Health Benefits of Tulsi or Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum)

Tulsi or holy basil is considered a good luck charm by many folks. Planted in homes to ward against evil spirits as well as to bring peace, happiness, good health, and harmony; Planting of tulsi or holy basil in homes is not as ignorant as one might think.

Tulsi or holy basil (Ocimum Sanctum) has been a part of Indian culture for a great many years. It is even mentioned in the ancient Indian texts. An indispensable part of a lot of ayurvedic medicines of India, tulsi has always been used in home remedies as well. Tulsi is very easy to obtain in India and Southeast Asia but where it is not found, it can be easily grown. Tulsi or holy basil (Ocimum Sanctum) is actually one of those herbs which is a treasure trove of health benefits.

So, let us take a look on some of these amazing health benefits of Tulsi or Holy Basil (Ocimum Sanctum).

Health Benefits of Tulsi or Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum)

Health Benefits of Tulsi or Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum)

Treating Fever with Tulsi Leaves or Holy Basil

Tulsi or holy basil (Ocimum Sanctum) can cure common fever.Tulsi can also help in eliminating more sinister types of fever such as fever caused by malaria or dengue.Health Benefits of Tulsi or Holy Basil in Fighting Respiratory Disorders Respiratory problems such as recurring cough, asthma and bronchitis etc. can also be cured by tulsi. Various essential oils are present in tulsi which help in curing congestion which can relieve many respiratory problems. To certain extent, tulsi can even heal lung damage caused by smoking or diseases like tuberculosis or cancer.

Heart Health Benefits of Tulsi or Holy Basil

Tulsi or holy basil (Ocimum Sanctum) decreases the level of cholesterol in the body which helps in preserving the health of the heart. Tulsi can also protect the heart from the harmful effects of the free radicals due to the presence of some antioxidants and vitamin C.

Tulsi or Holy Basil Aids Mental Health

As described above, tulsi or holy basil contains vitamin C and antioxidants, which not only cure heart diseases but also relieves stress by lowering blood pressure, reducing nervous tension and replacing sodium with potassium. Burning tulsi leaves or oil in a room can help in inducing peaceful sleep as well as purify the air.

Skin Health Benefits of Tulsi or Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum)

Holy basil or tulsi can also cure many skin problems apart from the infections mentioned above. It can help in curing pimples, acne and blackheads as tulsi has many essential oils present in it. Tulsi is a strong detoxifier and hence, helps in the maintenance of healthy and youthful looking shiny and glowy skin. Consuming tulsi daily can give you model like skin. Tulsi can also prove to be beneficial if applied externally.

Oral and Dental Health Benefits of Tulsi or Holy Basil (Ocimum Sanctum)

Gargling and washing your mouth with a decoction of tulsi leaves can help in keeping your teeth white and shiny as tulsi or holy basil not only destroys almost all the bacteria present in the mouth, thereby keeping your breath fresh all day long, but it also prevents plaque formation.

Tulsi or Holy Basis Promotes Prolonged Youthfulness

Consuming tulsi or holy basil daily can help in keeping you looking young for quite a long time as it has anti-aging properties. Ayurvedic texts of India actually emphasize this point that tulsi can help in retaining youth and beauty.

Good for Immune System

Tulsi or Holy basil provides great immunity to the user. As discussed above, tulsi has antiseptic, bactericidal, fungicidal, antibiotic and germicidal properties. Even breathing the air around tulsi plant can make you immune to a great many diseases. Tulsi or holy basil (Ocimum Sanctum) has been found to provide immunity against cancer as well.

Eye Health Benefits of Tulsi or Holy Basil

Tulsi or holy basil also helps in preventing various eye problems such as conjunctivitis and inflammation of eye. It can also help in reducing various degenerative diseases of the eyes such as vision defects, opthalmia, glaucoma and cataract etc.

Disinfectant and Purifying Agent

One of the best health benefits of Tulsi or holy basil (Ocimum Sanctum) is that it is a very good disinfectant and purifier. You can gauge its strong purifying quality by the fact that tulsi can purify the very air of the site where it is planted. It can also purify water if you put few leaves of tulsi in a glass of water. A concoction made by boiling tulsi or holy basil (sometimes along with neem) in water can be used to wash wounds and scrapes to kill germs.

Germicidal Properties

Tulsi or holy basil (Ocimum Sanctum) also has antibiotic, bactericidal and fungicidal properties. Tulsi, therefore, can be used to cure skin infections and itching etc. Tulsi or holy basil can also be used to cure eczema and acne. Washing hair by water which has been boiled with tulsi leaves can cure scalp infections.

Treating Common Ailments with Tulsi

Some common health problems like cough and cold can be cured by chewing a few leaves of Tulsi or holy basil (Ocimum Sanctum) or by eating a paste made by tulsi leaves and honey. Not only this, but tulsi can also help in soothing sore throat.

Other Health Benefits of Tulsi or Holy Basil (Ocimum Sanctum)

Some of the other health benefits of tulsi are as follows-

  • Consuming tulsi can cure headaches. Tulsi or holy basil is effective against normal headaches as well as headaches caused by migraine or high blood pressure.
  • Tulsi or holy basil (Ocimum Sanctum) acts as pain killer if given to patients suffering from measles, chicken pox and small pox and it also helps in curing or preventing them to certain extent.
  • Tulsi can help in reducing the level of uric acid in blood.
  • Tulsi or holy basil (Ocimum Sanctum) can also help in removing renal stones from the body.
  • Juice of tulsi leaves can help in the removal of worms from the stomach of children.
  • Tulsi or holy basil (Ocimum Sanctum) is very beneficial for diabetic people. Tulsi can help in controlling the level of blood sugar.
  • For those of us who are trying to get rid of excess fat, tulsi or holy basil can be very useful as it can burn excessive fat, if taken daily. So you can see tulsi is quite beneficial for losing weight.
  • Tulsi can also be used as a toner as it helps in tightening pores of the skin.

These are only a fraction of the benefits that tulsi offers. In fact, mentioning all the benefits of tulsi will take a book. Tulsi in a nutshell is “a jack of all trades”. So take it from someone who knows, plant a tulsi plant in that corner of your house which has been looking bare and you were planning to buy one of those artificial plant pots for it. Trust me, this will be way better than that!

Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:July 10, 2017

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