Herb Profiles

Tulsi

January 29, 2021

TULSI / HOLY BASIL / SACRED BASIL

Ocimum tenuiflorum

Family: Lamiaceae

Part used: Leaves

Energetics: Sweet, spicy, warm, neutral

Actions: Adaptogen (mild), antidepressant, antioxidant, antispasmodic, antiviral, carminative, expectorant, immune amphoteric, neuroprotective, nootropic

Tulsi, also known as sacred basil or holy basil, is a wonderful annual here in Maine. This plant is so easy to grow and a favorite for pollinators. It’s a plant that I recommend everyone should grow and it grows well in containers. As with its cousin, culinary basil, you pinch the flowers to keep the plant bushing and branching out. I use the leaves and flowers all summer long to make into refreshing teas and drinks using our vinegar shrubs. Tulsi is a wonderful medicinal plant. I use it for uplifting the spirit and clearing the mind. This is a wonderful brain tonic for helping clear mental fog, bringing on clarity and focus but not in an overstimulating way. It’s calming and supporting to the nervous system, and I like to use it in formulas to help relieve anxiety. It’s also great for the digestive system, relieving gas and bloating, and for immune support.

Contraindications: None known.

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