A study on type 2 diabetics found that 1 to 3 grams of ground bay leaves per day, given as capsules after breakfast and dinner, for 30 days, reduced fasting blood sugar 21 to 26 percent, while no changes were seen in the placebo group.1
Cholesterol and blood fats (triglycerides) also fell, while HDL cholesterol increased,24 indicating a reduced risk of heart disease.
Notably, there was no change in results between doses, so 1 gram per day appears sufficient.
Interestingly, most of the changes persisted 10 days after stopping the bay leaf consumption, indicating that you don’t have to eat bay leaves every day to get the positive effects.
If you can’t find ground bay leaves, you can crush or grind them yourself and add them to your cooking. Even though bay leaves are usually not eaten, as far as I know they are edible if crushed/ground.
- Khan A, Zaman G, Anderson RA. Bay leaves improve glucose and lipid profile of people with type 2 diabetes. J Clin Biochem Nutr. Jan 2009;44(1):52-56.