What Is Tulsi Good For? Stress, Anxiety, and a Dozen More Things

What is Tulsi good for? Evidence suggests it may help address physical, chemical, metabolic, and psychological stress.

An All-Around Healthy Extract

Tulsi, also called Holy Basil and Ocimum sanctum, has nootropic, adaptogen, and antioxidant properties. It’s also an antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-fungal, anti-plasmodial, antimalarial, anti-protozoa, and anthelmintic.

Tulsi extract has the following properties: anti-diarrheal, anti-cataract, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, chemopreventive, radioprotective, hepatoprotective, anti-carcinogenic, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, analgesic, anti-hypercholesterolemia, anti-hypertensive, anti-pyretic, anti-allergic, anti-tussive, diaphoretic, anti-thyroid, antiemetic, anti-stress, anti-cataract, anti-leukodermal, and anti-coagulant.

Tulsi Health Benefits

Native to India, Tulsi has been used as an herbal therapeutic for over 3,000 years. From The Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine: “The predominant cause of global morbidity and mortality is lifestyle-related chronic diseases, many of which can be addressed through Ayurveda with its focus on healthy lifestyle practices and regular consumption of adaptogenic herbs. Of all the herbs used within Ayurveda, Tulsi … is preeminent, and scientific research is now confirming its beneficial effects.”

The actions of Tulsi may help the body and mind cope with chemical, physical, infectious, and emotional stresses and help support physiological and psychological function. Hundreds of scientific studies have established a basis for its therapeutic uses. (Start here and here.)

The Tulsi herb has been used to boost energy, sharpen memory, and calm the nerves. It has also been used to relieve anxiety, bad breath, breathing problems, eye problems like sore eyes and poor night vision, gum disease, headaches, heart problems, respiratory problems, high cholesterol, mouth ulcers, skin diseases, and stress.

An effective expectorant, it may be useful in relieving coughs and sore throats that result from the common cold. It may also be effective as a mosquito repellent and relieve itching from insect bites.

Support for Mental Stress and Anxiety

Regular consumption of Tulsi may help protect and detoxify the body’s cells and organs. It may help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression by calming the mind and offering psychological benefits, such as anti-anxiety and anti-depressant activity with effects comparable to diazepam and antidepressant drugs. It may also enhance memory and cognitive function and protect against age-induced memory deficits.

Support for Metabolic Stress

Metabolic stress is common today due to poor diet, low physical activity, and psychological stress. “Metabolic syndrome” includes the “deadly quartet”: upper-body obesity, glucose intolerance, hypertension, and elevated triglycerides, and it may affect up to one-third of the population. Also called “pre-diabetes” or “Syndrome X,” Metabolic syndrome is associated with chronic inflammation and a greater risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Evidence suggests Tulsi may reduce blood glucose and protect the liver and kidneys from the metabolic damage caused by high glucose levels. It may also protect the liver and kidneys from free radical damage, enhance insulin secretion and action, lower cortisol levels, and reduce inflammation.

We Love Tulsi Tea!

We love Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) so much that we selected it as one of the handful of extracts we sell in our online store. We think you’ll love it too.

We sell it in a 100 gram size (50 servings) as AHHH! Stress Relief Support. We also sell Tulsi in larger sizes (250 grams to 1,000 grams). To learn more, a good place to start is with the Tulsi FAQ.

Read the Tulsi FAQ Buy AHHH! Buy Tulsi