Holy basil, known as Tulsi in Hindi, is an herb known for reducing stress, among other health benefits. Holy basil is used in India to treat arthritis, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, dysentery, malaria, diarrhea, chronic fever, eye and skin diseases and insect bites. It is reputed to have antifungal, antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, analgesic, adaptogenic and cardioprotective properties. It may benefit people with Addison's disease -- a condition that affects the adrenal glands -- by adrenal support and lowering stress, but consult your doctor before trying alternative medicine.
Addison's Disease
Addison's disease is a potentially life threatening disorder characterized by adrenal glands that do not make enough hormones. The adrenals are two small glands that sit on top of your kidneys and make important hormones like testosterone, cortisol and epinephrine, or adrenaline. Addison's disease affects men and women of all ages. The cause of Addison's is damage to the adrenal cortex, which is the outer part of the adrenals. If you have Addison's disease, you may experience severe weakness, loss of appetite, fatigue, sluggishness, salt craving, mouth lesions, nausea or chronic diarrhea. Addison's is also known as adrenal insufficiency.
Ayurveda and Adrenals
Ayurveda is a healing art with roots in India that is considered alternative medicine in the United States. Holy basil is a common herb in Ayurveda. Although Ayurveda does not recognize the adrenals in its classical texts, symptoms of Addison's disease and adrenal fatigue do appear to mimic a depletion of the ojas -- which in Sanskrit means the essential energy of the body -- due to issues like grief, hunger, anger and exertion. Other contributing factors include drinking alcohol, staying awake at night, trauma and consuming coffee, white sugar, white flour and pesticides. Ayurvedic practitioners use treatments, such as holy basil, that texts say help the ojas and support the adrenals.
Ayurvedic Adrenal Support
Among alternative medicine practitioners, holy basil is considered an adaptogen, a substance that increases your ability to resist a stressor. Adaptogens may provide adrenal support by recharging the adrenals and making it easier for you to deal with stressful situations, according to an article by Edward C. Wallace, N.D., D.C. Holy basil can be taken as a tea. Other herbs that may help include licorice, ashwagandha, reishi and American and Asian ginseng. Lifestyle changes such as getting enough sleep at night, lowering stress and eating a diet of legumes, vegetables and whole grains support the adrenals. Yoga, breathing exercises and meditation may also help.
Stress
When you feel stress, your body makes and releases stress hormones. If your adrenals are not functioning properly, due to Addison's disease, they cannot release sufficient amounts of hormones to help you deal with the stress. The adrenals then overexert themselves trying to make more hormones. Holy basil and other adaptogens help the adrenals shut down more quickly after they exert themselves to release stress hormones. They also help the adrenals function more efficiently. The Mayo Clinic states that a standardized extract of 400 milligrams daily of holy basil is beneficial for stress balance.
References
- Alandi Ashram: Ayurveda Article: Supporting the Adrenals
- MayoClinic.com: Addison's Disease
- Biopathics.com: Implications of Adrenal Insufficiency (pdf)
- Store.innertraditions.com: Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief (pdf)
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Hypoglycemia
- 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 (pdf)
- Medline Plus: Adrenal Glands
- Medline Plus: Addison's Disease
- The Chiropractic Resource Organization: Adaptogenic Herbs: Nature's Solution To Stress
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