A leaf or two of Tulsi taken thrice a day with hot water with a few tea lives could do wonder to a person's health. It would detox his body, improves his immunity, normalizes the functioning of his vital organs--mainly flow of blood, the functioning of liver, heart, and reduces mental stress.
Though directly Tulsi makes no impact on a COVId-19 patient, the fact remains that regular intake of tulsi leaves with hot water protects a person from seasonal diseases and help him recover fast if he attracts a viral or bacterial infection. Even various hospitals in
Here I am trying to cover some of the basic properties of Tulsi. The information is taken out from ancient ayurvedic scripters and science journals written by scientists all over the world. I am a science Graduate but no expert on herbs. The article is based on my interaction with various leading Ayurvedic doctors and articles written in various Science Journals.
About Tulsi or Basil (Scientific name: Ocimum sanctum Linn)
Tulsi is a common aromatic perennial plant, which is found mostly in every household in
Religious Importance of Tulsi
People In
In villages people light a Diya every evening to bring peace and prosperity to their house. Its stems are cut into small pieces, made its beads and use it for religious purpose. Tulsi Vivah is a ceremonial festival performed anytime between Prabodhini Ekadashi (the 11th or 12th lunar day) in Kartik month as per Hindu calendar.
Besides it religious importance, the plant has great medicinal properties and is used in most of the Indian traditional medicines, Ayurveda.
Chemical composition of Basil.
Some of the phytochemical constituents of tulsi are oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, rosmarinic acid, eugenol, carvacrol, linalool and β-caryophyllene (about 8%).
Tulsi essential oil consists mostly of eugenol (~70%) β-elemene (~11.0%), β-caryophyllene (~8%), and germacrene (~2%), with the balance being made up of various trace compounds, mostly terpenes.
Medicinal values of Tulsi
According to Indian Ayurveda scripters, Tulsi can facilitate optimal digestion. It says that Basil fortifies the digestive and nervous system and could be a good remedy for headaches and insomnia. It has also proved clinically that the eugenol present in the leaves ensure anti-inflammatory action in the digestive tract. Basil further helps balance acid within the body and restores the body's proper pH level.
Clinically, It has also been proved that the anti-inflammatory properties of Basil lower the risk of heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel conditions. Consumption of basil could also soothe a fever, headache, sore throat, cold, cough, flu.
Research conducted by Scientists suggested that the powerful essential oils, including eugenol, citronellol and linalool, help lower inflammation through their enzyme inhibiting properties.
Tulsi contains a range of antioxidants that protect body tissues against free radical damage. Basil contains two important water-soluble flavonoid antioxidants, known as orientin and viceninare. These potent antioxidants strengthen the immune system, protect the cellular structure, DNA and delay effects of skin ageing.
Benefits to Basil oil to cleanse the skin. The excellent skin cleanser is perfect for those with oily skin. It also helps remove dirt and impurities that clog pores. Make a paste of basil leaves, sandalwood paste and rose water. Apply the paste on your face and let it sit for 20 minutes. Wash it off with cold water. The strong anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties of basil would help prevent the formation of acne.
Vitamins and mineral in Tulsi
Fresh leaves, chopped | Dried leaves, crumbled | |
Calories | 0.6 | 5 |
Vitamin A | 3% of the RDI | 4% of the RDI |
Vitamin K | 13% of the RDI | 43% of the RDI |
Calcium | 0.5% of the RDI | 4% of the RDI |
Iron | 0.5% of the RDI | 5% of the RDI |
Manganese | 1.5% of the RDI | 3% of the RDI |
The regular intake of Basil is a solution to many lifestyle diseases. Its essential oil is also used to manage depression and anxiety. Doctor’s say the herb stimulates neurotransmitters that regulate the hormones responsible for inducing happiness and energy. Basil is considered as a powerful adaptogen or an anti-stress agent. Its anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties help manage stress too.
Diabetes is a common problem in
The use of Basil leaves in green tea believed to have strong detox properties and restore PH levels naturally. It improves the functioning of the liver, improves metabolism, and in turn reduces unnecessary weight on the body.
The essential volatile oil of basil has been seen as a traditional remedy to treat a variety of tummy problems in addition to indigestion. Consuming basil could help reduce bloating and water retention. It can even stimulate the loss of appetite and could cure acid reflux as well.
Scientific Research on Tulsi
The predominant cause of global morbidity and mortality is lifestyle-related chronic diseases, many of which can be addressed through Ayurveda with its focus on healthy lifestyle practices and regular consumption of adaptogenic herbs. Of all the herbs used within Ayurveda, Tulsi is preeminent, and scientific research is now confirming its beneficial effects.
