Holy Basil

Holy Basil (Tulsi)

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Description of Holy Basil

Holy Basil, or 'Tulsi' is an aromatic herb considered by Hindus in India to be the holy incarnation of Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune and beauty and wife of Vishnu. Although it is related to the basil that we, in the west, use as a culinary herb, in India it is a sacred healing herb, one of the most venerated and ancient and not considered appropriate for cooking.

The Rig Veda, in about 1500 BC, first mentions Holy Basil as a healing herb. An annual herbal shrub with purple flowers, it originated in tropical Asia but was spread across the known world because of its medicinal powers and sacred nature. It's traditional use as an adaptogenic tonic in Ayurvedic Medicine to balance the mind, nerves and emotions and neutralize the effects of stress was supported with a recent study in which it proved to be a more effective anti-stress agent than either Siberian or Asian Ginseng. It has for centuries been used to treat a variety of medical conditions including heart problems, asthma, bronchitis, arthritis, eye disorders and even snake bite. Currently it is being investigated for such uses as a COX-II anti-inflammatory agent, an antioxidant, and as a treatment for bacterial, fungal and viral infections and even to control blood sugar.

Key Uses of Holy Basil

  • High Blood Pressure
  • Cardiovascular health
  • Stress reduction
  • Type 2 Diabetes
  • Immune Support
  • Anti-Inflammatory
  • Clinical Applications of Holy Basil

    Cholesterol normalizing action - research results have shown a lowering of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, phospholipid and LDL-cholesterol levels, and significant increases in HDL-cholesterol.

    Anti-oxidant activity - there is evidence that Holy Basil has components that help protect the health of cardiovascular tissue by inhibiting oxidative agents due to high cholesterol.

    Stress reduction- lowers cortisol production in adrenals.

    Liver support activity- preliminary indications are that Holy Basic may promote liver health by reducing damage due to radiation exposure or environmental pollution such as pesticides.

    Diabetes - preliminary studies are also indicating that aspects of Holy Basil can stabilize blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes.

    Immune support - studies have indicated an increase in white blood cells and their activity.

    Anti-inflammatory - animal studies have suggested the ability of Holy Basil to inhibit the COXII pain pathways.

    There are indications that in addition to these, Holy Basic or Tulsi has demonstrated these abilities:

    -improves stamina and endurance

    -diminishes inflammation

    -antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal

    -encourages efficient use of oxygen

    How Holy Basil Works

    'Adaptogens' are still new to western medicine, yet this grouping represents the most effective and perhaps ancient systemic remedies available to mankind. By definition, an adaptogen has a normalizing effect on the body. Although western medicine is still struggling to understand how this mechanism works, we know that Tulsi, like other adaptogens, contains many nutrients and active phytochemicals which act synergistically to bring about a state of balance in almost all of the body's systems.

    Safety of Holy Basil

    Holy Basil has shown no serious side effects and is generally considered safe for use in adults. No drug interactions have been observed.

    Precautions of Holy Basil

    Not recommended for pregnant or lactating mothers due to possible uterine contractions. Blood sugar lowering could cause a problem for hypoglycemic patients.

    Recommended Amounts of Holy Basil

    Because herbs also contain active chemical substances which can and will interact with others, no herb or drug should be taken without first consulting with one's physician.

    The recommended starting dose is 300-600mg daily or 3-5 cups of Tulsi tea daily.

    Holy Basil Research

    1) Blossom S. Tulsi, ok. Natural Health 2005;35(9)

    2) Rege NN, Thatte UM, Dahanukar SA. Adaptogenic properties of six rasayana herbs used in Ayurvedic medicine. Phytother Res 1999;13(4):275-291.

    3) Khanna N, Bhatia J. Antinociceptive action of Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi) in mice: possible mechanisms involved. J Ethnopharmacol 2003;88(2-3):293-296.

