This beautiful, fragrant ancient herb is Holy Basil or Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) . From the leaves to the seed, Its therapeutic properties are so wide-ranging it’s no wonder it has such spiritual and medicinal significance in India and Southeast Asia. Highly revered in Ayurvedic medicine, it is known as the ‘elixir of life’ and means ‘beyond compare’ in Sanskrit.
It’s considered a tonic for the body, mind and spirit and Its most common uses are as a nervine for soothing a frazzled nervous system and as an adaptogen in highly stressed or chronic stress states. Scientific studies have shown it to possess anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, anti-diabetic, hepatoprotective, hypo-lipidemic, antistress, and immunomodulatory activities. Preclinical studies have also shown that Tulsi and some of its phytochemicals eugenol, rosmarinic acid, apigenin, myretenal, luteolin, β-sitosterol, and carnosic acid have prevented chemical-induced skin, liver, oral, and lung cancers and to mediate these effects by increasing antioxidant activity, altering gene expression, inducing apoptosis and inhibiting angiogenesis and metastasis. Another literature review has labeled it “an effective treatment for lifestyle-related chronic diseases including diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and psychological stress”.
Please share your experience with this regal “Queen of the Herbs”……
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