There is mounting evidence that tulsi can address physical, chemical, metabolic and psychological stress through a unique combination of pharmacological actions. Tulsi has been found to protect organs and tissues against chemical stress from industrial pollutants and heavy metals, and physical stress from prolonged physical exertion, ischemia, physical restraint and exposure to cold and excessive noise.
Tulsi has also been shown to counter metabolic stress through normalization of blood glucose, blood pressure and lipid levels, and psychological stress through positive effects on memory and cognitive function and through its anxiolytic and anti-depressant properties.
Tulsi's broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, which includes activity against a range of human and animal pathogens, suggests it can be used as a hand sanitizer, mouthwash and water purifier as well as in animal rearing, wound healing, the preservation of foodstuffs and herbal raw materials and traveller's health.
Cultivation of Tulsi plant has both spiritual and practical significance that connects the grower to the creative powers of nature, and organic cultivation offers solutions for food security, rural poverty, hunger, environmental degradation and climate change. The use of tulsi in daily rituals is a testament to Ayurvedic wisdom and provides an example of ancient knowledge offering solutions to modern problems.
Lifestyle diseases
We are in the midst of a global pandemic of obesity, diabetes, cancer, dementia, depression and other chronic diseases caused by modern lifestyles and their associated lack of physical activity, high intake of sugar, fat, salt, alcohol and tobacco and exposure to a toxic cocktail of industrial chemicals. The solutions to this the current health crisis is, therefore, more likely to be found in the homes and behaviours of individuals than in medical clinics, hospital or pharmacies.
Ayurveda and lifestyle medicine
Within Ayurveda, Tulsi is known as “The Incomparable One,” “Mother Medicine of Nature” and “The Queen of Herbs,” and is revered as an “elixir of life” that is without equal for both its medicinal and spiritual properties. Within India, tulsi has been adopted into spiritual rituals and lifestyle practices that provide a vast array of health benefits that are just beginning to be confirmed by modern science. This emerging science on tulsi, which reinforces ancient Ayurvedic wisdom, suggests that tulsi is a tonic for the body, mind and spirit that offers solutions to many modern-day health problems.
Tulsi is perhaps one of the best examples of Ayurveda's holistic lifestyle approach to health. Tulsi tastes hot and bitter and is said to penetrate the deep tissues, dry tissue secretions and normalize kapha and vata.
Daily consumption of tulsi is said to prevent disease, promote general health, wellbeing and longevity and assist in dealing with the stresses of daily life. Tulsi is also credited with giving luster to the complexion, sweetness to the voice and fostering beauty, intelligence, stamina and calm emotional disposition (REF-1)
In addition to these health-promoting properties, tulsi is recommended as a treatment for a range of conditions including anxiety, cough, asthma, diarrhoea, fever, dysentery, arthritis, eye diseases, otalgia, indigestion, hiccups, vomiting, gastric, cardiac and genitourinary disorders, back pain, skin diseases, ringworm, insect, snake and scorpion bites and malaria. (REF-1)
Considered as a potent adaptogen, tulsi has a unique combination of pharmacological actions that promote wellbeing and resilience. While the concept of an “adaptogen,” or herb that helps with the adaptation to stress and the promotion of homeostasis, is not widely used in Western medicine, Western science has revealed that tulsi does indeed possess many pharmacological actions that fulfil this purpose.
The medicinal properties of tulsi have been studied in hundreds of scientific studies including in vitro, animal and human experiments. These studies reveal that tulsi has a unique combination of actions that include: Antimicrobial (including antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiprotozoal, antimalarial, anthelmintic), mosquito repellent, anti-diarrheal, anti-oxidant, anti-cataract, anti-inflammatory, chemopreventive, radioprotective, hepato-protective, neuro-protective, cardio-protective, anti-diabetic, anti-hypercholesterolemia, anti-hypertensive, anti-carcinogenic, analgesic, anti-pyretic, anti-allergic, immunomodulatory, central nervous system depressant, memory enhancement, anti-asthmatic, anti-tussive, diaphoretic, anti-thyroid, anti-fertility, anti-ulcer, anti-emetic, anti-spasmodic, anti-arthritic, adaptogenic, anti-stress, anti-cataract, anti-leukodermal and anti-coagulant activities. These pharmacological actions help the body and mind cope with a wide range of chemical, physical, infectious and emotional stresses and restore physiological and psychological function.