    4) Asha MK, Prashanth D, Murali B, et al. Anthelmintic activity of essential oil of Ocimum sanctum and eugenol. Fitoterapia 2001;72(6):669-670.

    5) Singh S, Malhotra M, Majumdar DK. Antibacterial activity of Ocimum sanctum L. fixed oil. Indian J Exp Biol 2005;43(9):835-837.

    6) Aqil F, Khan MS, Owais M, et al. Effect of certain bioactive plant extracts on clinical isolates of beta-lactamase producing methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. J Basic Microbiol 2005;45(2):106-114.

    7) Uma DP. Radioprotective, anticarcinogenic and antioxidant properties of the Indian holy basil, Ocimum sanctum (Tulasi). Indian J Exp Biol 2001;39(3):185-190.

    8) Grover JK, Yadav S, Vats V. Medicinal plants of India with anti-diabetic potential. J Ethnopharmacol 2002;81(1):81-100.

    9) Biswas NR, Gupta SK, Das GK, et al. Evaluation of Ophthacare eye drops--a herbal formulation in the management of various ophthalmic disorders. Phytother Res 2001;15(7):618-620.

    10) Jagetia GC, Baliga MS. The evaluation of nitric oxide scavenging activity of certain Indian medicinal plants in vitro: a preliminary study. J Med Food 2004;7(3):343-348.

    11) Kelm MA, Nair MG, Strasburg GM, et al. Antioxidant and cyclooxygenase inhibitory phenolic compounds from Ocimum sanctum Linn. Phytomedicine 2000;7(1):7-13.

    12) Gupta SK, Prakash J, Srivastava S. Validation of traditional claim of Tulsi, Ocimum sanctum Linn. as a medicinal plant. Indian J Exp Biol 2002;40(7):765-773.

    13) Rani P, Khullar N. Antimicrobial evaluation of some medicinal plants for their anti-enteric potential against multi-drug resistant Salmonella typhi. Phytother Res 2004;18(8):670-673.

    14) Shokeen P, Ray K, Bala M, et al. Preliminary studies on activity of Ocimum sanctum, Drynaria quercifolia, and Annona squamosa against Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Sex Transm Dis 2005;32(2):106-111.

    15) Bhattacharya SK, Bhattacharya A, Chakrabarti A. Adaptogenic activity of Siotone, a polyherbal formulation of Ayurvedic rasayanas. Indian J Exp Biol 2000;38(2):119-128.

    16) Narendhirakannan RT, Subramanian S, Kandaswamy M. Mineral content of some medicinal plants used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Biol Trace Elem Res 2005;103(2):109-115.

    17) Vrinda B, Uma DP. Radiation protection of human lymphocyte chromosomes in vitro by orientin and vicenin. Mutat Res 2001;498(1-2):39-46.

    18) Udupa SL, Shetty S, Udupa AL, et al. Effect of Ocimum sanctum Linn. on normal and dexamethasone suppressed wound healing. Indian J Exp Biol 2006;44(1):49-54.

    19) McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, et al. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1997.

    20) Rai V, Iyer U, Mani UV. Effect of Tulasi (Ocimum sanctum) leaf powder supplementation on blood sugar levels, serum lipids and tissue lipids in diabetic rats. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 1997;50(1):9-16.

    21) Singh S, Rehan HM, Majumdar DK. Effect of Ocimum sanctum fixed oil on blood pressure, blood clotting time and pentobarbitone-induced sleeping time. J Ethnopharmacol 2001;78(2-3):139-143.

    22) Agrawal P, Rai V, Singh RB. Randomized placebo-controlled, single blind trial of holy basil leaves in patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 1996;34(9):406-409.

    23) Ahmed M, Ahamed RN, Aladakatti RH, et al. Reversible anti-fertility effect of benzene extract of Ocimum sanctum leaves on sperm parameters and fructose content in rats. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol 2002;13(1):51-59.

