Tulsista on moneksi

Tulsi is a queen of herbs.

The leading cause of global disease burden and mortality is lifestyle-related chronic diseases, many of which can be treated with Ayurveda. Ayurveda focuses on a healthy lifestyle and the regular use of adaptogenic herbs.

Of all the herbs used in Ayurveda, TULSI (Ocimum sanctum) is the most important , and scientific research confirms its beneficial effects. There is increasing evidence that tulsi can reduce physical, chemical, metabolic and psychological stress through a unique combination of pharmacological effects.

Studies have shown that tulsi protects organs and tissues from chemical stress caused by industrial toxins and heavy metals, as well as physical stress caused by prolonged exertion, ischemia, physical restraint, exposure to cold and excessive noise. Tulsi has also been found to be effective in combating metabolic stress , as it normalizes blood sugar, blood pressure and lipid levels. It also reduces psychological stress , as it has positive effects on memory and cognitive functions, as well as anti-anxiety and antidepressant properties.

Tulsi’s broad-spectrum antibacterial activity covers a wide range of human and animal pathogens, allowing it to be used as a hand sanitizer, mouthwash, and even as a water purifier. Tulsi can also be utilized in animal care, wound healing, food and herbal preservation, and to promote the health of travelers. Cultivation of Tulsi has both spiritual and practical significance, as it connects the farmer with the creative forces of nature. Organic farming offers solutions to food security, rural poverty, hunger, environmental degradation, and climate change. The use of Tulsi in daily rituals is a testament to the wisdom of Ayurveda and an example of how ancient knowledge can provide solutions to today’s problems.

Modern diseases
Despite the many wonders of science and industry, modern life is fraught with stress. Mobile devices and the internet have accelerated the pace of life to the point that many feel they are drowning in an ever-expanding ocean of information. Industrial agriculture, in turn, has burdened us with increasing exposure to unhealthy processed and packaged foods, as well as a plethora of pesticides, food packaging materials, and other toxic industrial chemicals. Urban dwellers also face growing wealth inequality, social isolation, excessive noise, air, water, and soil pollution, and a lack of connection to nature. Thus, while industrialization has led to increased lifespans and a huge increase in human population, it is now recognized that the planet’s leading causes of death and illness are preventable, lifestyle-related chronic diseases.

We are in the midst of a global epidemic of obesity, diabetes, cancer, dementia, depression and other chronic diseases, driven by modern lifestyles and their associated lack of exercise, high consumption of sugar, fat, salt, alcohol and tobacco, and exposure to a mix of toxic industrial chemicals. The solutions to this health crisis are therefore most likely to be found in individuals’ homes and behaviors rather than in doctors’ offices, hospitals or pharmacies.

Ayurveda and lifestyle therapy
As the science of life and the world's oldest medical system, Ayurveda takes a holistic approach to health and disease. Its focus is on maintaining and promoting health and preventing disease through a healthy lifestyle. These practices include eating fresh, minimally processed foods, using Rasayanas (formulas) that reverse aging and disease, advanced detox practices, and regular consumption of adaptogenic herbs that enhance the body's ability to maintain balance in the face of various stressors.

Ayurveda's use of medicinal and culinary herbs takes advantage of India's incredible biodiversity, a diversity unmatched by any other medical system; however, of all the herbs used, none has attained the status of tulsi, or holy basil (Ocimum sanctum).

Powerful adaptogen
Tulsi is an aromatic shrub belonging to the basil family Lamiaceae (Ocimeae family) and is believed to have originated in northern and central India. Today, Tulsi grows wild throughout the tropics of the Eastern world. In Ayurveda, Tulsi is known as the “Peerless”, “Nature’s Mother Medicine” and the “Queen of Herbs” and is considered an elixir of life with unparalleled medicinal and spiritual properties.

In India, tulsi has become an established part of spiritual rituals and lifestyle practices, offering a wide range of health benefits that modern science is only beginning to confirm. Today, Indian science, which also supports the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, suggests that tulsi is like a tonic for the entire body, mind and spirit, offering solutions to many modern health problems.

