Health Benefits of Basil — Tulsi
By Tuba Khokhar (M.Phil.)
Today, about 60% of world population in treatment relies on herbs and natural products that are recognized as an important source of bioactive compounds.Plant medicines are natural medicines that humans have always used. Many people continue to use plant medicines today including teas, coffee, chocolate, ginger, tobacco, marijuana, and other medicines. Modern medicine continues to use many drugs that are derived from plants.
The modern attitude is that medicines are magic bullets that find single targets in the body to treat disease. Modern medicine hopes that the magic bullet approach with minimize drug toxicity. However, every drug is toxic, depending on the dose. We human beings have used crude plant medicines for our entire existence. Our bodies have adapted to and evolved with crude plant medicines that have kept us alive. The most powerful medicine each person has is the human body. The body heals itself. When the body is in balance, it can heal itself of many conditions, in other words, it can prevent many diseases. Drugs are not magic bullets that cure diseases. They help the body heal itself. Even antibiotics and anticancer drugs are of no use when the immune and defense systems are not functioning well.
Ocimum basilicum (commonly known as scent leaf) It is sometimes referred to “King of herb” as itis used both as a culinary and ornamental herb. Traditionally basil has been used as a medicinal plant in the treatment of headaches, coughs, diarrhea, constipation and kidney malfunctions. Externally, Basil can be used as an ointment for insect bites, and its oil is applied directly to the skin to treat acne. Natural components from basil have long been used to flavor foods and dental and oral products.Basil is economically important crop for essential oil production. The essential oil of basil have diverse properties. It have been shown antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic activities.
Basil contains high levels of phenolic acids that contribute to its strong antioxidant capacity. It has been found to be potent active substance against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Basil is a medicine herb used in traditional medicine particularly for relieving stress, to treat cardiovascular disease including hypertension.
It significantly decrease of blood glucose level and plasma total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides levels. It has decreasing risks of cancer and aging diseases. The incidence of diabetes and its complications has risen since the last decades, and it has been predicted that the prevalence of diabetes will be double in the coming year. . Basil leaves is widely used empirically to decrease the blood sugar in diabetic patients through non-enzymatic processes.
Tulsi can be considered as a nectar, in the present scenario where life style related chronic disorders are considered as the major cause of death & disease. It is regarded in Ayurveda as a kind of "elixir of life” and believed to promote longevity. Traditionally, Tulsiis taken in many forms: as herbal tea, dried powder, fresh leaf, or mixed with ghee. Essential oil extracted from Tulsi is mostly used for medicinal purposes and in herbal cosmetics, and is widely used in skin preparations. For centuries, the dried leaves have been mixed with stored grains to repel insects. Recently its use has been found in fighting fluorosis.
