Tulsi or Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum) is widely known for its sacred status in religion and tradition. It is a leafy green herb native to South Asia and Africa and part of the mint family. It is worshipped and used in its entirety, from the leaves to the seed.
Tulsi is unlike any other Basil – different parts of Tulsi are used for treating various conditions. It is known to provide holistic healing in a natural and calming way. It aids and eases all aspects that make a human – body, mind, and soul.
It is a highly beneficial Ayurveda herb. Whether it be its essential oil or herbal tea, Tulsi provides a wide range of uses and helps in many unique ways.
Here we will discuss all how you can use Tulsi in your daily life.
Nutritional Value of Tulsi per 100g
| Nutrient | Nutritional Value per 100g |
| Total Fat | 0.6 g |
| Sodium | 4mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 2.7 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.6 g |
| Sugar | 0.3 g |
| Protein | 3.2 g |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg |
| Calcium | 177.0 mg |
| Iron | 3.17 mg |
| Potassium | 295 mg |
| Vitamin C | 18.0 mg |
Uses and Health Benefits of Tulsi (Holy Basil)
Treats different conditions
As mentioned before, Holy Basil or Tulsi is unlike any other Basil. All of these plants, from their leaves to the seeds, are beneficial in some way. The highly medicinal plant helps in the following ways:
- Fresh flowers help with bronchitis.
- You can use Tulsi leaves, seeds, and black pepper for malaria.
- Tulsi essential oil made from its leaves is used for insect bites.
- The entire plant helps with stomach conditions and discomforts like diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
Helps with Mental Conditions
Tulsi is known for its effectiveness in reducing the symptoms of depression caused due to chronic. It also works to control and reduce stress. It is a natural medicine to treat anxiety. Tulsi also significantly decrease memory loss and increase the capacity of the mind.
Tulsi is said to have pharmacological properties because of its efficiency in dealing with a lot of conditions. It also deals with sleep problems, enhances your sleeping pattern, and equips you to fight back and prevent exhaustion.
According to a study, Tulsi contained antidepressant and anti-anxiety properties. These uniquely mixed properties help Tulsi show considerable effects on neurocognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, a memory loss condition, and mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4296439/
Protects against infections
Tulsi increases your endurance, making you ready to fight back infections in the future. It protects you from these infections because of its many protective properties. It has antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties. These form a shield around you and protect you from any possible infections. It increases your immunity and makes you strong enough not to develop infections.
Increases energy levels
Since Tulsi affects your metabolism and deals with metabolic conditions, it also works your energy levels. It gives you more strength and endurance to keep going for more extended periods without feeling tired. It increases your ability to do more and achieve more in the same amount of time.
Lowers blood sugar
Tulsi helps lower blood sugar and a few of the symptoms that occur with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Studies show that Tulsi decreases the symptoms of weight gain, high cholesterol, hypertension, and insulin resistance. Tulsi is widely accepted to have anti-diabetic properties.
Source: https://www.thehealthsite.com/
Lowers cholesterol
Studies suggested that Tulsi has a significant effect on metabolic disorders. Hence, it greatly helps with weight loss and maintains your cholesterol levels.
Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1756464618301166
Lowers Blood Pressure
Tulsi contains a chemical called eugenol. This chemical may block certain substances in the body that cause blood vessels to tighten, thus lowering blood pressure.
A healthy gut
Tulsi works with your body to naturally ease digestion. It prevents indigestion, nausea, constipation, and diarrhea. It fights stomach conditions and ensures that you have a healthy stomach.
Has anti-aging properties
Being an adaptogen herb, Tulsi has anti-aging properties which give a youthful look by delaying the symptoms of aging. Adaptogens are substances that boost your body’s immunity and strengthens your body in dealing with any stressors. These stressors are known to cause early aging and unhealthy skin and appearance. Tulsi helps in fighting these stressors and not letting your body suffer due to the pressures around you.
Eases inflammation
Tulsi has anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidant properties. These properties help in controlling arthritis and significantly reduce joint pain. Moreover, it is also great at reducing inflammation and swelling that comes with joint problems. A study suggested that Tulsi may act individually or synergistically to reduce inflammation. Synergist means that which works with other chemicals to bring about a difference.
Other benefits of Tulsi include:
- Treats headache.
- Reduces your temperature during fever and gives you immunity to fight back the infections which cause fever.
- It is known to help back pain.
- Eases earache.
- Deals with cold and flu.
- Helps the fight against asthma and heart disease.
- Controls tuberculosis and hepatitis.
- The high calcium content might help bone development.
As seen here, Tulsi is one of the best Ayurveda herbs to helps with various conditions of the body. It is effective in dealing with physical, psychological, neurocognitive, gastrointestinal, and immunological disorders.
How to Use Tulsi
- A Tulsi tea made of Tulsi leaves, honey, and ginger helps with bronchitis, asthma, influenza, cough, and cold.
- Drinking water boiled with Tulsi leaves is helpful for sore throat.
- A mixture of Tulsi seeds in water or milk is an antioxidant and is soothing for the body.
- Tulsi tea for easing headaches.
- You can make Tulsi ghee by blending dried Tulsi leaves into a powder. Mix these in the proportion that you add half a teaspoon of Tulsi powder for every two to three teaspoons of ghee.
- A topical application of Tulsi leaves and Sandalwood paste for relieving headaches.
- People used a topical application of Tulsi on the skin to treat ringworm.
- One can also use Tulsi as a mosquito repellent.
Important! Never chew on Tulsi leaves!
Tulsi leaves have mercury in them. When you chew on Tulsi leaves, you are also inevitably chewing on this mercury, releasing it into your mouth. This could be highly harmful to your teeth and their enamel and cause significant discoloration.
The tulsi or holy basil plant serves as a symbol and also as a popular medicinal remedy for a number of common ailments in the ancient Indian Ayurvedic system of healthcare.
This blog provides all the information necessary to understand how effective and natural tulsi is compared to other medicines. Thank you for sharing this information with us, it is really helpful.
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