Protection and detoxification
Many of the physiological benefits of tulsi can be attributed to its ability to assist with the body's internal housekeeping and protection of the body from toxin-induced damage. These functions are often attributed to tulsi's high content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties, with
Laboratory studies have shown that tulsi protects against toxic chemical-induced injury by increasing the body's levels of anti-oxidant molecules such as glutathione and enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase, which protect cellular organelles and membranes by mopping up damaging free radicals caused by lack of oxygen and other toxic agents. [Ref 4]
Tulsi also helps to prevent cancers caused by toxic compounds by reducing DNA damage and inducing apoptosis in precancerous and cancerous cells, thereby reducing the growth of experimental tumours and enhancing survival. Furthermore, tulsi not only protects against the damage caused by toxic compounds, but also enables the body to more effectively transform and eliminate them by enhancing the activity of liver detoxification enzymes such as the cytochrome P450 enzymes, which deactivates toxic chemicals and enables them to be safely excreted.[Ref 5]
While these actions are vitally important for protecting against natural toxins produced within the body or by animals or plants, they are perhaps even more important in the modern age to protect against the vast range of pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, radiation and other industrial toxicants created from human activity.
The ability of tulsi to protect against the damaging effects of various toxicants has been documented in numerous experimental studies. These studies attest to the ability of tulsi to prevent liver, kidney and brain injury by protecting against the genetic, immune and cellular damage caused by pesticides, pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals.
To address Physical stress
The actions that protect against the toxic effects of chemicals and radiation also help to address the toxic effects of many physical stressors. Prolonged physical exertion, physical restraint, exposure to cold and excessive noise disturb homeostasis by inducing physiological and metabolic stress. When the capacity to adapt to these stressors is exceeded, maladaptation occurs resulting in damage to biochemical pathways, organ function and health. Through enhancing various cellular and physiological adaptive functions, adaptogenic herbs such as tulsi are able to protect against this damage.
Studies using forced-swimming, restraint and cold-exposure stress in laboratory animals have shown that tulsi enhances aerobic metabolism, improves swimming time, reduces oxidative tissue damage and normalizes many physiological and biochemical parameters caused by physical stressors. Similarly, experimental studies have shown that tulsi helps reduce the effects of acute and chronic noise-induced stress in experimental animals, with the enhancement of neurotransmitter and oxidative stress levels in discrete brain regions along with improved immune, ECG and corticosteroid responses.[42,43,44,45]
Normalises Metabolic stress
Metabolic stress due to poor diet, low physical activity and psychological stress is a prominent feature of modern lifestyles and “metabolic syndrome” is estimated to affect as much as one-third of modern populations. Metabolic syndrome, also known as “prediabetes” or “Syndrome X,” includes the “deadly quartet” of centripetal obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol and poor glucose regulation and is associated with chronic inflammation and a greater risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke. While the exact causes of metabolic syndrome are still being debated, there is evidence to suggest that tulsi can assist in dealing with many features of metabolic syndrome and their consequences.
Numerous test tube and animal experiments, as well as human clinical trials, have shown that tulsi has anti-diabetic activity. Studies using diabetic laboratory animals have shown that tulsi can reduce blood glucose, correct abnormal lipid profiles and protect the liver and kidneys from the metabolic damage caused by high glucose levels. Tulsi has also been shown to improve lipid profiles, prevent weight gain, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, hypertriglyceridemia and insulin resistance, and protect the organs and blood vessels from atherosclerosis in laboratory animals fed high-fat diets. Similarly, in human clinical trials, tulsi has shown to decrease glucose levels, improve blood pressure and lipid profiles and reduce many diabetic symptoms in patients with type 2 diabetes.
The beneficial metabolic effects of tulsi are multiple and include protecting the liver, kidneys and pancreatic islet cells from free radical damage; enhancing liver bile acid synthesis and reducing liver lipid synthesis; enhancing insulin secretion and action; lowering cortisol levels, and reducing inflammation. The anti-inflammatory action of tulsi, which has been observed in both acute and chronic inflammatory models in animals, is attributed to tulsi's eugenol and linoleic acid content and the inhibition of both the cyclooxygenase and the lipoxygenase pathways of arachidonic acid metabolism. This enables tulsi to exert anti-inflammatory effects comparable to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as phenylbutazone, ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin and indomethacin.
Infection protection
Modern research has revealed that tulsi has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal activity that includes activity against many pathogens responsible for human infections. Tulsi has also been shown to boost defences against infective threats by enhancing immune responses in nonstressed and stressed animals and healthy humans. While no human trials have been published, there is experimental evidence that tulsi may help in the treatment of various human bacterial infections including urinary tract infections, skin and wound infections, typhoid fever, cholera, tuberculosis, gonorrhea, acne, herpes simplex, leishmaniasis, various pneumonias and fungal infections, as well as mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria and filariasis.
Tulsi's broad-spectrum activity, which includes activity against Streptococcus mutans, the organism responsible for tooth decay, further suggests that it can be used as a herbal mouth wash for treating bad breath, gum disease and mouth ulcers. This has been confirmed in clinical trials that have demonstrated that rinsing with tulsi is as effective as 0.2% Chlorhexidine and Listerine in reducing the levels of Streptococcus mutans and that a herbal mouthwash that includes tulsi is preferred for its taste and convenience.