    24) Kasinathan S, Ramakrishnan S, Basu SL. Antifertility effect of Ocimum sanctum L. Indian J Exp Biol 1972;10(1):23-25.

    25) Seth SD, Johri N, Sundaram KR. Antispermatogenic effect of Ocimum sanctum. Indian J Exp Biol 1981;19(10):975-976.

    26) Vohora SB, Garg SK, Chaudhury RR. Antifertility screening of plants. 3. Effect of six indigenous plants on early pregnancy in albino rats. Indian J Med Res 1969;57(5):893-899.

    27) Kantak NM, Gogate MG. Effect of short term administration of Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum Linn.) on reproductive behaviour of adult male rats. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 1992;36(2):109-111.

    28) Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.

    29) Balanehru S, Nagarajan B. Intervention of adriamycin induced free radical damage. Biochem Int 1992;28(4):735-744.

    30) Joshi H, Parle M. Evaluation of nootropic potential of Ocimum sanctum Linn. in mice. Indian J Exp Biol 2006;44(2):133-136.

    31) Sakina MR, Dandiya PC, Hamdard ME, et al. Preliminary psychopharmacological evaluation of Ocimum sanctum leaf extract. J Ethnopharmacol 1990;28(2):143-150.

    32) Kothari SK, Bhattacharya AK, Ramesh S. Essential oil yield and quality of methyl eugenol rich Ocimum tenuiflorum L.f. (syn. O. sanctum L.) grown in south India as influenced by method of harvest. J Chromatogr A 2004;1054(1-2):67-72.

    33) Balanehru S, Nagarajan B. Protective effect of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid against lipid peroxidation. Biochem Int 1991;24(5):981-990.

    34) Samudralwar DL, Garg AN. Minor and trace elemental determination in the Indian herbal and other medicinal preparations. Biol Trace Elem Res 1996;54(2):113-121.

    35) Singh S, Majumdar DK, Yadav MR. Chemical and pharmacological studies on fixed oil of Ocimum sanctum. Indian J Exp Biol 1996;34(12):1212-1215.

    36) Subramanian M, Chintalwar GJ, Chattopadhyay S. Antioxidant and radioprotective properties of an Ocimum sanctum polysaccharide. Redox Rep 2005;10(5):257-264.

    37)Geeta, Vasudevan DM, Kedlaya R, et al. Activity of Ocimum sanctum (the traditional Indian medicinal plant) against the enteric pathogens. Indian J Med Sci 2001;55(8):434-8, 472.

    38) Mukherjee R, Dash PK, Ram GC. Immunotherapeutic potential of Ocimum sanctum (L) in bovine subclinical mastitis. Res Vet Sci 2005;79(1):37-43.

    39) Vats V, Yadav SP, Grover JK. Ethanolic extract of Ocimum sanctum leaves partially attenuates streptozotocin-induced alterations in glycogen content and carbohydrate metabolism in rats. J Ethnopharmacol 2004;90(1):155-160.

    40) Chattopadhyay RR. A comparative evaluation of some blood sugar lowering agents of plant origin. J Ethnopharmacol 1999;67(3):367-372.

    41) Chattopadhyay RR. Hypoglycemic effect of Ocimum sanctum leaf extract in normal and streptozotocin diabetic rats. Indian J Exp Biol 1993;31(11):891-893.

    42) Gholap S, Kar A. Hypoglycaemic effects of some plant extracts are possibly mediated through inhibition in corticosteroid concentration. Pharmazie 2004;59(11):876-878.

    43) Grover JK, Vats V, Yadav SS. Pterocarpus marsupium extract (Vijayasar) prevented the alteration in metabolic patterns induced in the normal rat by feeding an adequate diet containing fructose as sole carbohydrate. Diabetes Obes Metab 2005;7(4):414-420.

    44) Vats V, Grover JK, Rathi SS. Evaluation of anti-hyperglycemic and hypoglycemic effect of Trigonella foenum-graecum Linn, Ocimum sanctum Linn and Pterocarpus marsupium Linn in normal and alloxanized diabetic rats. J Ethnopharmacol 2002;79(1):95-100.

