BASIL- Health Benefits

BASIL- Health Benefits

Basil, or Sweet Basil, is a common name for the culinary herb Ocimum basilicum , of the family Lamiaceae (mints), sometimes known as Saint Joseph's Wort in some English-speaking countries. The herb Basil is used in cooking universally, and also for medicinal purposes. It’s a great herb and everyone should consider using it in their diet.

Jews believe (an enduring belief) that eating basil provides  strength when fasting. It is used as tonic for the skin, a treatment for all kinds of colds, bronchitis, and coughs. It is used to treat gas attacks,  flu, gout, muscle aches, rheumatism, insect bites, and sinusitis. An infusion of the green herb in boiling water is good for all obstructions of the internal organs, arrests vomiting and nausea. It is often used as an insect repellent.

In West Africa it is used to reduce fevers and the Japanese use it as a cold remedy. As basil is both aromatic and carminative, it is used for mild nervous disorders and even for the alleviation of fibromyalgia (wandering body pains). It is said, the dried leaves used as a snuff, can cure nervous headaches. In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, a variety of Indian basil has been used to treat many common ailments, and naturopathy physicians
may prescribe it in the treatment of diabetes, respiratory disorders, impotence, allergies and infertility.

Basil is also known to have extremely powerful antioxidant properties, especially when it is used in the  form of an extract or oil. The natural antioxidants found in basil can protect the body against damage from free radicals, thereby preventing cellular ageing, common skin ailments, and even most forms of cancer. Antioxidants are an important part of maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle, and basil may be a safe and effective source of these potent, life-giving compounds.

Basil is not only a herb that does you good, it also tastes good, so make sure you get plenty in your diet. 

Holy Basil Aurvedic - Remedies

Holy Basil Aurvedic Remedies

Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum), also known by its Sanskrit names, Tulsi or Tulasi,belongs to the Lamiaceae/Labiatae mint family, and is a closely related species to the familiar sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum). Native to India, there are three main varieties, with the purple Krishna Tulsi being considered most esteemed. Next to Lotus, Holy Basil is the most sacred plant of India.

Ayurveda is the ancient traditional medicine of India, and various texts give much praise to Tulsi, including the well-known Vedas. Many revere Tulsi as a goddess in the form of a plant bestowed with great spiritual and healing powers opening the Heart and Mind and bestowing the energy of love and devotion (bhakti). According to legend, no amount of gold could outweigh Krishna, but a single Tulsi leaf placed on the pan in loving devotion tilted the scale.

Even today many traditional Indians have a Tulsi plant growing in their homes for its purifying influence. Tulsi beads, made from the woody stalks, are commonly strung in neck laces, bracelets, and meditation malas or rosaries, which are believed by many to have spiritual as well as physical protection benefits.

The leaves of Tulsi are most commonly used for medicinal benefits, although all parts of the plant, including the roots, stems, flowers and seeds, have significant and differing medicinal and religious symbolic properties.

An impressive array of health promoting, disease preventing and life prolonging properties of Tulsi have been described and documented over five millennia. In the past few decades, many of these benefits have been investigated and verified by modern scientific research.

Current research offers substantial evidence that Tulsi protects against and reduces stress; 
enhances stamina and endurance; 
increases the body’s efficient use of oxygen;   
boosts the immune system; 
reduces inflammation; 
protects against radiation damage; 
lessens aging factors; 
supports the heart, lungs and liver; 
has antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal properties; 
enhances the efficacy of many other therapeutic treatments; 
and provides a rich supply of antioxidants and other nutrients.

Overall, Tulsi is a premier adaptogen, helping the body and mind to adapt and cope with a wide range of physical, emotional, chemical and infectious stresses, and restores disturbed physiological and psychological functions to a normal healthy state. These general vitality enhancing and health promoting properties, in addition to Tulsi’s many more specific therapeutic actions, likely account for much of the exceptionally broad range of Tulsi’s traditional medical uses, as well as contributing to its mythological importance and religious sanctity. Nutritionally it contains Vitamins A and C, Calcium, zinc and iron, Chlorophyll and many other phyto-nutrients.

Basil Aurvedic Remedies

Basil Aurvedic Remedies

1. Coughs, cold, flu 
Take 10-12 washed, crushed basil leaves and 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger. Fry in a pan over a low heat until the ginger has browned. Add 1 cup of water and boil for several minutes. Strain, add 1 tbsp of honey and drink.
Make a decoction by boiling 10-15 leaves in 2 cups of water. Drink warm.
Extract the juice of 10-15 basil leaves; add 1 tsp of ginger juice and 1 tsp of honey. Mix and take in the morning and evening.

2. Use the powder of dried basil leaves as a snuff to clear nasal congestion.  

3. Digestive problems 
Boil 10–20 basil leaves in water and drink.

4. Fever 
Grind 7 basil leaves, 4 peppercorns and 2 tsp of raw sugar and mix with 1/3 cup water. Take on an empty stomach.

