About Herbs and Nutrition
Echinacea
Ginseng
Ginkgo
Milk thistle
St. John's wort
Saw palmetto
Bay
Bilberry
Black cohosh
Licorice
DHEA
Royal Jelly
Garlic
Ginger
Coenzyme Q10
Lutein
rutin
Clarinex, Claritin D, Flonase, Nasacort, Patanol...
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All About Bay:
An Introduction
"Laurel tree for aroma and migraine."
What is Bay ?
Family: Lauraceae
Genus and Species: Laurus nobilis and other species
Laurus nobilis, also called sweet bay, is an evergreen of the family Luraceae native to Mediterranean regions. Bays grow in separate male and
female plants, and have been cultivated since ancient times, and the aromatic, dark green, and leathery leaves of the laurel tree were used by ancient
Greeks and Romans to crown their victors. Bay is a broadly conical tree that grows slowly up to 40 ft high and 30 ft wide, but is generally
smaller in cultivation. Bay's prefered habitat is partly shadowed fertail and damp soil in cool to warm climate.
Bay is also any of several small trees with aromatic leaves, especially the sweet bay, or bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), source of the bay leaf
used in cooking. The California laurel (Umbellularia californica) is an ornamental tree also called the bay tree.
Bay has been used for aroma, spice in marinating and pickling, and to add flavor to fish, stew, and stuffing. Bay was also used for the
preparation of oil. During the Middle Ages, bay leaves were used for medicinal purposes in Europe to treat dyspensia, flatulence,
loss of appetite, colds, tonsilitis and viral infections, and for arometherapy. The bay oil has been in use for fragrance in cosmetics
and perfumes.
Usage
Bay's aromatic oil contains a bacteria killing compound cineole (1,8-cineole), which is added to some toothpastes to prevent dental
infections and tooth decay. Bay also contains chemical compounds collectively known as parthenolides that inhibit platelet cells'
release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter playing a causative role in migraine. Bay leaves represent an effective herb for migrain
along with feverfew (Tanacetum partenium) and the bark of willow trees (Salix species). Bay leaves have shown to lower
blood sugar level in experimental animals and in human, and may help treat diabetes. Through its bacteriocidal ability and fragrance,
bay is also used to treat body odor. DreamPharm's bay product Headache and Fever relief
is for migraine headaches.
Chemistry and Pharmacology
A rather complete chemical composition list of milk thistle can be found in Dr.
Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. Bay leaf contains up to 15,000 ppm. of 1,8-cineole (bacteriocidal, anesthetic,
anti-allergic, sedative, and various known biological functions), up to 2,400 ppm. alpha-pinene (anti-bacterial, sedative, and various
known functions),
up to 1,380 ppm. alpha-terpeneol (anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, sedative, and various other functions), 5,000 ppm. artemorin (allergenic),
up to 2,080 ppm. beta-pinene (anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, etc), 18,000 ppm. costunolide (allergenic, anti-tumor, etc0, up to 1,335 ppm.
eugenol (analgesic, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, etc),
up to 3,340 ppm. linalol, up to 2,600 methyl-eugenol (anesthetic, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, sedative, etc), 2,500 ppm. reynosin,
up to 2,650 ppm. sabinene (fragence chemical), 1,500 ppm.
santamarine (anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, anti-tumor), 1,400 ppm. verlotorin, and various minor constituents.
Actions: Antirheumatic,antiseptic, bactericidal, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, emmenagogue, fungicidal, hypotensive, sedative, stomachic.
Bay Research:
Scientific and Clinical Researches
Examplary reports from some of the recent bay researches are provided:
reference source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11912066&dopt=Abstract
Alcohol Alcohol 2002 Mar-Apr;37(2):121-7 - Inhibitory mechanism of costunolide, a sesquiterpene lactone isolated
from laurus nobilis, on blood-ethanol elevation in rats: involvement of inhibition of gastric emptying and increase in gastric juice secretion
reference source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11003152&dopt=Abstract
Bioorg Med Chem 2000 Aug;8(8):2071-7 - Alcohol absorption inhibitors from bay leaf (Laurus nobilis): structure-requirements of
sesquiterpenes for the activity
reference source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9323999&dopt=Abstract
J Ethnopharmacol 1997 Sep;58(1):9-14
- Evaluation of the gastroprotective effect of Laurus nobilis seeds on ethanol induced gastric ulcer in rats
reference source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2633710&dopt=Abstract
Arch Inst Pasteur Madagascar 1989;56(1):261-71 - Study of the antimicrobial action of various essential oils extracted from
Malagasy plants. II: Lauraceae
reference source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11824536&dopt=Abstract
Biol Pharm Bull 2002 Jan;25(1):102-8 - Isolation and characterization of alkyl peroxy radical scavenging compound from leaves of Laurus nobilis
reference source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10834299&dopt=Abstract
Life Sci 2000 Apr 21;66(22):2151-7 - Inhibitory effects of sesquiterpenes from bay leaf on nitric oxide production in
lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages: structure requirement and role of heat shock protein induction
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