Basil – Health Benefits, Uses, Research, Preparation, Precautions

Current research

Research has demonstrated that basil helps to reduce blood sugar levels, making it a useful herb for diabetics. Other studies demonstrate the anti-anxiety activities of holy basil. Researchers suggest that holy basil may prove to be a safe, well-tolerated option for protecting the brain against degenerative diseases.

How to Prepare Basil for Medicinal Use

All aerial parts of basil are useful medicinally. The leaves are the plant part most commonly used for healing and culinary purposes.

Basil leaves are prepared as an infusion. To prepare basil leaves as an infusion, place one teaspoonful of dried or one tablespoonful of fresh leaves in a cup. Add one cup of boiling water. Cover the cup. Let it infuse for twenty minutes. Strain out the solids. Drink 1 cup of the infusion 1-3 times each day.

Making a vinaigrette which may be used for culinary or healing purposes is simple. Simply place fresh, bruised basil in a jar. Cover the herb with white or apple cider vinegar. Be sure that the herbs are completely submerged. If possible, place the tightly covered bottle at a sunny window. Shake the bottle daily for two weeks. Add more vinegar if needed to be sure that the herb stays submerged. After two weeks, strain out the solids and compost them. Keep the vinegar in the refrigerator if you plan to use it as a compress. To use it, simply moisten a soft cloth and apply to your head or neck as desired. You may also use the vinegar as a skin toner or as an antiseptic for minor skin problems as it has antibacterial actions.

Precautions

Basil is well-tolerated by most people. The United States government lists basil as generally recognized as safe, GRAS.

References

http://abc.herbalgram.org

Duke, J. A. Basil as the Holy Hindu Highness. Altern Complement Ther. February 2008

Henson, S. RE: Health Benefits of Holy Basil .Herbal Clip Online HC 030383-359.
August 31, 2008

Author

This article was written for Insights-on-Health.com in 2015 by Patricia Bratianu RN PhD RH-AHG. Patricia has been a Registered Nurse for almost forty years in a wide variety of settings. As a Registered Nurse, she realized that conventional healthcare was not meeting the needs of all patients. She became an herbalist and obtained a PhD in Natural Health. Patricia is a professional member of the American Herbalist’s Guild, passing the stringent peer reviewed process to become a Registered Herbalist.

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