    45) Singh S, Majumdar DK, Rehan HM. Evaluation of anti-inflammatory potential of fixed oil of Ocimum sanctum (Holybasil) and its possible mechanism of action. J Ethnopharmacol 1996;54(1):19-26.

    46) Singh S. Comparative evaluation of antiinflammatory potential of fixed oil of different species of Ocimum and its possible mechanism of action. Indian J Exp Biol 1998;36(10):1028-1031.

    47) Godhwani S, Godhwani JL, Vyas DS. Ocimum sanctum: an experimental study evaluating its anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activity in animals. J Ethnopharmacol 1987;21(2):153-163.

    48) Singh S, Majumdar DK. Effect of Ocimum sanctum fixed oil on vascular permeability and leucocytes migration. Indian J Exp Biol 1999;37(11):1136-1138.

    49) Mediratta PK, Sharma KK, Singh S. Evaluation of immunomodulatory potential of Ocimum sanctum seed oil and its possible mechanism of action. J Ethnopharmacol 2002;80(1):15-20.

    50) Sarkar A, Lavania SC, Pandey DN, et al. Changes in the blood lipid profile after administration of Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi) leaves in the normal albino rabbits. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 1994;38(4):311-312.

    51) Sharma MK, Kumar M, Kumar A. Ocimum sanctum aqueous leaf extract provides protection against mercury induced toxicity in Swiss albino mice. Indian J Exp Biol 2002;40(9):1079-1082.

    52) Geetha RK, Vasudevan DM. Inhibition of lipid peroxidation by botanical extracts of Ocimum sanctum: in vivo and in vitro studies. Life Sci 2004;76(1):21-28.

    53) Yanpallewar SU, Rai S, Kumar M, et al. Evaluation of antioxidant and neuroprotective effect of Ocimum sanctum on transient cerebral ischemia and long-term cerebral hypoperfusion. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2004;79(1):155-164.

    54) Sharma M, Kishore K, Gupta SK, et al. Cardioprotective potential of ocimum sanctum in isoproterenol induced myocardial infarction in rats. Mol Cell Biochem 2001;225(1-):75-83.

    55) Sen P, Maiti PC, Puri S, et al. Mechanism of anti-stress activity of Ocimum sanctum Linn, eugenol and Tinospora malabarica in experimental animals. Indian J Exp Biol 1992;30(7):592-596.

    56) Panda S, Kar A. Ocimum sanctum leaf extract in the regulation of thyroid function in the male mouse. Pharmacol Res 1998;38(2):107-110.

    57) Dharmani P, Kuchibhotla VK, Maurya R, et al. Evaluation of anti-ulcerogenic and ulcer-healing properties of Ocimum sanctum Linn. J Ethnopharmacol 2004;93(2-3):197-206.

    58) Mandal S, Das DN, De K, et al. Ocimum sanctum Linn--a study on gastric ulceration and gastric secretion in rats. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 1993;37(1):91-92.

    59) Goel RK, Sairam K, Dorababu M, et al. Effect of standardized extract of Ocimum sanctum Linn. on gastric mucosal offensive and defensive factors. Indian J Exp Biol 2005;43(8):715-721.

    60) Singh S, Majumdar DK. Evaluation of the gastric antiulcer activity of fixed oil of Ocimum sanctum (Holy Basil). J Ethnopharmacol 1999;65(1):13-19.

    61) Prakash J, Gupta SK. Chemopreventive activity of Ocimum sanctum seed oil. J Ethnopharmacol 2000;72(1-2):29-34.

    62) Karthikeyan K, Ravichandran P, Govindasamy S. Chemopreventive effect of Ocimum sanctum on DMBA-induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis. Oral Oncol 1999;35(1):112-119.

