Health Benefits of Basil Leaves and Seeds (Tulsi); Herbal Plant

Last Updated on December 18th, 2020

‘Holy Basil’ in the Sanskrit language means –‘the matchless one!’

Better known as Tulsi, this plant is the symbol of divinity and purity. It is the harbinger of wealth and health.

Since the ancient Vedic period, the Holy Basil plant has been considered to be a very valuable gift to the world of medicines. Even though, Holy Basil leaves benefits have been mentioned in Ayurveda as well. It has been a house-hold name for common everyday health issues.

Some of the best health benefits and uses of Holy Basil seeds and Basil leaves are mentioned below:

1. Sore Throat Remedy:

For so many people,( like me myself), every day starts with a morning cup of tea; this tea has Holy Basil leaves boiled along with the tea leaves! This simple habit ensures a clear throat.

The water in which Holy Basil leaves have been boiled can be strained, filled in a bottle and sipped through the day – this will help to cure a sore throat.

Add a pinch of salt to the warm water which has been strained after having been boiled with Holy Basil leaves and use it to gargle. This can be done two to three times in the day. Within two to three days the throat will become clear. Gargling with Holy Basil water and salt should be done on a regular basis as it enables the throat to stay healthy, especially in the rainy weather when we are more prone to catch throat infection.

On the same lines, a few Holy Basil leaves along with three to four cloves with a pinch of salt can be boiled and strained and kept to be used during the day. It is known to give immediate relief from influenza!

2. Cold & Cough:

Holy Basil leaves boiled in a little water, (with the purpose only to soften the leaves) can be crushed and mixed with pepper, ginger juice ( grate a piece of ginger and squeeze to take out the juice) and honey. This is a very useful home remedy for cough and cold. This also helps in asthma and bronchitis problem.

3. Oral Care:

To go further, Holy Basil leaves can be plucked and dried in the sun. Then they can be powdered and stored in a container. This serves as an excellent tooth powder to brush our teeth with. A wonderful healthy chemical free home-made solution for tooth care is ready. It is inexpensive and is an item which every member of every family can use every morning!A variation of this can be made by mixing a little mustard oil with fresh Holy Basil leaves which have been crushed, so that the leaves and the oil mix well. Just chewing a few Holy Basil leaves for a few days is an easy remedy to fix an infection in the mouth.

4. Anti Stress Remedy:

Now, to come to more areas where Holy Basil leaves act as an amazing medical remedy- did you know that whenever we undergo stress the body produces radicals which move free in the body? These free radicals create a number of health issues. Holy Basil leaves help to beat these free radicals. Chewing about 10 to 12 leaves twice a day is the solution! In this way Holy Basil leaves act as a big anti stress agent in our daily life.

5. Breast Cancer:

In addition to the antioxidant property, Holy Basil also is anti-carcinogenic in nature.It beats breast cancer. Holy Basil leaves form a compound which restricts the flow of blood to the tumour. It attacks the blood vessels which supply blood to the tumour so naturally works against the cancer.

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are also known to have been cured by drinking Holy Basil juice mixed with lemon juice on a regular basis. Studies have also shown that consuming Holy Basil powder on regular basis as first thing in the morning could help cure type 2 diabetes, stomach worms and acne.

Concluding Thoughts

The extract of Holy Basil leaves is used in the pharmaceutical industry and mixed with various other ingredients to create drugs for a numerous ailments which happen in our body from time to time.

One can see the wonder of this powerful plant which grows so easily. The list of the advantages of using Holy Basil is indeed very long. It is seen that mosquitoes do not come near the area where it grows. This is the reason why mosquito repellants do come in Holy Basil packs and flavors.

To conclude, we can see that the ancient people knew the variety of uses this plant can be put to in the area of health. Even today it continues to be used as a house- hold name. It enhances the level of oxygen in the air where it is planted.

We will do well to use Holy Basil ourselves and tell others about its proven benefits for healthy living of all.

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Rashmi Agarwal

An Avid reader and traveller. I am fond of writing and exploring new things. I am a fitness enthusiast who never misses a gym routine.

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