One of the most effective ways to control type 2 diabetes is to keep blood sugar levels as even as possible. It’s normal for blood sugar levels to spike after a meal or snack, but it’s best to keep the spike to a minimum. According to August 2017 Journal of the American College of Nursing, Incorporating some bay leaves into the cookie mix when baking will help do this.

Researchers from Peshawar Agricultural University in Pakistan and Curtin University in Perth, Australia, had twenty volunteers eat…

  • cookies made with 100 percent wheat flour,

  • cookies containing 3 percent bay leaf, gold

  • Cookies that contain 6 percent bay leaf.

The participants who ate the cookies containing 6 percent bay leaf had the lowest increases in blood sugar. Appetite, unfortunately, was not affected.

Previous studies showed that people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes who ate bay leaves had less…

  • fasting blood sugar,

  • blood fats and

  • Total cholesterol readings.

Bay leaves come from sweet bay, a member of the bay family…

  • the trees grow near the Mediterranean.

  • laurel wreaths were given to athletes as a reward for winning competitions in Greece, and

  • the leaves are used to flavor many recipes, especially in Greece and Turkey.

Bay leaf powder, as well as whole bay leaves, are commercially available. A quick Google search will reveal several brands.

The leaves or powder can be used in any savory recipe that contains liquid. (If using whole leaves, remove before serving as they are stiff and can cause a choking sensation or abdominal pain.) Try them in soups, tomato sauce or vegetable stew.

Allrecipes.com suggests making vegetable broth with bay leaves. Other ingredients include…

  • onion,

  • celery,

  • carrots,

  • Garlic,

  • fresh parsley,

  • thyme, and

  • Water.

Also from Allrecipes.com is a recipe for a vegetarian chili with bay leaves.. Other ingredients include…

  • shredded vegetables,

  • black beans,

  • Red beans,

  • light red beans,

  • chopped tomatoes,

  • tomato juice,

  • onions,

  • Chilli powder,

  • ground cumin,

  • garlic powder and

  • Pepper.

Or try the pumpkin soup. Will need…

  • pumpkin puree,

  • Vegetables soup,

  • laurel powder,

  • ginger

  • Rosemary.

Or search the Internet for one of the many butternut squash soup recipes that include bay leaf. Some bay leaves are edible while others are not, so don’t pick them unless you’re sure they’re safe. Buying cultivated bay leaves to include in food avoids any risk.