Turning over a new leaf. Uncovering the overlooked health perks of bay leaf brew

In Polish cuisine, bay leaves are mostly recognized for their culinary use rather than their use in brewing. However, tea made from bay leaves possesses numerous health benefits, which come from their many active ingredients. These include essential oils such as geraniol, cineol, and terpenes, flavonoids, tannins, lignans, isoquinoline alkaloids, resins, pectins, and bitters.

In addition, bay leaves are a prosperous provider of vitamins like A, B2, B3, B5, B6, C, and folic acid. They're also abundant in calcium, iron, manganese, potassium, selenium, copper, zinc, and magnesium.

Bay leaf brew improves intestinal peristalsis, promotes proper liver function, and lowers blood sugar levels. It positively affects the joints, skeletal, nervous, immune, and circulatory systems. It's beneficial during festive seasons when our bodies are under increased stress.

Preparing tea from bay leaves is quite simple and requires only two ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of bay leaves,
• 1 cup of boiling water.

How to prepare a bay leaf brew for digestion?

First, crush the bay leaves and pour boiling water over them. Then, let it infuse under a cover for about 30 minutes. After this time, you need to strain the brew.

For best results, consume bay leaf tea 3-4 times daily in 3.4-5 fl oz servings, ideally an hour before your meal. It's advisable not to exceed 8.5 fl oz (one cup) daily. To add some variety to the taste, consider squeezing a slice of lemon into it.