Papaya - a world class meat tenderizer, natural digestive aid, prevents ulcers, and also a soft contact lense cleaner.Healing with Bay
If all you do with bay is add a leaf or two to soups and stews, you’re missing an opportunity to use a natural soother.
Bay will never replace sleeping pills, but it has a number of benefits, mainly in the area of mental health.
Stress Management - Low doses of bay oil have been found to sedate laboratory animals, and higher doses produce temporary stupor. The herb also reduces blood pressure in laboratory animals, but the effect is mild. Bay has never been shown to put people to sleep or lower their blood pressure, but these animal results are suggestive. Many people find that bay infusions are relaxing. Added to the bath, the herb seems to help some people relax and fall asleep.
Cockroach Repellent - On the subject of stress management, few household situations are more stressful than the sight of cockroaches scurrying around the kitchen. A chemical (cineole) in bay repels them, according to an article in Science News. If you’re plagued by these pesky insects, spread some crushed bay leaves around your kitchen cupboards.
Infection - Like most aromatic spices, bay leaf oil kills disease-causing bacteria and fungi. Bay is not a powerful enough antiseptic to be used in place of appropriate medical treatment, but for minor household accidents, the fresh herb can be used externally.
Intriguing Possibility - In one recent study, laboratory animals were given a fatal dose of strychnine, then promptly treated with a bay oil preparation. They all lived, but scientists aren’t sure why. Clearly bay has medical benefits that are yet to be explained.
Myth - Several modern herbals continue to recommend rubbing bay oil into arthritic joints, but modern research has never demonstrated any anti-inflammatory action. Of course, even if bay has no effect on arthritis, the herb is applied by massaging it in, and massage itself is soothing.
Rx for Bay
For first aid, apply some freshly crushed leaves to minor cuts and scrapes.
For a relaxing aromatic infusion with a pleasantly sweet taste, use 1 to 2 teaspoons of crushed leaves per cup of boiling water. Strain the liquid before drinking (the leaves are quite sharp; swallowing a piece of leaf could prove harmful) Drink up to three cups a day. Or add I to 2 drops of bay oil to tea, brandy, or honey.
If you prefer a tincture, take Ihto 1 teaspoon up to three times a day.
Do not give medicinal preparations of bay to children under age 2. For older children and people over 65, start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.