What Happens If You Mix Lemon with Bay Leaves?
So what happens if you mix lemon with bay leaves? You’re taking two very healthy ingredients and getting even more health benefits as a result.
The recipe I’m going to show you today is a version of lemon water with bay leaves. Water is one of our greatest allies when it comes to weight loss, as well as supporting every bodily function and making sure we stay healthy.
On top of promoting weight loss, lemons and bay leaves both have unique medicinal properties that can help ward off or fight certain conditions.
The Health Benefits of Lemon and Bay Leaves
This lemon and bay leaf recipe has many health benefits. One of the most significant, especially as it impacts our overall well-being, is aiding weight loss. Let’s look at both ingredients in detail regarding this, and then I’ll share some other medicinal benefits they offer.
How do Lemons Help Promote Weight Loss?
Certain properties in lemons target visceral fat in the body, which is stored within the abdomen. Also known as active fat, this type of fat increases the chance of developing a number of health issues including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Generally speaking, the more visceral fat we have, the more health risks it poses.
Lemon water on its own has been a popular drink to aid with weight loss for some time now. It helps on a number of levels:
By keeping you hydrated, it encourages weight loss and boosts the breakdown of fats.
It also boosts your metabolism, a key component of staying at a healthy weight.
Lemon with water will also keep you feeling fuller for longer. This helps many people reduce their calorie intake. In this recipe, we use lemon juice and lemon rind. Lemon rinds are one of the richest sources of pectin. Pectin is a soluble fiber and can help with appetite control because it forms a gelatinous mass when it enters your stomach. In fact, pectin is used to make jam to give it its jelly-like consistency.
Since the pectin thickens in the stomach it slows the speed that food moves through the small intestine, regulating how quickly sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream. This helps to stop blood sugar levels from rising and dropping sharply. When blood sugar levels are low, we feel hungry so are more prone to snack or eat a larger meal. Overall, lemon peel can stop the accumulation of fat and has polyphenols that keep fat away.
How do Bay Leaves Help Promote Weight Loss?
Bay leaves are known to help the digestive system, which is an important factor when it comes to losing and managing weight. Like lemons, they also boost your metabolism. Bay leaves help you to absorb nutrients too, so this can help with calorie control, and they can reduce the amount of fat the body absorbs.
In a roundabout way, they can help manage weight by easing stress due to the linalool they contain. This is especially useful for people who eat more when they are stressed. In a similar vein, bay leaves can improve sleep. Having a good night’s sleep is vital to maintaining a healthy weight and supporting the body to fight many illnesses and diseases.
Since they can induce drowsiness, if you take certain medicines for pain relief or sedatives, this could increase the side effects, particularly making you more sleepy. Please check with your doctor for any possible negative interactions with your medicine.
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Additional Health Benefits of Lemons
Lemons have long been a popular way to fight and prevent colds thanks to their high vitamin C content. It also reduces the risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke. The fiber found in lemons (and citrus fruits) can also lower blood cholesterol levels if consumed regularly.
Eating lemons may also reduce your risk of developing certain cancers. Some test-tube and animal studies have shown that certain compounds found in lemons even kill cancer cells. It’s believed that the limonene, cryptoxanthin, and naringenin they contain have anti-cancer properties.
Lemons are also beneficial when it comes to kidney stones. The citric acid in them stops them, or slows them, from developing.
Additional Health Benefits of Bay Leaves
One of the main health benefits of bay leaves is that they reduce inflammation in the body. That’s because of an important phytonutrient they contain called parthenolide. Too much inflammation in the body plays a large role in developing many chronic diseases so eating more anti-inflammatory foods can benefit you now and in the long run.
Bay leaves can also improve heart health thanks to the rutin and caffeic acid found in them. Rutin strengthens the heart’s capillary walls, while caffeic acid can lower bad cholesterol. Bay leaves can also improve your health in general by supporting a healthy immune system. They contain a number of nutrients that aid this, including vitamin A and vitamin B6.
Now that you know how these two simple but potent ingredients can improve your health and aid in weight loss, let’s look at how to make this drink.
How to Make This Lemon and Bay Leaf Drink
You can make this recipe in around 30 minutes from start to finish. The quantities in the recipe below are for two servings and each will have approximately 10 calories.
Utensils
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
- Citrus juicer (or you can do this manually and discard the seeds/pips)
- Sieve
- Container or bowl
- Pot with a lid
Ingredients
- 1 Lemon
- 2 Bay leaves
- 20 fl oz. of water
Method
- Wash your lemon, then cut it in half. Squeeze the lemon and save the juice for later.
- Add the lemon peel halves and 2 bay leaves to a pan, then pour 20 fl oz. of water over and cover. Turn the heat onto high and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, lower the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes or so before straining and adding the juice of the lemon.
3. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes or so before straining and adding the juice of the lemon.
In order to help with weight loss, you should have this twice a day for at least one week.
It’s best to take one serving 30 minutes before breakfast and another one 30 minutes before dinner.
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Is 20oz one serving? Can you make a big batch or does it need to be made right before drinking? Dried bay leaves ok? Thank you!
10 oz is one serving. I also want to know if you can make it ahead of time. Thanks Courtney for asking!!
I’m 58, I was 167 pnds, I’m 157 now. I drink 20 ounces of warm lemon water twice a day, first thing in the morning and wait 30 minutes before I eat anything and 30 minutes before bed. I am losing a pound a week, I’ve lost 10 pounds and I haven’t changed my diet nor do I exercise but I’m going to start walking.
