What happens if you drink bay leaf tea every day? Let’s understand the benefits, side effects and learn how to brew it.
In addition to adding flavour and aroma to a dish, bay leaf can also be used to make a healthy tea.
Although it is a lesser known infusion, bay leaf tea has many health benefits.
Chamomile tea relieves stress, melissa tea helps with gastrointestinal problems, and green tea is good for the skin.
But have you heard about the benefits of bay leaf tea? Laurel leaf is widely used in cooking to add flavour and aroma to dishes, but thanks to its medicinal properties, it can also be used to make healthy infusions.
What are the benefits of bay leaf tea?
In ancient Greece, laurel was firmly associated with Apollo, a deity associated with healing, balance and reason, among other things. Once you see the benefits of the infusion, you’ll understand why!
Regulate cholesterol levels
Laurel leaf contains cineole and polyphenols which have antioxidant activity. It helps control cholesterol levels as it reduces LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels and increases HDL cholesterol levels in the blood. Laurel tea can also help prevent cardiovascular changes.
Improve digestion
Due to the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties of bay tea, it helps treat digestive disorders such as ulcers and colic. In addition, the active compounds in the infusion also help improve digestion.
Help with infections
The oils concentrated in bay leaf have antimicrobial properties that help fight certain bacteria that cause infections of the skin, gastrointestinal tract and urinary tract.
Promote relaxation
Cineole and linalool release essential oils that help relax the central nervous system, reducing stress and anxiety.
Improve cognitive abilities
The antioxidant properties of bay leaf may be important allies for the brain. While they may reduce cognitive problems that occur with age, such as Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disease, they also improve memory.
Can I drink bay leaf tea every day?
You can drink bay leaf tea 3-4 times a day. If you exceed the recommended daily dose, you may experience nausea, diarrhoea, cramps, abdominal pain or excessive sleepiness. Also avoid drinking bay leaf tea for more than 4 weeks in a row, as the infusion lowers blood sugar levels, which can cause hypoglycaemia.
How do you make bay leaf tea?
It is easy to prepare the infusion! Just boil enough water (per glass of water) and throw the bay leaf into it. Cover the container with a lid so that the main active ingredients of the leaves get into the water. Remove the foil, strain the drink and serve.
