Holy basil is an aromatic herb cultivated for culinary use, as well as for its significance in Hindu spiritual practices and in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. Holy basil tea has been used for more than 5,000 years in India, where the herb is regarded as the queen of herbs. In fact, the tea is believed to provide so many health-giving benefits that the plant is commonly called "Tulsi," which translates from Sanskrit to mean "incomparable one."
Adaptogenic Properties
Holy basil is said to be adaptogenic, meaning that it enhances the body's ability to resist stress. Andrew Weil, M.D., says that holy basil is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine today to treat a variety of stress-induced diseases and that the medical literature he's reviewed investigating this benefit supports this use. For instance, a study published in the September 2007 issue of Journal of Natural Products reported that several ocimumoside compounds in holy basil were observed to stabilize various biological activities in stress-induced rats. Specifically, improvements were seen in the areas of glucose metabolism, adrenal functioning and serum creatine kinase release, elevated levels of which indicate muscle damage due to stress or trauma.
Antiulcer Activity
S. Singh and D.K. Majumdar of the University of Delhi studied the effects of holy basil oil on the ulcerations and gastric secretions in ulcer-induced rats. The results, which were published in the April 1999 issue of Journal of Ethnopharmacology, showed that holy basil effectively countered the formation of ulcers caused by a variety of contributing factors, including alcohol and aspirin.
Analgesic Effects
Drinking holy basil tea on a regular basis may help to relieve pain, according to a review published in the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology in 2005. The authors, P. Prakash and Neelu Gupta, propose that the presence of eugenol in holy basil may act like a selective COX-2 inhibitor. This means that this substance works the same way as modern painkillers to target and suppress the COX-2 enzyme responsible for causing inflammation and pain.
Glucose Regulation
Holy basil tea may also be of benefit in the treatment of diabetes. In a 2004 study, also published in the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, a research team led by Jyoti Sethi reported that holy basil significantly reduced blood sugar levels in albino rabbits after 30 days of supplementation with the fresh leaf at a daily dose of 2g per kilogram of body weight. Since holy basil also demonstrated an ability to inhibit free radicals, the researchers concluded that the beneficial effect on glucose levels is due to the antioxidant properties of the herb.
References
- DrWeil.com: Q&A: Holy Basil to Combat Stress?
- "Journal of Natural Products"; Constituents of Ocimum Sanctum With Antistress Activity; P. Gupta et al.; September 2007
- "Journal of Ethnopharmacology"; Evaluation of the Gastric Antiulcer Activity of Fixed Oil of Ocimum Sanctum (Holy Basil); S. Singh S, D.K. Majumdar; April 1999
- "Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology"; Therapeutic Uses of Ocimum Sanctum Linn (Tulsi) With a Note on Eugenol and Its Pharmacological Actions: A Short Review; P. Prakash, N. Gupta; 2005
- "Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry"; Evaluation of Hypoglycemic and Antioxidant Effect of Ocimum Sanctum; Jyoti Sethi et al.; 2004
Member Comments