Hello, do you use a whole lemon each time? Or do you use half in the AM and half in the PM?
In a previous article about boiling lemons she said this:
“It’s best to make this fresh every day since oxidation makes the Vitamin C less potent and this negative process will increase the longer it is exposed to oxygen and light. Let’s take a look at the enormous health benefits that lemons provide.”
She said that 20oz is two, 10oz servings. It looks like she is using dried bay leaves. Fresh bay leaves are a rich green vs a pale, sage green so I think you are good.
Hi Courtney,
The quantities in the recipe are for two servings. Split the liquid in half
and take half before breakfast and the other half before dinner.
Many blessings and good health!
Do I have to make it fresh each time or can I make enough for a couple of days.
Hi Connie,
It’s best to make it fresh every day, rather than in larger batches.
However, if you’re short on time make a batch for 2-3 days and make sure
it’s stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Many blessings and good health!
Seems we all have the same question–can it be made ahead? If so, for how long?
I would say yes as long as you drink it within two or three days it probably still has its medicinal values
Hi Brenda,
It’s best to make it fresh every day, rather than in larger batches.
However, if you’re short on time make a batch for 2-3 days and make sure it’s stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Many blessings and good health!
Following, Have the same question… also Could LIMES be substituted for lemons in the recipe do they have the same sort of effect???
Hi Kat,
Yes, you can substitute the lemon for lime.
However, lime water is different from lemon water. While they both contain similar health benefits lime and lemon are different fruits (though closely related) with slightly different sour tastes. Lemons taste sweeter and limes taste more bitter.
The bottom line is that both citrus fruits are good for you. You’ll reap health benefits by choosing either one.
Many blessings and good health!
Does it matter if Bay leaves are fresh or dried?
wanting to know this too! in the pic, it looks dry. also what about the use of lemon essential oil instead of fresh lemon?
Hi Carole,
You should stick to fresh lemon. Essential oils aren’t tested by the FDA, and the fresher the lemon is the better.
Many blessings and good health!
Hi Susan,
You can use dried or fresh bay leaves.
Many blessings and good health!
I’m on intermittent fasting so I don’t eat until noon or sometimes 2pm or 4pm can I drink this in the morning even if I don’t eat the drink it again before my last meal of the day which is usually a snack because I eat my main meal when I break my fast? Also, since bay leaves help with sleep… how will drinking this during the day affect my productivity?
Hi Pumla,
Everyone reacts to foods differently. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach.
Try taking your first serving 30 minutes before your first meal instead
ahead of 2pm or 4pm. Regarding whether it will affect your productivity, since you’re on a restricted diet, take a glass in the evening first to see how you feel after.
Many blessings and good health!
Can native bay tree leaf be dryer for consumption?
Hi Sheila,
You should wait for your bay tree to reach maturity before beginning to harvest the leaves. Choose the plant’s largest leaves when it is about two years old because that is when the leaves will be mature.
The optimal time to harvest bay leaves for long-term storage is in the middle of the summer, when the leaves are at their greatest in terms of essential oils and flavor. Bay leaves can be picked all year round.
Many Blessings and Good Health!
Can Limes be used instead?
Hi Michael,
Yes, you can substitute the lemon for lime.
However, lime water is different from lemon water. While they both contain similar health benefits lime and lemon are different fruits (though closely related) with slightly different sour tastes. Lemons taste sweeter and limes taste more bitter.
The bottom line is that both citrus fruits are good for you. You’ll reap health benefits by choosing either one.
Many blessings and good health!
My understanding is that one should drink lemon juice itself relatively soon after squeezing it. I think I’ve heard that the acidity or some other quality of it changes with time…I know that’s different than making this concoction, but just be aware. I’ve also included this link. https://justalittlebite.com/how-long-can-you-keep-freshly-squeezed-lemon-juice/
Can one also use Lemon Essential Oil instead of the lemon peels?
Hi Arlene,
You should stick to fresh lemon if possible. FDA does not regulate essential oils and the fresher the lemon is the better.
Many blessings and good health!
Would be good to get some answers to these peoples questions we are all wanting to know the same answers.
What about just boiling up a batch of bay leaf water and making smaller fresh batches with the lemons?
Hi Bosstweeds,
You can do this, you’ll just miss out on the benefits of the lemon peel but
it will still have health benefits.
Many blessings and good health!
Is there any way to make this concoction taste better? Its so hard to get down. Especially 20 oz. of it 2xday.
Hi Karen,
You can a little bit of honey.
Or if you don’t like the taste of bay leaves, you can stick to lemon water. Lemon water itself can promote fullness, support hydration, boost metabolism, and increase weight loss.
Many blessings and good health!
is it necessary to use organic lemons?
Not if you don’t mind ingesting a high amount of toxic pesticides as part of your “healthy” drink.
can you drink this hot
Hello Eugene,
You can drink the mixture hot, however lemon water at warm or room temperature is recommended to achieve maximum health benefits.
Many Blessings and Good Health!
No comment at this time. I would like to see future comments. Thanks
Can I reap the same benefits by using 100% lemon juice concentrate?
i am late. i have The Lost Book Of Herbal Remedies. my email use to be raw9903036@gmail.com. I have a new one now. i need the medical 10 pack seeds
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Many blessings and good health!