Bay Laurel

Detailed Description

Don’t rest on your laurels! Bay Laurel is a herb steeped in mythology and indispensable in the kitchen.

Botanical Information

Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis) is an evergreen shrub or small tree that can, on rare occasions, grow up to an impressive 18 meters tall. This plant can be dioecious, bearing either male or female flowers on a single plant. The flowers are pale yellow-green, about 1 cm in diameter, and typically grow in pairs next to the leaf axils. The leaves are leathery, 6–12 cm long and 2–5 cm wide, with smooth or sometimes wavy edges. Its fruit is a small, shiny black berry-like drupe.

Origin and Distribution

Modern Bay Laurel is widely distributed, but it is a remnant of ancient forests originating in Asia Minor before spreading throughout the Mediterranean, when the regional climate was much wetter. As the Mediterranean dried during the Pleistocene, laurel forests retreated and the plants survived as shrubs and small trees scattered across the mountain regions of southern Turkey, northern Syria, Greece, Italy, southern Spain, northern Portugal, northern Morocco, Madeira, and the Canary Islands.

Usage / Dosage

In ancient Greece, a laurel wreath was the highest symbol of status and victory—the ultimate prize at the Pythian Games in honor of Apollo, who held the laurel as his symbol. The Romans also revered the laurel as a symbol of triumph and success, often placing wreaths on victorious generals. The Latin term laurus gave rise to words like “baccalaureate” and “laureate,” as well as expressions like “bring home the laurels” or “rest on your laurels.” Today, Bay Laurel is often grown as an ornamental shrub or dwarf potted tree on gardens and terraces. Around the Mediterranean, it’s widely cultivated for topiary purposes and, especially in Syria, the bay laurel is prized for its oil—used in the production of “Aleppo soap” (Aleppo soap, Syrian soap, laurel soap, ghar soap, etc.).

Bay Laurel leaves—commonly called Bay Leaves—are a staple spice and herbal ingredient, especially in Mediterranean cuisine, used in a broad range of recipes. The dried leaves are popular for flavoring, often added whole to pasta sauces or soups and removed before serving. Ground bay leaf can be directly consumed and is used in soups, broths, and cocktails like Bloody Mary. Notably, bay leaves retain their pleasant flavor for over a year when stored at stable temperature and humidity.

Bay Laurel contains lauroside B, which has been proven in vitro to inhibit the proliferation of three human melanoma (skin cancer) cell lines when used in higher concentrations. Malignant melanoma is an aggressive cancer that frequently resists chemotherapy; lauroside B effectively activates apoptosis (cell death) in cancerous cells and inhibits protective mechanisms within cancer cells. Zinc oxide from bay laurel leaves has also been shown to slow the growth and division of lung cancer cells at high concentrations. Although the precise anticancer mechanism remains unclear, these compounds appear to interfere with the cellular cycle, induce apoptosis and differentiation, accumulate tubular protein, inhibit telomerase activity (abnormally high in tumors), and block metastasis, tissue invasion, and angiogenesis.

Chemical analysis has detected zinc oxide in Bay Laurel leaves, which exhibited antibacterial effects against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria. The active compounds are able to halt the growth of Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas species, and mycobacteria, with glycosidic components showing antibacterial potential via ATPase inhibition. Other studies have confirmed the antiviral effects of terpenoids from Bay Laurel (even at low concentrations), and higher concentrations can halt the division and spread of various viruses.

Costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone compounds found in the leaves are currently being investigated for their anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacteral, antiviral, antifungal, antioxidant (by inhibiting lipid peroxidase), antidiabetic (by inhibiting alpha-glucosidase), antiulcer, and antihelmintic potential. Six isolated kaempferol glycosides from Bay Laurel have tested positively for potential benefits in chronic heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias, likely via inhibition of the Na+/K+ ATPase pump.

At higher concentrations, bay laurel’s components act as antioxidants, antispasmodics (occasionally with an antiepileptic effect), analgesics, and anti-inflammatories. Clinical studies on diabetics show that regular Bay Leaf intake, combined with oral antidiabetics, lowers fasting blood sugar, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, while increasing beneficial HDL cholesterol. Risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease are therefore reduced, making Bay Laurel leaves beneficial for patients with type 2 diabetes, with the active antidiabetic element believed to be a polyphenolic compound.

Additional clinical studies support Bay Leaf’s use for the prevention or management of type 2 diabetes. After 30 days of leaf consumption, participants saw significant reductions in blood sugar, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, with an increase in HDL cholesterol.

Traditional Use

In folk medicine, Bay Leaf is used to relieve flatulence, stimulate bile production, and, when applied locally, help treat dandruff. Bay Laurel essential oil is a popular massage remedy for arthritis and rheumatic pain and is said to tone the stomach. In aromatherapy it’s used for earaches and to help manage high blood pressure. For sore joints, Bay Leaf remedies are commonly recommended for arthritis. Folk remedies also advocate Bay Leaf use to support cancer treatment and to induce sweating during fevers. Aqueous decoctions of Bay Laurel are used as an astringent wash for wounds.

Precautions

Due to lack of data, Bay Leaf should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women, or by children under 3 years old. Because of interactions with blood clotting factors, discontinue Bay Leaf about two weeks prior to planned surgery.

Active Compounds

Bay Laurel leaves contain up to 1.4% essential oils, primarily composed of terpenoids such as 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol), alpha-terpinyl acetate, terpinen-4-ol, alcohols, ketones, sesquiterpenes (methyleugenol), alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, alpha-butyrolactone, costunolide, sabinene (a cyclic terpene), phellandrene, geraniol, p-cymene, o-cymene, limonene, carvacrol, linalool, guaianolides, hydroperoxide, reynosin, santamarin, zaluzanin D, and lauric acid.

Traditional Dosage

Traditional and culinary sources recommend “reasonable amounts” of Bay Leaf. Clinical studies describe effective amounts as 1–3 grams per day (dried or fresh leaves) for 30 days to observe a clinical effect.