Bay leaf tea for weight loss: its properties and how to prepare it
Laurel is a very common plant in our diet and, in addition to being used to flavor foods, its leaves contain many draining and detoxifying properties. Drinking an herbal tea that has bay leaf as its main ingredient can be a help for those who want lose weight because it promotes intestinal well-being and limits the absorption of fats. And if you want to know other tricks to counteract water retention, do not miss this video!
The properties of the laurel
Laurel, whose scientific name is laurus nobilis, has been used for centuries in the food and natural medicine fields. Known since ancient times, it was considered a shrub sacred to the gods and a symbol of nobility. It is a plant widespread throughout the Mediterranean, from Asia Minor to Spain, and growing it is very easy. It adapts very well to growing even in pots and for this reason it is commonly used in the kitchen to flavor foods. However, its oval, glossy leaves are also known for their health-promoting properties. Rich in essential oils, if used in a decoction or to prepare an herbal tea, they play an important role in countering intestinal spasms. The best time to collect bay leaves for therapeutic purposes is in spring and early winter, when they are a true concentrate of essential oils.
With its berries, however, a particularly effective oleolite is prepared for treating gastrointestinal disorders and aerophagia.
Because the bay leaf tea helps you lose weight
- Bay leaves are very rich in essential oils (such as limonene, camfene, geraniol, linalool and cineole) which have diuretic and detoxifying effects on our body. This is why it is used to counteract all those intestinal tract disorders that weigh down digestion and make us feel bloated and heavy. Drinking a cup of bay leaf tea, on the other hand, stimulates diuresis and, therefore, also the disposal of liquids that cause water retention.
- Furthermore, its leaves have soothing and healing properties: they are able to repair the very small intestinal micro traumas (called loops) which, over time, make the absorption of sugars and fats less efficient at the level of the "digestive system. Furthermore, regularly drinking an infusion prepared with the leaves of this plant, promotes digestion, deflates the belly and counteracts the intestinal air.
- Drinking the infusion of laurel, in addition to promoting the disposal of excess fluids, increases the metabolism making the absorption of nutrients more efficient. The reason is given by the fact that its leaves contain substances that inhibit the sense of hunger by helping to limit excess calories.
- The scholars, then, have highlighted a close relationship between the level of blood sugar and the leaves of this shrub. It seems, in fact, that these are able to lower the sugars present in the blood and, therefore, would be very useful in case of diabetes.
How to prepare the laurel tea
Here is the recipe for preparing bay leaf tea:
- Place 4-5 bay leaves in a saucepan filled with 250 ml of water and boil for ten minutes.
- Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes, then filter and consume.
The recommended dose is three cups a day, at any time of the day (it is also perfect before meals). Alternatively, you can also add lemon which is perfect for promoting digestion. This is, in fact, one of the oldest herbal teas and is an infallible natural remedy against stomach ache!
Even the herbal tea prepared with the addition of sage and cinnamon is an excellent method for slimming and losing weight because the substances contained accelerate the metabolism and promote purification. Its benefits on the diet concern above all the purifying action of the infusion, in fact it is one of the best known natural remedies since ancient times. Here's how it is prepared.
Bay leaf infusion with sage and cinnamon:
1 liter of water
5-6 bay leaves
half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder or a stick (about 2-3 cm)
5-6 sage leaves
- Bring a saucepan with at least one liter of water to boil on the stove
- Add the sage and bay leaves already cleaned and the cinnamon
- Boil for at least ten minutes, then filter with the help of gauze or a tightly meshed strainer
This herbal tea can be taken either on an empty stomach or before or after meals. However, it is best not to exceed the dose of two cups a day. In fact, cinnamon contains a substance called coumarin which can be toxic if too much is consumed. Furthermore, it is preferable that those suffering from ulcer or gastritis, those who use antibiotics and pregnant women, before drinking this infusion, consult their doctor.
