Know your Food as Medicine - Holy Basil

Holy Basil (Tulsi,Tulasi,Surasa)-> Ocimum sanctum (Lamiaceae family).

Holy Basil is native to India and it is considered a herb of great religious and cultural importance. In India it is called "Queen of herbs" and regards as "Elixir of Life"
What Mrs.M.Grieve (1858-1941) writes in her "A Modern Herbal."

" In  India the Basil plant is sacred to both Krishna and Vishnu, and is cherished in every Hindu house. Probably on account of its virtues, in disinfecting, and vivifying malarious air, it first became inseparable from Hindu houses in India as the protecting spirit of the family. The strong aromatic scent of the leaves is very much like cloves. Every good Hindu goes to his rest with a Basil leaf on his breast. This is his passport to Paradise."
Description: 
Do not mistaken Holy Basil with Sweet Basil (Ocimum Basilicum- Culinary Basilicum). Although these two herbs are very close relatives, as they both are from the same family, they have different  unique key actions.
Holy Basil has green leaves or dark-green to purple leaves with small purple-red to whitish flowers. The herb grows up to 75 cm and has very aromatic flavor, the mixture of lemon, cloves, peppermint and the smell of something really sacred.
== Constituents: ( at least what modern science knows so far)
> Volatile oils, as eugenol, methylchavicol, methyleugenol, carvacrol, linalool, catyophylline
> Flavonoids as luteolin, apigenin
> Triterpene: ursolic acid
== Actions"
Tulsi" means"matchless", as it has a very distinctive qualities and actions
> Adaptogen (Dr. Nicolai Lazarev - Russian scientist, medical doctor, pharmacologist, in 1947 invented this term, as an agent that allows the body to counter adverse physical, chemical, biological stress and raise nonspecific resistance towards such stress and thus allow the body to adjust ("adapt") itself to the stressful situations.)
> Antidepressant
> Neuroprotective
> Radioprotective
> Lowers Blood Pressure
> Lowers Blood Sugar level
> Antioxidant
> Antiviral
> Antibacterial
> Reduce fever
> Anti-inflammatory
> Antispasmodic and Analgesic
> Expectorant
> Great aid to digestion

>> Holy Basil absorbs toxins from the body as well as from the environment. That is why it is very important to buy organic Holy Basil.

*** Even though the human being is always curious about how the herb or plant works in order to find some unique compounds or some miracle inside of the plant. Please, remember herbs and plants are not isolated constituents, they always work as a whole to heal people.
** Holy Basil is a safe herb to use, with the exception of using it during pregnancy.
Uses:
Holy Basil is always considered as a vitality tonic.
Make it as a tea >1 teaspoon(flat) of Holy Basil( dried herb) for a cup (250ml-8oz) of hot water. Let it stand for 5-7 min covered. Take 1 to 2 cups daily.
It is great with honey and lemon, to aid in infections or high fever.

Holy Basil helps stabilize blood sugar level and help diabetes
It is a great herb for respiratory problems, as bronchitis (aid to excessive bronchial mucus), colds, coughs, pleurisy, asthma.
Holy Basil can be used as a spice in cooking and as a medicine at the same time for people with gas, intestinal cramps, ulcers, upset stomach
Holy Basil is good to alleviate "mental fog", enhance memory and cerebral circulation
Also, it is great for allergies from mold to allergic rhinitis, sinusitis.
Holy Basil is used as a simple herbal tea or in combination with other wonderful herbs: ~ as Ginger (Zingiber officinale) for a good digestion
~ Gotu Kola to benefit mind and clarity
~ Chamomile before bed tea
Holy basil as a spice is great for use in salads, soups, stir-fries, sweet breads and fruit salads.
As Mrs.M.Grieve says "fragrant and aromatic" herb that is "used as tonics, but also valuable as kitchen herbs"