Holy Basil Balances Cortisol and Hormones

 

Tulsi, another name for holy basil, has a rich history dating back to ancient eastern uses 3,000 years ago. Mentioned in the Rig Veda around 1500 BC, the sacredness of holy basil was celebrated in the Purana and is highly regarded in Ayurvedic medicine.
It is suspected that tulsi is native to tropical Asia, although it now grows in many tropical climates across the globe. Historically used in these areas as medicine because of its widespread healing power, holy basil leaves are now regarded by most countries as adaptogens (anti-stress agents) and have been used widely to promote health throughout the entire body.

Holy Basil Benefits

Today, holy basil is consumed mostly in supplement form or as Tulsi tea and is used to treat:

• Anxiety
• Adrenal fatigue
• Hypothyroidism
• Acne
• Blood sugar

Now let’s jump into the research to see how effective holy basil really is.

Acne

Widely used for skincare, a team of researchers from Thailand conducted a study to determine the efficacy of holy basil essential oils against bacteria that cause acne. Essentially testing its antimicrobial capability, they discovered that a 3.0% concentration of holy basil oil is most effective against bacteria that cause acne.
Interestingly, it was also noted that the primary compound of holy basil oil is eugenol, the active ingredient in the powerful antimicrobial clove oil, which is widely held to cure many skin disorders.
When implementing tulsi for natural acne treatment, consider using unrefined virgin coconut oil as a carrier because when melted, it is more viscous and absorbs into the skin better than other oils.

Cancer

Last year, the journal Nutrition and Cancer published a fantastic review outlining the influx of research substantiating tulsi’s cancer-killing prowess that we have seen the past several years. This is their breakdown:
Holy basil possesses significant anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties that protect against fever, pain, stress and protect vital organs like the liver. Consequently, people who regularly consume tulsi are less likely to be immune-compromised and are less susceptible to developing cancer cells.
The phytochemicals in tulsi prevent chemical-induced skin, liver, oral and lung cancers because they increase antioxidant activity, alter healthy gene expressions, induce cancer cell death, prevent blood vessel growth contributing to cell growth and stop metastasis.
The extracts of tulsi protects against radiation-induced sickness and mortality and selectively protect the normal tissues against the destructive effects of radiation.
Additionally it prevents radiation-induced DNA damage, which highlights holy basil’s widespread ability to promote healing.
It’s actually unremarkable to consider that one plant has been proven to not only kill cancer, it prevents it; and even protects the body from dangerous cancer treatments.

Diabetes

Since the mid-1990s, tulsi’s ability to control blood glucose has been widely known. For instance, to test its ability to manage and reverse diabetes, researchers from Azad University of Agriculture and Technology (India) evaluated the effects holy basil leaves had on rats.
Compared to a control group, the group being administered holy basil experienced some amazing results. Not only did fasting glucose fall by 21 mm/dl, post meal glucose fell by 15.8 mm/dl, which represented reductions of 17.6% and 7.3%. Fascinatingly, cholesterol levels were decreased during the treatment as well!
Six years later, the Journal of Ethnopharmacology published a study proving that the extract of holy basil leaves were found to decrease glucose by more than 36% in normal rats and by 18% in diabetes-induced rats.
These results continue to hold true during the test of time. Just two years ago, an article published in the Journal of Pharmacy & Bioallied Sciences confirmed the ability of tulsi to balance blood sugar.

Hormones and Thyroid

In addition to managing diabetes by controlling blood sugar levels, an article published in the journal Die Pharmazie (German for “The Pharmacy”), describes that the hypoglycemic effects of holy basil is possibly due to its ability to regulate serum cortisol levels.
Oftentimes ignored, the “stress hormone,” as it is commonly referred to, is responsible for an alarming number of diabetes mellitus cases throughout the world. Its far-reaching effects on the body can play havoc on learning, memory, lowered immune function, bone density, weight gain and heart disease.
Elevated cortisol levels are so dangerous that Psychology Today refers to cortisol as “Public Enemy #1”! Another benefit from lower cortisol is supplementing with holy basil has been found to reduce anxiety and emotional stress.

Holy Basil Uses

In using holy basil, I would recommend taking it in supplement form or the way I personally consume it is by drinking 1 cup of Tulsi tea a day.