Tulsi's unique combination of antibacterial antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities also makes it useful in wound healing. This is supported by experimental evidence that has shown that tulsi can increase wound-breaking strength and accelerate wound healing in laboratory animals.
Can Tulsi replace Yoga..It is also termed as Liquid Yoga
Regular consumption of tulsi tea may be compared with the regular practice of yoga, which can be considered “adaptogenic” through nurturing and nourishing the body -- mind -- spirit while fostering a sense of relaxation and wellbeing. In contrast, regular consumption of caffeinated beverages such a black and green tea (Camellia sinensis L.) and coffee (Coffea arabica L.) may be compared with more aerobic exercise, which confers health benefits through stimulation and activation.
Like yoga, tulsi has a calming the effect that leads to clarity of thought, along with a more relaxed and calm disposition. The cognitive and memory-enhancing properties of tulsi therefore differ from those of caffeine-containing beverages such as coffee and tea, which heightens arousal and may cause physical and mental agitation. Furthermore, tulsi does not produce the same physical dependence as caffeine and can be safely consumed on a regular basis without the fear of withdrawal effects.
The drinking of tea and coffee has become an integral part of modern life and has been ritualized in many cultures to guide social interactions, set social agendas and invoke spiritual awareness. For example, sophisticated Asian tea ceremonies involve a whole set of rituals, tools and gestures that serve to transcend normal consciousness, while in the west the ritual of “afternoon tea” or “high tea” emphasizes the surroundings, equipment, manners and social circle. In less-formal situations, many people ritualize their morning cup of coffee and use the “meet-up for coffee” to arrange their social agendas, while the “tea break” is often built into the modern-day work routine. Yet, while tea and coffee have infiltrated their way into modern living, they have not yet attained the status that tulsi has within traditional Indian life.
The Divine tulsi
In Hinduism, tulsi is worshipped as a goddess and every part of the tulsi plant is revered and considered sacred, including the leaves, stem, flower, root, seeds and oil. Even the surrounding soil, which has recently been found to harbour beneficial endophytic fungi is considered an aspect of the divine. As such, Hindi households are considered incomplete without a tulsi plant, typically in an ornate earthen pot situated in a courtyard where tulsi serves both practical and ceremonial purposes. For example, tulsi's distinct clove-like aroma arising from its high eugenol content serves to link the householder to the divine while also repelling mosquitoes, flies and other harmful insects. Tulsi is further integrated into daily life through evening and morning rituals and other spiritual and purification practices that can involve ingesting its leaves or consuming tulsi tea.
In addition to sanctifying the home, tulsi is used ceremonially in Hinduism and some
Part of the credit of writing this article goes to the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), which has posted an article that compiled the scientific properties of Tulsi and the observations of several types of research conducted on this herb.
REF.
REF1: Mahajan N, Rawal S, Verma M, Poddar M, Alok S. A phytopharmacological overview on Ocimum species with special emphasis on Ocimum sanctum. Biomed Prev Nutr. 2013;3:185–92. Mohan L, Amberkar MV, Kumari M. Ocimum sanctum linn. (TULSI)-an overview. Int J Pharm Sci Rev Res. 2011;7:51–3. Pattanayak P, Behera P, Das D, Panda SK. Ocimum sanctum Linn. A reservoir plant for therapeutic applications: An overview. Pharmacogn Rev. 2010;4:95–105. Singh N, Hoette Y, Miller R. Tulsi: The Mother Medicine of Nature. 2nd ed.
REF 2: Mondal S, Mirdha BR,
REF 3: Wangcharoen W, Morasuk W. Antioxidant capacity and phenolic content of holy basil. Songklanakarin J Sci Technol. 2007;29:1407–15.
REF 4: Shivananjappa M, Joshi M. Aqueous extract of tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) enhances endogenous antioxidant defenses of human hepatoma cell line (HepG2) J Herbs Spices Med Plants. 2012;18:331–48. Manikandan P, Murugan RS, Abbas H, Abraham SK, Nagini S. Ocimum sanctum Linn. (Holy Basil) ethanolic leaf extract protects against 7,12-dimethylbenz (a) anthracene-induced genotoxicity, oxidative stress, and imbalance in xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes. J Med Food. 2007;10:495–502.
REF 5: Rastogi S, Shukla Y, Paul BN, Chowdhuri DK, Khanna SK, Das M. Protective effect of Ocimum sanctum on 3-methylcholanthrene, 7,12-dimethylbenz (a) anthracene and aflatoxin B1 induced skin tumorigenesis in mice. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2007;224:228–40.
REF 6: World Health Organisation. Preventing Chronic Diseases: A Vital Investment: WHO Global Report.
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