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Namah Tulsi, holy basil: a gentle energy tonic

of Life’. Daily consumption of tulsi is renowned to suppressant), anti-malarial, anti-oxidant, anti-
be health-enhancing and disease-preventive. In cataract, anti-allergic and memory-enhancing
traditional natural medicine, it is recommended (6).
in the management of bronchitis, bronchial
asthma, chronic fever, malaria, dysentery, Health benefits
arthritis, skin diseases and painful eye diseases.
Eugenol, the active constituent present in tulsi • Tulsi promotes well-being and improves
is largely responsible for its therapeutic effects. resilience, by modulating the body’s
response to stress.
Uses in Western medicine
• Tulsi has shown the ability to decrease
The medicinal properties of tulsi are being glucose levels, improve blood pressure and
studied in hundreds of scientific studies. In lipid profiles and reduce many symptoms
vitro and animal experiments and human experienced by patients with type II diabetes
trials have documented its value as being (7).
anti-diabetic, anti-arthritic, hepato-protective
(protects against liver damage), anti-cancer, • Tulsi has been reported to prevent cancers
chemo preventive, radio-protective, cardio- caused by inducing apoptosis in pre-cancerous
protective, anti-hypertensive (lowering high and cancerous cells, thereby reducing the growth
blood pressure), anti-coagulant activities of tumours and enhancing survival (8). It has
(blood thinner), anti-hypercholesterolemia also shown ability to stabilise gene expression
(preventing excess cholesterol in the blood), altered both by cancer and radiation therapy
anti-depressant, anti-stress, anti-thyroid, (9,10).
supporting fertility, anti-diarrheal, anti-ulcer,
anti-asthmatic, anti-pyretic (fever reducing), • Tulsi has demonstrated anti-bacterial, anti-
anti-spasmodic (reducing muscle spasms), viral and anti-fungal activity, including
anti-emetic (reducing vomiting and nausea), activity against many pathogens responsible
anthelmintic (expelling worms and parasites), for infections (11).
anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-tussive (cough

Clinical trial data
Select clinical trial data
Therapeutic Area Study Benefit Description
Generalized anxiety Human trial • The study showed • Study sample = 35
disorder 2 months that, Ocimum sanctum (21 males and 14
(OS) significantly females; average age
lowered anxiety, 38.4 years)
stress and depression • Two groups, male &
(12). female:
 Given plant

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