Bay Leaf: An Infusion of Antioxidants – Taming the Sugar Disease

Who would have guessed that so much healing could come from one small dried leaf! But that’s bay leaf—infusing your body with antioxidant protection as easily as it infuses flavor into poached fish.

While cooking, the aroma of bay leaf intensifies as it releases its volatile oils—its scent-giving plant compounds that are also among the most powerful antioxidants in existence.

In fact, when researchers in Korea tested 120 spices, herbs, and vegetables for their antioxidant power—their power to reduce oxidation, the internal rust that can erode every cell of your body (and the precious DNA within cells)—they found bay leaf was at the top of the list. It was stronger than vitamin C, an A-1 antioxidant. It was stronger than BHA and BHT, synthetic antioxidants so powerful they’re routinely used to preserve food. And it was equal to several antioxidant superstars, such as the resveratrol in red wine and the EGCG in green tea.

There are more than 80 active compounds in bay leaf, but the specific antioxidants that it uses to help keep disease at bay are the volatile oil cineole (also found in eucalyptus) and a class of compounds called sesquiterpenes. And they may be particularly effective against an epidemic blighting the health of more than 20 million Americans: type 2 diabetes, the disease of excess of blood sugar (glucose).

Taming the Sugar Disease

A team of researchers (led by Richard Anderson, PhD, a scientist at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Laboratory of the US Department of Agriculture, who is an expert in natural treatments for type 2 diabetes) studied 40 people with the disease, dividing them into four groups.

Three of the groups took bay leaf supplements—either one, two, or three grams a day. Another group took a placebo.

After one month, the bay leaf groups had big drops in blood sugar levels—up to 26 percent. But that’s not all. They also had a 32 to 40 percent drop in “bad” artery-clogging LDL cholesterol, a 20 to 24 percent drop in total cholesterol, a 20 to 29 percent rise in “good” artery-cleaning HDL cholesterol, and a 25 to 34 percent drop in triglycerides, another heart-harming blood fat. Meanwhile, the placebo group had no changes in any of those parameters.

How did this spice produce such a powerful effect? Writing in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition, the researchers speculate that the “bioactive compounds” in bay leaf might improve: insulin sensitivity (the ability of the hormone insulin to usher glucose out of the bloodstream and into cells), glucose uptake (the ability of the cells to deal with insulin once it arrives), antioxidant status (less oxidation translates into better control of glucose), inflammatory response (ditto for less chronic inflammation), and glucose emptying (the speed at which glucose is absorbed—with slower being better for balanced blood sugar).

Given the fact that type 2 diabetes increases the risk of heart disease six-fold, with 75 percent of people with diabetes dying from cardiovascular disease—those results are, well, heartening.

Healing by the Bay

But bay leaf doesn’t stop at type 2 diabetes.

Cellular and animal studies—the first scientific steps in proving the power of the spice to improve health in us humans—show that it might be natural medicine for:

Cancer. Several studies on cancer cells show that parthenolide—a compound in bay leaf—works several ways to foil cancer. And in a Russian study, an injection of bay leaf extract slowed the appearance and growth of breast tumors in mice with experimentally induced breast cancer. Other studies show that bay leaf inhibits leukemia and cervical cancer.

Arthritis. Bay leaf is a traditional remedy for the symptoms of arthritis. And in animal experiments, doctors in the Middle East found its volatile oils could alleviate the pain and swelling of the disease. Bay leaf possesses anti-inflammatory properties “comparable to those of analgesics [painkillers] and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [such as ibuprofen and naproxen],” they concluded in Phytotherapy Research.

Ulcers and poor digestion. Another traditional use of bay leaf: treating stomach problems. Recently, researchers in Turkey found bay leaf oil prevented stomach ulcers in rats. Other studies show it can aid digestion by stimulating the healthy secretion of stomach acids that break down food.

