A recent report published by scientists found none of the commercial bay leaves they evaluated contained what was on the label.
First, a little bit about bay leaf. Bay leaf is a common household spice used to flavor a variety of foods.
In addition to flavoring your foods, it also has medicinal properties that include bile stimulation, gas relief, insect repellant, antifungal properties, and more.
The ‘true bay leaf’ comes from Laurus nobilis and contains volatile oils, also known as essential oils, that include cineole, α-pinene, linalool, α-terpineol acetate, α-terpineol, β-pinene, sabinene, limonene, methyl eugenol, eugenol, ρ-cymene, camphene, dehydro-1,8-cineole, phenyl-hydrazine, piperidine, and geraniol.
A recent study published the results of analyzing bay leaves obtained from commercial sources for authenticity. 
The results were published in the journal Planta Medica.
Here are common substitutes used for bay leaf
– Common substitutes include Indian bay leaf (Cinnamomum tamala)
– Mexican bay leaf (Litsea glaucescens)
– West Indian bay leaf (Pimenta racemosa)
– Indonesian bay leaf (Syzygium polyanthum)
– Californian bay leaf (Umbellularia californica)
Why is it confusing to choose to correct bay leaf?
If you look at the names given to different types of bay leaf (see above) this is often the most confusing part. Bay leaf is a general term applied to a number of species including Spanish laurel, Californian laurel, Mountain laurel, Cherry laurel, English laurel, etc. Also, several plants have a similar look (i.e. morphology) and aroma to ‘true bay leaf’ of the Laurus nobilis variety.
The main point for choosing the right bay leaf is the latin name for the bay leaf you are using should be ‘Laurus nobilis’.
Why does it matter if I eat the wrong bay leaf?
‘California Bay leaf’ which is high in umbellulone that provides the aromoatic smell, is not found in ‘True bay leaf’. Umbellulone is a monoterpene that can cause headache, sinus irritation, sneezing, unconsciousness in some sensitive individuals. Also, another name for California laurel is the ‘headache tree’.
Fresh bay leaves versus dry bay leaves?
It seems that many dry bay leaves are imported, for example from Turkey. The fresh bay leaf variety comes from California and is not ‘true bay leaf’. Unless you are very familiar with bay leaves you should avoid the ‘fresh’ variety.
Take away message:
Make sure to purchase your ‘true bay leaf’ from a reputable source who has taken the proper steps to identify bay leaf. Also, make sure to look for the latin name ‘Laurus nobilis’ on the label. Long story short – yes, you should use bay leaves. Do not substitute fresh bay leaves for dry bay leaves.
Reference: Planta Medica. 2017; Volume 83 (Issue 12-13): Pages 1058-1067
His research on plant medicine has led to more than 45 publications and abstracts.This research has been presented at international meetings in the USA, France, Turkey, Peru, Israel, Austria, and Italy.
Categories: Food, Herbal Pharmacy, Plant Medicine, Quality Control