Over the past few years, wellness has become a major focus of people’s lives. People are focusing more on their mental and physical health, making wellness trends incredibly important.
Wellness trends can include anything from the foods you eat, to the products you use, to the ways you spend your time. As well as being helpful and beneficial, wellness trends are interesting to explore.
One very interesting wellness trend is the increasing popularity of herbal tea. Specifically, cinnamon spice tea and bay leaf tea have been rising in popularity as of late. What are these teas used for? What benefits do they provide?
Both cinnamon spice tea and bay leaf tea are popular for their soothing properties. These teas are ideal for anyone who suffers from insomnia or anxiety. They also help warm you up if you’re feeling a little chilly!
This article will discuss the various benefits of these two herbs, as well as some tips on how to make your own homemade herbal tea.
Helps with nausea
Nausea is one of the most common pregnancy complaints. Many women find that eating small meals throughout the day and snacks between regular meals helps stave off nausea.
You can also make your own snacks with dried fruits, nuts, and wheat crackers with jam or peanut butter. You can also make tawny coffee or tea with milk as a snack.
Bay leaves have a strong aroma that some say can even smell it in their sweat. This may be why many women report having less nausea when they use bay leaves. How do bay leaves do this?
The compounds in bay leaves that give them their smell are called methyl chavicol and linalool. These chemicals work together to calm the nerve cells in the stomach, which in turn reduces nausea.
Reduces inflammation
Another great benefit of bay leaves and cinnamon tea is its ability to reduce inflammation. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to foreign invaders such as bacterial or viral infection, injury, or foods such as gluten.
When you have an infection or inflammation in your body, your immune system sends white blood cells and proteins to the site of inflammation to combat it. This process results in redness, swelling, and pain.
Healing requires rest and removal of factors that contribute to the response. Unfortunately, we live in a world filled with stress and environmental toxins that constantly trigger the immune system. This makes maintaining health and healing inflammation very difficult.
Bay leaves contain tannins that reduce oxidative stress in the body. Oxidative stress is a factor that increases inflammation in the body. By reducing this factor, bay leaves help reduce inflammation in the body.
Combats bacterial infections
Another major benefit of bay leaves and cinnamon tea is its ability to fight off bacterial infections. Both spices contain strong antimicrobial properties that fight off harmful bacteria in your body.
Microbial contamination can come from food or environmental sources, such as water or soil. When you ingest these contaminants, your body attempts to fight them off with the help of bay leaves and cinnamon tea.
How does this work? The two herbs contain cineol, eugenol, and linalool, which are all antimicrobial compounds.
When these elements come into contact with bacteria, they destroy their cell walls, effectively killing them. This prevents any further infection in your body and helps to restore balance.
As we age, our bodies become more susceptible to bacterial infections such as the flu or a cold. Preventing these infections with daily intake of bay leaves and cinnamon tea is an effective strategy.
Improves memory function
One surprising way to use bay leaves is to add them to meat cookings. Although this may seem strange, it is a way to add lots of bay leaves to your diet.
Bay leaves contain thymol, a compound that also exists in thyme. Both have antimicrobial properties, meaning they fight bacteria that grows in food.
Thyme and bay leaves also have a strong aroma, which can be attributed to oils it contains. One of these essential oils is eugenol, which has a famous memory-boosting property—it improves memory function!
Food bloggers often use it when cooking meat, such as with garlic bread or pork roast. You can even just place a whole bay leaf inside the meat before cooking it to get the benefits.
Aside from using it in food, you can make a cup of hot tea with one bay leaf added at the end of brewing. This will also get rid of any leftover smell and give you a mild tea flavor.
Antioxidant properties
Both bay leaves and cinnamon contain antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are molecules that can help neutralize free radicals in your body.
Free radicals are created as a byproduct of normal cell function. They can be generated by stress, diet, lifestyle, etc.
However, when our bodies have enough antioxidants to offset these free radicals, we are said to have a healthy balance.
Having more antioxidants in your diet can help fight the oxidative stress that may cause diseases and illness. Diseases such as cancer and arthritis have been linked to oxidative stress in the body.
Bay leaves and cinnamon both contain antioxidant compounds called cinnamaldehyde and 1,3 dihydroxynonene (1) . These compounds help prevent cell damage and death caused by oxidative stress.
Helps reduce chronic pain
Chronic pain is one of the most common reasons people search for alternative treatments. Traditional treatments include massage, physical therapy, and prescription pain medications.
However, these treatments can be very expensive and often require frequent visits. Plus, many of them have negative side effects such as dependence and adverse reactions.
Pain-killing herbs are another way to treat chronic pain. Among the most effective herbs for this purpose are bay leaves and cinnamon tea. Both of these herbs contain chemical compounds that work to relieve pain.
As mentioned before, herbals can be powerful so it is important to check with a doctor or a herbal specialist to make sure they are appropriate for you. Also, remember that these do not totally eliminate pain but help reduce it!
For more information on how to prepare bay leaves and cinnamon tea, visit HerbsForHealth.org.
Can be used as a natural deodorant spray
Another way you can use bay leaves and cinnamon is to make a natural deodorant spray. Many people have concerns about toxic chemicals in conventional deodorants, especially linked to breast cancer.
You can make your own deodorant with baking soda and coconut oil, but how well that works depends on the person. Some people find it does not prevent noticeable body odor.
A better way is to use a spray containing essential oils. You can buy a bottle of essential oils and make your own spray, or buy a bottle or pre-made deodorant cream and add coconut oil to it to make a more solid consistency.
Bay leaves have a mild aroma that works well as a supplement in baking recipes. Cinnamon has a stronger aroma that can help cover up body odor. Mixing these two into your baking recipes will help fight body odor.
Helps regulate blood sugar levels
One of the main reasons people with diabetes are advised to use cinnamon is because it can help regulate blood sugar levels. One study found that 1 gram of cinnamon per day can reduce A1C levels by 0.5–0.7 percent after 8 weeks.
A1C is a test that measures the average glucose level in your blood over the past 3 to 4 months. An A1C level of 6 is considered normal, while 5 and below is considered diabetes.
Cinnamon contains an essential oil called cinnamaldehyde that affects your body’s production and use of glucose. When you eat cinnamon, it gets absorbed into your blood where it targets cells that produce and use glucose.
It works by preventing insulin resistance, which is when your body struggles to use insulin to process glucose. By fighting against this, cinnamon can help keep your blood sugar levels under control.