5. Longevity or Loss of appetite 
Chew 2–4 leaves on an empty stomach in the morning.

6. Skin disorders 
Make a paste with fresh leaves and water. Apply to the affected area.
Take 1 tsp of juice daily.

7. Other uses 
Basil is a natural air freshener and insect repellent. It is used in cooking, especially Italian food, soups and pasta sauces. It is considered one of the most sacred plants in India, and is grown in most households. Orthodox Hindus worship a variety of basil known as Holy Tulasé by watering it daily, offering leaves to God and circumambulating the base of the plant.

Health benefits of Tulsi (Holy Basil)

Health benefits of Tulsi (Holy Basil)

Ocimum sanctum (Holy basil), called Tulsi in India, is ubiquitous in Hindu tradition. Perhaps its role as a healing herb was instrumental in its "sacred" implication.Ocimum sanctum(Tulsi) is perhaps the most common and most revered of all household plants in India.Tulsi is an erect sweet -scented pubescent herb, 30-100cm in height , growing in abundance near cultivated field gardens and waste lands. Its leaves, seeds ands whole plant is useful.

Krishna Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum)
Rama Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum),
Vana Tulsi (Ocimum gratissimum) 
The two main morphotypes cultivated in India and Nepal are green-leaved (Sri or Lakshmi tulsi) and purple-leaved (Krishna tulsi).

Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), known as”Queen of Herbs” is the most sacred herb of India. It has been revered in India for over 5000years, as a healing balm for body, mind and spirit, and is known to bestow an amazing number of health benefits. Commonly called sacred or holy basil, Tulsi is a principal herb of Ayurveda, the ancient traditional holistic health system of India. Although it is also known as Holy Basil, Tulsi is a different plant from the pesto variety of Basil (Ocimum basilicum).

Tulsi in Ayurveda
Ayurveda, in Sanskrit , means “knowledge of life”.Ayurveda specializes in natural herbal remedies designed to correct the imbalances in the body. Herbs lie at the very heart of Ayurvedic practice. Ayurvedic knowledge was born from the wisdom of the ancient rishis (sages and healers) and yogis (ascetics practicing yoga) of India, and was first passed on from healer to healer for untold generations before the earliest known texts were written around 5000 BC.

In the ancient ayurvedic texts, Tulsi holds the supreme place among the various medicinal herbs. Ayurveda went through a period of decline in India when the Western medical education became dominant during the era of the British rule. However, Ayurveda was recognised as an official form of medicine after India gained its independence in 1947. Today, Ayurveda has gained worldwide recognition.

Health benefits of Tulsi
Tulsi is renowned for its restorative powers and has several benefits:

Rich in antioxidants
Relieves stress
Bolsters immunity
Promotes a healthy metabolism and
Helps fight cough and colds

The unique chemistry of Tulsi is highly complex. Tulsi contains hundreds of beneficial compounds known as phytochemicals. Phyto-chemicals possess strong antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, adaptogenic and immune-enhancing properties that promote general health and support the body’s natural defence against stress and diseases.

Adaptogens
Adaptogens help the body adapt more efficiently to stress. Tulsi is one of the most effective adaptogens known to us,Tulsi can reduce the intensity and negative impact of the stress caused by mental tension, emotional difficulties, poor lifestyle habits, disease and infection, pollution and other factors.

Antioxidants
Antioxidants slow down the process of excess oxidation and protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. The cellular damage caused by free radicals can be responsible for causing and/or accelerating many diseases. Tulsi is rich in antioxidants and recommended for protection against excess oxidation.

Consumption of Tulsi
Tulsi can be consumed for good health either in the form of a capsule or as a herbal tea. Tulsi Tea can be prepared from fresh or dried leaves and served hot or cold. The three principal varieties of Tulsi, Rama, Krishna & Vana Tulsi have notably different aromas and flavours that may include hints of lemon, clove, anise and peppermint.

Tulsi can be prepared singly, as a blend of Tulsi varieties, or in combination with other herbs, spices, sweeteners, lemon or milk, for varying tastes and/or medicinal benefits. Naturalsweeteners may contribute to desirable effects of their own, unlike refined white sugar, which should be avoided.

International Recognition of Tulsi

“When I was first introduced to the sacred Tulsi, my first reaction, as a Western scientist, was disbelief. This herb sounds too good to be true. There seemed to be far more wide-ranging health benefits attributed to this plant than could be possible for a single agent. Yet, I realized that there must be a compelling reason why Tulsi has, for thousands of years, remained one of the most cherished of India’s sacred healing plants. Research offers impressive evidence that Tulsi’s vitality-enhancing properties, which support and enhance the body’s natural capacity to maintain a state of well-being, likely account for much of the impressively wide range of Tulsi’s traditional health-promoting uses.The industrialized West has, until very recently, tended to discard traditional nature-based, dietary and lifestyle approaches in favour of reliance on isolated compounds or synthetic drugs. However, the Western medical system has not been able to cope with the growing array of chronic, degenerative, environmental, lifestyle and stress-related physical and mental disorders that plague modern society. Tulsi is certain to emerge in the near future as a forerunner in the prevention and treatment of these pervasive modern illnesses.” – Dr. Ralph D. Miller, Former Director of Research, Canadian NationalDepartment of Health and Welfare.