Posted by Laura Tamayo on Jun.26, 2009

ⓒiStockPhoto - BVDC

I’ve discovered the mother medicine of nature: Tulsi. The name means “incomparable one,” and it’s known as the Mother Medicine of Nature (thought I made that up, didn’t you?), the Queen of Herbs, as well as Holy Basil.

This fabulous little plant known scientifically as ocimum tenuiflorum is a prime Ayurvedic adaptogen–basically Nature’s chill pill. For those that have Ayurvedic lifestyles, in terms of doshas, Tulsi is mainly kapha soothing.

The phyto-chemicals in Tulsi help in alleviating stress. No need to go too much into the oh-so-many harmful side-affects of overwhelming stimulation: heart attacks, weight gain, chemical imbalance, headaches, digestive issues, lack of sleep, skin disease, death–need I go on?

Now phyto-chemicals are not a Tulsi-exclusive. They are non-essential nutrients that exist in many plants–they protect the plants and have a positive impact on our human health. What makes Tulsi unique is that the complexity of its phyto-chemical content makes it a serious multitasking agent.

Tulsi is an:
* Anti-inflammatory
* Expectorant
* Antioxidant
* Antibacterial
* Anti-arthritic

Because Tulsi fights inflammation and works as an expectorant, it promotes respiratory health. Now, I know it’s July, not January, but I’m in Texas. The shift between refrigerator-cold indoor space and the burning inferno that is the outdoors makes summer time the second most popular season for getting sick around here. If this is true for your neck of the woods as well or if you have allergies, then it may be a good time to try this out.

My personal favorite use is stress control. By reducing stress, Tulsi helps put the breaks on the surge of hormones that floods our system. These hormones are great for trying to outrun angry wildlife, but for our urban reality, constant upsurges can become toxic. So you drink a little cup of Tulsi. Result? You feel better, and according to Science Daily and the Archives of General Psychology, your memory is actually improved. Yes, high stress means high cortisol and that means poor memory performance.

And this is nothing. Wander over to About.com and check out 15 benefits of Holy Basil (Tulsi) and you’ll see a list of everything from relief for the common cold to breaking down kidney stones and helping with night blindness!

All those health benefits make sense, considering Tulsi is basically a booster for your immune system–an immuno-modulator, if you will. As an added bonus, because Tulsi’s pytochemicals include natural antioxidants that take care of free radicals, in addition to better overall health, Tulsi increases longevity and makes you look younger longer.

No wonder India has been crazy about Tulsi for 5,000 years!

Tulsi can be consumed as an herb in foods (especially Thai dishes–yum), as a hot or cold tea, as capsules, rubbed directly into the skin as an essential oil, or as part of steam therapy by adding the oil to hot water.

My Ayurveda-friendly friend and yoga instructor recommends mixing it with chai in the winter and mint in the summer for a bit of variety. Do you take Tulsi?

Share

Posted under Drinks, Health & Fitness, Other Beverages, Supplements.