The importance of the tulsi plant (holy basil)

 I have a tulsi book from my teenage years I got from a smallbook shop in India. This book is full of so many remedies and information. This book taught me tulsi is called holy basil.  Tulsi is known for its potency for reducing fever, even the poultice I made last week is excellent for headaches, and any phlegm build-up (ex. Flu and colds).

Tulsi is known to treat malaria fever, types of cancer, indigestion, stomach ailments, cramps, and many more. The diseases above firming relate to Kapha and Vata. Kapha, which is too much liquid or mucus and Vata, is too much or lacks air/gas in Ayurveda. Tulsi is known for stimulating and strengthening the nervous system. It is antibacterial, antiseptic, and antifungal. I can say it good at repelling mosquitoes and insects. I have a tulsi repellant lotion, and it's the best.

The active constituents in tulsi are eugenol methyl ether, estragole, linalool, and carvacrol. Tulsi also containsursolic acid, apigenin, and luteolin. Over consummation may cause liver damage, and people with diabetes should use caution because it also lowers blood sugar. It also is known for its antifertility remedy for yogis, so if you want children or are pregnant, not recommend for consumption. Now reading this, there is a lot of people I met in India that couldn't conceive in the overpopulated country. Besides the pollution, I wonder their long term consumption of tulsiin tea may play a part. There is not a whole lot of research done to say tulsi has a toxic effect long term. I still love it. 

  It truly is energizing, yet for me has a calmness. It is the perfect balance of resting and active energy, like Lakshmi and Vishnu. A side story with the connection of names. Vishnu is the male resting energy or calming, Ram and Krishna are an aspect of Vishnu. Tulsi is a form of Lakshmi, the female active energy. I love Ayurveda plants because of the connection with Hindu scriptures to nature.  

Remedies for fever, an Ayurveda recipe

Flu syrup to take morning, noon, and evening

• 50g of tulsi leaves (chief herb)

• Five black peppercorns (deputy herb, helps with absorption)

• 1 cup of water (water must reduce to half)

The syrup is bitter, spicy with heat but eventually feels cooling and minty inside. It helps to break a sweat when one has a fever, cold, or flu symptoms. You must take it three times a day until symptoms subside.  Black peppercorn is known for aiding in the absorption of the herb of choice. 

​Black pepper is known for having piperine, which helps the chief herb from being water-soluble not to be excreted by the liver, allowing it to be absorbed in the body. Black pepper is known for its anti-inflammatory, prevention of free radicals, antioxidants, and many more benefits. Most famously know to drink with turmeric and milk. In chai, we put black pepper to enhance the taste, little did we understood it was helping with absorption, incredible. 

 

References:

1. https://www.verywellhealth.com/benefits-of-tulsi-89591#:~:text=and%20other%20organs.-,Possible%20Side%20Effects,blood%2Dsugar%2Dlowering%20medication.: 

2. Rai, Yash.Holy Basil, Tulsi, p.65  2007

3. https://www.umassmed.edu/nutrition/blog/blog-posts/2019/6/using-black-pepper-to-enhance-the-anti-inflammatory-effects-of-turmeric/#:~:text=Piperine%20is%20responsible%20for%20black,that%20curcumin%20is%20not%20excreted.