Tulsi is perhaps one of the best examples of Ayurveda's holistic approach to health. Tulsi has a hot and bitter taste and is said to penetrate deep into the tissues, dry up tissue secretions and normalize kapha and vata types. Daily consumption of Tulsi is said to prevent disease, promote overall health, well-being and longevity, and help cope with everyday stress. Tulsi is also said to give a glow to the skin, sweetness to the voice and promote beauty, intelligence, endurance and a calm emotional nature. In addition to these health-promoting properties, tulsi has been recommended as a treatment for a wide range of ailments, including anxiety, cough, asthma, diarrhea, fever, dysentery, arthritis, eye diseases, earache, indigestion, belching, vomiting, digestive, cardiac and urinary disorders, back pain, skin diseases, ringworm, insect, snake and scorpion bites, and malaria.

Tulsi is a powerful adaptogen with a unique combination of pharmacological effects that promote well-being and immunity. Although the term “adaptogen,” meaning an herb that helps adapt to stress and promotes homeostasis, is not widely used in Western medicine, Western science has revealed that tulsi does indeed have many pharmacological effects that support the concept of an adaptogen in its characterization.


The medicinal effects of Tulsi have been extensively studied in hundreds of scientific studies, including extensive in vitro studies, animal studies, and human clinical trials. Based on these studies, Tulsi has proven to be an exceptionally versatile herb with numerous health-promoting and protective effects.

Tulsi's unique properties include:

✅ Antimicrobial effects: antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiprotozoal, antimalarial and antiparasitic properties.


✅ Effects that prevent inflammation and oxidative stress: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, chemopreventive and radioprotective effects.


✅ Body-protective effects: liver, nervous system and heart-protective properties, as well as effects that promote blood sugar and cholesterol balance.


✅ Effects that support metabolism and hormonal function: anti-diabetic, blood pressure-lowering, thyroid-supporting and fertility-regulating properties.


✅ Effects that relieve pain and discomfort: analgesic, antipyretic, antidiarrheal, expectorant, respiratory tract-opening, and spasm-reducing effects.


✅ Effects supporting mood and stress tolerance: adaptogenic, anti-stress, memory-improving and central nervous system calming properties.


✅ Protective effects on the skin and mucous membranes: ulcer healing, allergy relieving and blood clotting regulating effects.

Thanks to these pharmacological effects , tulsi helps the body and mind cope with various chemical, physical, infectious and emotional stressors, promoting overall well-being and restoring the body's natural balance.

Protection and detoxification
Many of the physiological health benefits of tulsi can be attributed to its ability to support internal cleansing of the body and protect the body from damage caused by toxic substances. These functions are often attributed to tulsi's high content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties, and studies have shown that Krishna tulsi (the black/purple variety) contains more phenols and antioxidants compared to white Vana (wild herb) tulsi.

Laboratory studies have shown that tulsi protects against toxic chemicals by increasing the body's levels of antioxidants, such as glutathione, and by enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase and catalase. These enzymes protect cell organelles and membranes by eliminating damaging free radicals produced by oxygen deprivation and other toxic substances.

Tulsi also helps prevent cancer caused by toxic substances by reducing DNA damage and inducing apoptosis in precancerous and cancerous cells. This reduces the growth of experimental tumors and improves survival. In addition, tulsi not only protects against damage caused by toxic substances, but also helps the body transform and eliminate them more effectively by enhancing the activity of liver detoxification enzymes, such as cytochrome P450 enzymes, which deactivate toxic chemicals and allow them to be safely excreted.

While these actions are extremely important in protecting against natural toxins produced by the body or released by animals and plants, they are perhaps even more important today in protecting against the wide range of pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, radiation, and other industrial toxins that are created as a result of human activities.

Toxic Stress: Chemicals, Heavy Metals, and Radiation
Tulsi's ability to protect against the harmful effects of various toxins has been documented in numerous experimental studies. These studies prove the ability of tulsi to prevent liver, kidney and brain damage by protecting the genetic, immune system and cellular damage caused by pesticides, drugs and industrial chemicals. Tulsi has been shown to protect against the toxic effects of industrial chemicals such as butylparaben, carbon tetrachloride, copper sulphates and ethanol as well as common pesticides such as rogor, chlorpyrifos, endosulfan and lindane. Tulsi has also been shown to protect against the toxic effects of many drugs such as acetamiphen, meloxicam, paracetamol, haloperidol and tuberculosis drugs.