    63) Aruna K, Sivaramakrishnan VM. Anticarcinogenic effects of some Indian plant products. Food Chem Toxicol 1992;30(11):953-956.

    64) Prashar R, Kumar A, Banerjee S, et al. Chemopreventive action by an extract from Ocimum sanctum on mouse skin papillomagenesis and its enhancement of skin glutathione S-transferase activity and acid soluble sulfydryl level. Anticancer Drugs 1994;5(5):567-572.

    65) Banerjee S, Prashar R, Kumar A, et al. Modulatory influence of alcoholic extract of Ocimum leaves on carcinogen-metabolizing enzyme activities and reduced glutathione levels in mouse. Nutr Cancer 1996;25(2):205-217.

    66) Prashar R, Kumar A, Hewer A, et al. Inhibition by an extract of Ocimum sanctum of DNA-binding activity of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene in rat hepatocytes in vitro. Cancer Lett 1998;128(2):155-160.

    67) Jaggi RK, Madaan R, Singh B. Anticonvulsant potential of holy basil, Ocimum sanctum Linn., and its cultures. Indian J Exp Biol 2003;41(11):1329-1333.

    68) Sembulingam K, Sembulingam P, Namasivayam A. Effect of Ocimum sanctum Linn on the changes in central cholinergic system induced by acute noise stress. J Ethnopharmacol 2005;96(3):477-482.

    69) Ravindran R, Rathinasamy SD, Samson J, et al. Noise-stress-induced brain neurotransmitter changes and the effect of Ocimum sanctum (Linn) treatment in albino rats. J Pharmacol Sci 2005;98(4):354-360.

    70) Samson J, Sheela DR, Ravindran R, et al. Biogenic amine changes in brain regions and attenuating action of Ocimum sanctumin noise exposure. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2006;83(1):67-75.

    71) Archana R, Namasivayam A. Effect of Ocimum sanctum on noise induced changes in neutrophil functions. J Ethnopharmacol 2000;73(1-2):81-85.

    72) Sembulingam K, Sembulingam P, Namasivayam A. Effect of Ocimum sanctum Linn on noise induced changes in plasma corticosterone level. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 1997;41(2):139-143.

    73) Archana R, Namasivayam A. A comparative study of different crude extracts of Ocimum sanctum on noise stress. Phytother Res 2002;16(6):579-580.

    74) Devi PU, Ganasoundari A. Modulation of glutathione and antioxidant enzymes by Ocimum sanctum and its role in protection against radiation injury. Indian J Exp Biol 1999;37(3):262-268.

    75) Uma DP, Ganasoundari A, Vrinda B, et al. Radiation protection by the ocimum flavonoids orientin and vicenin: mechanisms of action. Radiat Res 2000;154(4):455-460.

    76) Ganasoundari A, Devi PU, Rao MN. Protection against radiation-induced chromosome damage in mouse bone marrow by Ocimum sanctum. Mutat Res 1997;373(2):271-276.

    77) Devi PU, Bisht KS, Vinitha M. A comparative study of radioprotection by Ocimum flavonoids and synthetic aminothiol protectors in the mouse. Br J Radiol 1998;71(847):782-784.

    78) Uma DP, Ganasoundari A, Rao BS, et al. In vivo radioprotection by ocimum flavonoids: survival of mice. Radiat Res 1999;151(1):74-78.

    79) Devi PU, Ganasoundari A. Radioprotective effect of leaf extract of Indian medicinal plant Ocimum sanctum. Indian J Exp Biol 1995;33(3):205-208.

    80) Ganasoundari A, Zare SM, Devi PU. Modification of bone marrow radiosensensitivity by medicinal plant extracts. Br J Radiol 1997;70(834):599-602.

    81) Ganasoundari A, Devi PU, Rao BS. Enhancement of bone marrow radioprotection and reduction of WR-2721 toxicity by Ocimum sanctum. Mutat Res 1998;397(2):303-312.

     


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