Bay Essential Oil benefits includes promoting appetite, promoting wound healing, inhibiting growth of bacteria, providing relief from spasms, relieving pain, helps in reducing acne, stimulate bile secretion and promotes regular menstrual flow. Other benefits includes removing toxins from the body, preventing nerve damage, and supporting overall function of the body process.
What is Bay Essential Oil?
Bay essential oil is extracted by subjecting fresh bay leaves to steam distillation. These fresh leaves are obtained from the bay tree, also called the bay rum tree which may have originated from the Caribbean islands, but is currently primarily cultivated in other countries, such as Morocco.
Historical records suggest that this essential oil was used as an insect repellent and was added to fumigants and insecticides, while in ancient Greece and Rome, the Bay oil was held in high esteem in both medicinal and cultural practices.
The Pimenta racemosa essential oil has today found major uses in the healthcare sector to treat a number of ailments, in the cosmetics industry as a remedy for hair loss, and its spicy invigorating scent makes it an excellent choice for aromatherapy
1. Promotes Appetite
Loss of appetite occurs when there is a decreased desire to eat, with this reduced appetite possibly being as a result of certain factors ranging from infections to psychological causes and maybe even due to reactions to some medications. Over time, when suppresses appetite continues with no end in sight, this could lead to the lack of some essential nutrients that the body needs to function. In such situations consulting a professional or using natural remedies like the bay essential oil may help improve appetite so the body is supplied with nutrients that enable it to function properly. Malnutrition can, and typically will fly under the radar until something is visibly wrong, at which point it may be too late.
2. Promotes Wound Healing
Wounds or cuts should not be overlooked whether minor or severe, especially if the wound is as a result of contact with a very sharp, rusty, dirty or unclean object. When wounds are left untreated, they are more susceptible to serious health complications such as tetanus, which can further lead to convulsions, cramps, and loss of breathing functions just to mention a few. Bay essential oil may be able to promote wound healing thus protecting it from becoming infected by inhibiting the growth of harmful microorganisms when applied on the surface of wounds. Scar formation may also be minimized thanks to application of the oil.
3. Inhibits Growth Of Bacteria
Antibiotics inhibit the growth and replication of bacteria in the human body, however, since bacteria have grown resistance to most antibiotics used to prevent their growth, many persons now turn to natural remedies in an attempt to treat these bacterial infections. Bay essential oil is effective in protecting the body from the growth and replication of pathogenic bacteria, at least when it comes to minor ailments. Another benefit of using the bay essential oil for antibiotic purposes is that if dispensed in the appropriate quantity it has little to no negative effects on the body, which makes it superior over commercially sold antibiotics that may have adverse side effects on internal organs such as the liver and heart. Before you try to self-treat, it is still a good idea to visit natural health practitioner to ensure it is the best course of action.
4. Provides Relief From Spasms
Spasms are for the most part harmless, but can cause discomfort when you least expect it. Spasms are by nature transient, and disappear without intervention, but chronic, consistent spasms need to be treated. Spasms can affect numerous areas of the body, including organs, soft tissue of the skin and the muscles. Bay essential oil helps to relieve spasms, and can also treat cramps that occur as a result.
5. Relieves Pain
The main function of an analgesic is to provide relief from pain by blocking and preventing inflammatory signals that causes pain. Bay essential oil is not very different in action from the way most common analgesics work. This essential oil provides relief from pain that is caused from respiratory infections such as a cough and cold, muscle and joint pain, as well as headaches and migraines. This essential oil has an advantage over commercial analgesic medications which may have adverse effects on important organ systems including the heart, digestive system and nervous system when given consistently over time.
6. Astringent Properties
Bay essential oil is useful for its astringent properties, which make it useful in helping to manage acne. Persons suffering from acne can help to reduce outbreaks and subsequent scars by using an astringent, which keeps pores small and reduces the excessive secretion of sebum. Astringents are also helpful in treating hemorrhoids, as swollen tissue and vessels around the rectum need to be reduced to relieve pain and discomfort.
7. Stimulates Bile Secretion
Bile secretion is necessary to reduce the surface tension of ingested fat so that they can be easily digested as well as combining with broken down triglycerides to form micelles which promote the process of absorption. Bay essential oil speeds up the rate of bile discharge into the stomach and may help maintain a balance between acid and bases thus, when alkalinity is maintained, the stomach health is improved and complications like ulceration of the stomach wall is prevented.
8. Promotes Regular Menstrual Flow
Irregular menstrual flow is very common, and may be as a result of an increase or decrease in the proportion of hormones necessary. Bay essential oil may be effective in promoting regular menstrual flow since it can help regulate hormones, as well as the necessary contraction of the muscles of the uterus to increase the expulsion of tissue shed during the deterioration of the uterine wall.
9. Promotes Overall Functioning Of Body Processes
The bay essential oil may function as a tonic and be of advantage to the entire body as it may increase metabolic function like the breakdown of food and nutrient absorption by stimulating organs such as the liver, stomach and intestines to give strength and vitality. It also maintains proper waste removal, regulates proper level of secretions of hormones and enzymes from the endocrine system, as well as revitalizes the nervous system thereby increasing the body’s rate of response to stimuli. In the immune system, it improves its functions so it is better able to fight infections and keep up the integrity of the immune system.
10. Removes Toxins
The human body is capable of removing unwanted substances by itself, however, certain factors may decrease the body’s ability to do so, making it necessary to assist the body to remove harmful toxins. Bay essential oil promotes the excretion of toxins from the body by enhancing perspiration, so that excess sodium and water can be removed, regulating body temperature and preventing the accumulation of these toxins to cause ailments. It also supports the health of the liver and kidneys, to ensure they can discharge their functions with efficiency.
11. Prevents Nerve Damage
When there is damage to the nerves, possibly due to compression by the blood vessels that surround it, chronic pain and numbness is felt in the affected area and depending on the affected nerves, basic body functions may be inhibited. Regularly using the bay essential oil can prevent nerve damage by acting as a stimulant to relax the inflamed blood vessels so the pressure on the nerves is minimized thus, preventing the nerves from getting damaged. It may also hold great utility in preventing diabetic nerve complications, such as peripheral neuropathy, characterized by interrupted blood supply to the nerves of the feet, resulting in loss of sensation.
Conclusion
Bay essential oil has a long history of usage in the healthcare sector and like most other essential oils, available widely for you to get your hands on. It possesses some noteworthy benefits, which you can take advantage of as long as you use judiciously and upon recommendation of a specialist.
Safety Precautions
Do not use the undiluted oil on the skin or orally, as it is known to irritate both skin and mucus membranes inside the body. Upon dilution, it is fine for external use, and is also much safer for oral consumption, though you should still consult a natural health specialist prior to this.