Bacterial infection. Bay leaf fights bacteria. Researchers in Morocco infected animals with 16 different strains of an infectious organism—but bay leaf helped keep the germs in check, showing a “strong inhibitory effect” on E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria (all of which can cause food poisoning). In Pakistan, researchers found bay leaf was effective at controlling 176 different strains of bacteria.

SASARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). Bay leaf can beat back viruses, too. Research from laboratories around the world shows bay leaf oil can slow or kill the SARS virus—the cause of the highly contagious respiratory illness that, in 2003, infected 8,000 people and killed 800 before it was contained.

Wound healing. Researchers found that volatile oils in bay leaf helped speed wound healing in laboratory animals.

Mosquito bites. Essential oil from bay leaves is a traditional mosquito repellant, and a study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology found it could repel mosquitoes for up to two hours.

Getting to Know Bay Leaf

The bay leaf is picked and dried from the bay laurel tree, a densely leafed evergreen that grows profusely along the Mediterranean Sea (although it’s cultivated in many countries). And people have been picking it for thousands of years.

When physicians in ancient Greece completed their studies they were crowned with laurel branches—baca (branches) lauris (laurel), the origin of the word baccalaureate. Likewise, for the ancient Romans, bay laurel was a symbol of victory and courage—with winners of chariot races crowned with leafy branches of bay laurel.

THE ANCIENT ROMANS CROWNED THE WINNER OF A CHARIOT RACE WITH A WREATH OF BAY LAUREL.

While people no longer wear it, we certainly cook with it. Bay leaf is one of the most popular and well-used spices in North American cooking. It’s a rare kitchen that doesn’t contain a jar of bay leaves—unless they’ve been used up! Bay leaf adds aroma to soups, stews, soups, beans, marinades, and fish boils. It’s a key ingredient in San Francisco’s famed cioppino, a fisherman’s stew simmered in a rich tomato sauce. It’s frequently used in pickling spices. And it’s one of the spices used to cure corned beef—not an American original, but definitely an American favorite.

Bay leaf is generally used in savory dishes in both the US and Europe—though the British (ever the culinary oddballs!) like to add it to custards and puddings, too.

Bay leaf and French cooking are bons amis. It’s the key spice in the bouquet garni that is enclosed in cheesecloth and added to long-simmering soups, stews, and stocks. It’s also key to the simmering poaching liquid called court boullion. It’s added to food made en papillote, a technique in which fish is wrapped in parchment to steam in its own juices. And it’s used to aromatize the French fish stewsbouillabaisse and bourride.

In fact, bay leaf is indispensable to all the cuisines in the Mediterranean basin—it’s one of the ingredients that make the Mediterranean diet among the healthiest in the world. On the Greek island of Corfu, for example, fresh bay leaves are wrapped around sikopsoma, a flat cake made of dried, spiced figs.

How to Buy Bay Leaf

The only true bay leaf—and the one used in most scientific studies—comes from the bay laurel tree. But around the world, the term bay leaf is used to describe a variety of different leaves, none of which are bay laurel. If you encounter California bay, Mexican bay, Indian bay, Indonesian bay, or West Indian bay, be aware that they’re not true bay leaf. In fact, they’re an entirely different species. Indian bay, for example, is the dried leaf of the same tree that produces cinnamon, and West Indian bay comes from the bay rum tree. Most of these bay leaves have a stronger flavor than bay laurel.

Bay leaf comes fromthe bay laurel tree.

Bay leaf is rarely sold fresh for culinary use, as its perfume is more pronounced and less bitter when dried. Dried leaves also infuse more flavor into food.

The majority of bay leaves produced and sold for export are from Turkey and Greece, with most bay leaf sold in the US from Turkey. It comes in two grades, but only one (usually referred to as “hand selected”) is considered suitable—because it’s not shipped with extraneous debris.

Look for leaves that are whole, uniform in size and color, and free of stems and bits of bark. The leaves should be clean and green. The darker the color and the larger the leaves, the better. Yellowing is a sign that they have been exposed to light for too long.

