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Alternative medicine: Sweet Bay
Mon, 24 Dec 2007 15:57:41
By Patricia Khashayar, MD., Press TV, Tehran
Sweet Bay tree leaves, are not only a popular culinary seasoning but also possess sedative,
diuretic and antihypertensive effects.
Botanical: Laurus nobilis (LINN.)
Family: N.O. Lauraceae
Synonym: True Laurel, Bay, Laurier d'Apollon, Roman Laurel, Noble Laurel, Lorbeer, Laurier
Sauce, Daphne, Bay Tree
Habitat:
The tree is native to the Mediterranean region.
Description:
The Sweet Bay is a small aromatic tree or large shrub reaching 10-18 meters in height. The
smooth bark may be olive-green or of a reddish hue.
The leaves are thick, smooth, and have a shining dark green color.
Part Used Medicinally:
Leaves, fruit and oil.
Constituents:
The volatile oil extracted from the leaves contains a high percentage of oxygenated
compounds, pinene, geraniol, eugenol and cineol.
The fruit contains up to 30% fatty oils and about 1% essential oils (terpenes, sesquiterpenes,
alcohols and ketones).
The leaves contain about 1.3 % essential oils, consisting of 45 % eucalyptol, 12 % terpenes,
3-4 % sesquiterpenes, 3 % methyleugenol, phellandrene, linalool, geraniol and terpineol.
Medicinal Uses:
Sweet Bay leaves, berries and oil have excitant and narcotic properties. The leaves are
regarded as a diaphoretic and in large doses as an emetic.
The leaves are used to treat hysteria, amenorrhea, seizure and flatulent colic. Their diuretic
effects and helps reduce high blood pressure.
Sweet Bay leaves have antimicrobial effects and fight bacteria and fungus.
The berries can cause abortion.
Dried Sweet Bay berries are used to treat cancer.
Powdered or infused Sweet Bay berries remove obstructions and improve the appetite.
http://www.presstv.com/pop/print.aspx?id=36194 3/17/2008

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Sweet Bay oil is used to treat sprains, bruises and sometimes used as an eardrop to alleviate
earache.
It is also used to produce creams, lotions, soaps and other cosmetic products.
Caution:
Mountain laurel leaves are poisonous to certain livestock and are not sold as a spice. This has
led to the wrong belief that Bay leaves should be removed from food after cooking as they
may poison humans.
Bay leaves are safe to eat; however, as the leaves remain stiff even after several hours of
cooking, they can cause throat cuts if swallowed.
PKH/HGH
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http://www.presstv.com/pop/print.aspx?id=36194 3/17/2008