those suffering with baldness should rub the scalp with a rough clothe gently before applying the oil.

Bay leave extract or its powder mixed with other suitable herbs is used to relieve delayed or painful periods as it is being used traditionally as emmenagogue. Being a diuretic bay is used for urinary infections and kidney stones. One of the reasons its oil is used for rheumatism is due to its analgesic properties. It can be taken internally for the same purpose.  Bay leaves have antiseptic effects on wounds.

Undiluted essential oil of bay leaves irritates the mucus membranes.  Therefore the oil should be used in small quantities and in diluted form.