Limited evidenceHeart & metabolic

Bay Leaf Extract

The culinary bay leaf tested as a blood sugar supplement. The human evidence is essentially one small trial from 2009, which is not enough to conclude anything.

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What the science says

Glucose and lipid changes in one small trial Limited evidence
A single 2009 study in 40 people with type 2 diabetes reported lower fasting glucose and improved cholesterol after 30 days of 1–3 g/day of ground bay leaf. No independent replication has been published.
Absent from pooled analyses Limited evidence
Bay leaf does not appear in the meta-analyses that pool herbal glucose-lowering trials. Reviews of culinary herbs and spices describe its constituents but treat the human data as preliminary.

Dosage & safety

Studied doseThe one trial used 1–3 g/day of ground bay leaf for 30 days. Commercial capsules typically give 500 mg of extract once or twice daily, which is not a studied dose.

SafetyBay leaf as a spice is well tolerated. Whole leaves can cause choking or gut injury if swallowed; concentrated extracts have no long-term safety data, and anyone on glucose-lowering medication should monitor.

How to take it

TimingTake it with meals.

With food?With food, as ground leaf mixed into a meal is how it was studied.

Worth knowingNever swallow a whole bay leaf; the leaf stays stiff and can injure the throat or gut.

Interactions

With medications

insulin and other glucose-lowering drugs
Possible additive glucose lowering. monitor your blood glucose if you take both

Well-established interactions only — this is not a complete list. Always tell your doctor and pharmacist what you take.

Frequently asked questions

Does bay leaf lower blood sugar?

Bay leaf has limited evidence for blood sugar: a single 2009 study in 40 people with type 2 diabetes reported lower fasting glucose after 30 days of 1–3 g/day of ground bay leaf. It has never been independently replicated, which is not enough to conclude that bay leaf works.

How much bay leaf extract should I take?

The only bay leaf trial used 1–3 g/day of ground leaf with meals for 30 days. Typical capsules of 500 mg of bay leaf extract once or twice daily are not a studied dose.

Is it safe to take bay leaf with diabetes medication?

Bay leaf may add to the glucose-lowering effect of insulin and other diabetes drugs, so monitor your blood glucose if you take both. Concentrated bay leaf extracts have no long-term safety data.

Is it dangerous to swallow a bay leaf?

Yes, never swallow a whole bay leaf: the leaf stays stiff and can cause choking or injure the throat or gut. Ground bay leaf mixed into food is how it was studied.

Scientific references

Bay leaves improve glucose and lipid profile of people with type 2 diabetes
Khan A, Zaman G, Anderson RA — J Clin Biochem Nutr, 2009
The Health Benefits of Selected Culinary Herbs and Spices Found in the Traditional Mediterranean Diet
Bower A, Marquez S, de Mejia EG — Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2016

Related in Heart & metabolic

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Herbal medicines: what the evidence says (335)