In the Kitchen with Bay Leaf

The woodsy, pungent aroma and flavor of bay leaf, with its slight hint of eucalyptus, is infused when it comes in contact with simmering liquid. The scent and flavor intensifies the longer it cooks, though if you leave bay leaf in the pot too long (more than a few hours) it starts to lose its aroma.

Bay leaf may help prevent and/or treat:

Arthritis (osteo- and rheumatoid)

Cancer

Diabetes, type 2

Food poisoning

Indigestion

Mosquito bites

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)

Ulcer

Wounds

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Bay leaf pairs well with these spices:

Amchur

Black cumin seed

Black pepper

Basil

Cinnamon

Cumin

Garlic

Onion

Oregano

Parsley

Rosemary

Sage

Thyme

and complements recipes featuring:

Pot roast

Sauces

Soups

Seafood boil

Steamed food

Stews

Tomato sauces

Caution: Bay leaves should always be removed and discarded before serving. Swallowing bay leaf can obstruct or even puncture the intestine.

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Other recipes containing bay leaf:

Alsatian Pork and Sauerkraut

Boeuf Bourguignon

Bouquet Garni

Chesapeake Bay Seafood Seasoning

Penne and Sausage with Fennel Tomato Sauce

Spice de Provence

By-the-Bay Fisherman’s Chowder

There are as many recipes for fisherman’s stew as there are fishermen. This hearty meal-in-one is based on San Francisco’s famed cioppino, which is characterized by a tomato-based broth and, of course, by bay leaf. This recipe makes good use of other healing spices, such as cumin and cinnamon. Substitute any fish or seafood of your liking.

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped white onion

1 cup chopped celery

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups canned crushed tomatoes with puree

1 twenty-eight-ounce can diced tomatoes with juices

1 cup clam juice

2 cups fish or vegetable stock

1½ cups white wine

¼ tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons Asian chili sauce

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground fennel

1 teaspoon celery seed

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon black cumin seeds

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

½ pound sea scallops, cut in half

½ pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped

2 pounds firm white fish, such as sea bass

1 cup fresh parsley

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and celery and sauté until soft but not brown, about six minutes. Add garlic and cook one minute more. Lower the heat and add the crushed and diced tomatoes and their juices and simmer 10 minutes.

2. Add the clam juice, stock, wine, red wine vinegar, and Asian chili sauce. Combine the oregano, fennel, celery seeds, chili powder, black cumin, cumin, cinnamon, and thyme. Add the combined spices and bay leaves. Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Add the salt and pepper to taste.

3. Add the scallops, shrimp, and fish to the broth, cover and simmer until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning and turn off the heat. Let the soup sit for about an hour. Reheat and serve, sprinkled with parsley.

Makes 6 servings.

Bay leaf goes with virtually any food simmered in liquid, especially roasting meat and boiled seafood. Steaming brings out even more of its natural flavor.

One or two medium-sized bay leaves are all that you need to flavor a dish for a family-size meal. Add it at the beginning of cooking.

Generally, bay leaf is used in savory dishes, but it will enhance sweets based in milk or cream sauces.

Bay leaves are used for flavoring only, as their infused oils permeate the ingredients in which they’re cooked. Make sure you discard the leaves when cooking is complete. (The medical literature doesn’t only contain research about bay leaf’s many virtues—it’s also filled with scary stories of digestive damage after a spiky bay leaf was mistakenly consumed.)

Here are ideas for getting more bay leaf in your life and your diet:

• Add a leaf or two to the water when boiling carrots, potatoes, or noodles.

• Add bay leaf to simmering tomato sauces, even when you are heating up commercial pasta sauce.

• Steam shrimp in beer infused with bay leaf.

• Add more fragrance to rice by putting a bay leaf or two into your dried rice canister.

• Add a bay leaf to meat or to fish baked or grilled in foil.

• Make a French court bouillon for poaching fish, by combining two parts water to one part white wine, along with chopped carrots, onions, a pinch of thyme, and a bay leaf. Cover and simmer one hour before adding fish. Use enough liquid to immerse the fish completely.