In addition to protecting against toxic chemicals, tulsi has also been shown to protect against the toxic effects of heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and mercury, as well as radiation. Tulsi acts through its radioprotective effect by scavenging free radicals and reducing radiation-induced oxidative cell damage and chromosomal damage. This reduces organ damage and improves survival after radiation in experimental animals.

Physical stress
Measures to counteract the toxic effects of chemicals and radiation also help to counteract the toxic effects of many physical stressors. Prolonged physical exertion, physical restraint, exposure to cold, and excessive noise disrupt homeostasis, causing physiological and metabolic stress. When the body's ability to adapt to these stressors is exceeded, maladaptation occurs, leading to damage to biochemical pathways, organ function, and health. By enhancing various cellular and physiological adaptive functions, adaptogenic herbs such as tulsi can protect against this damage.

In laboratory animal studies of forced swimming, restraint, and cold exposure stress, tulsi has been shown to improve aerobic metabolism, improve swimming time, reduce oxidative tissue damage, and normalize many physiological and biochemical parameters induced by physical stressors. Similarly, experimental studies have shown that tulsi helps reduce acute and chronic noise-induced stress in animals, improving levels of neurotransmitters and oxidative stress in distinct brain regions, and improving immune, ECG, and corticosteroid responses.

Metabolic stress
Metabolic stress, caused by poor diet, lack of exercise, and psychological stress, is a key feature of modern lifestyles, and “metabolic syndrome” is estimated to affect up to a third of the population today. Metabolic syndrome, also called “prediabetes” or “Syndrome X,” includes the “deadly quadruple” of central obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and poor glucose control, and is associated with chronic inflammation and an increased risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. While the exact causes of metabolic syndrome are still under debate, there is evidence that tulsi may help address many of the features of metabolic syndrome and their consequences.

Tulsi and its effect on metabolism and immunity

Numerous test-tube, animal, and human studies have confirmed the anti-diabetic properties of tulsi. In diabetic animal studies, tulsi has been shown to significantly lower blood glucose levels, correct abnormal lipid profiles, and protect the liver and kidneys from glucose-induced metabolic damage. In addition, tulsi has shown the ability to improve lipid profiles, prevent weight gain, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and insulin resistance, and protect organs and blood vessels from atherosclerosis in animals fed a high-fat diet. In human studies, tulsi has been shown to be effective in lowering blood glucose levels, improving blood pressure and lipid profiles, and reducing the symptoms of type 2 diabetes.

The metabolic benefits of Tulsi are extensive. It helps protect the liver, kidneys, and pancreatic islet cells from free radicals, promotes bile acid synthesis in the liver, reduces fat synthesis in the liver, improves insulin secretion and function, lowers cortisol levels, and reduces inflammation. The anti-inflammatory effects of Tulsi, which have been observed in both acute and chronic inflammation models, are due to its eugenol and linoleic acid content and its ability to inhibit the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways in arachidonic acid metabolism. As a result, Tulsi is able to provide anti-inflammatory effects comparable to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as phenylbutazone, ibuprofen, naproxen, acetylsalicylic acid, and indomethacin.

Against inflammatory diseases and infections

Current research has shown that tulsi possesses antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties that target a wide range of pathogens that cause human infections. Studies have shown that tulsi enhances immune responses in both stressed and non-stressed animals, as well as in healthy humans. Although there are no published human studies focusing on infections, experimental studies suggest that tulsi may be helpful in treating a variety of human bacterial infections, including urinary tract infections, skin and wound infections, typhoid fever, cholera, tuberculosis, gonorrhea, acne, herpes simplex virus, leishmaniasis, pneumonia, and fungal infections. It is also effective against mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, and filariasis.

Tulsi has also shown efficacy against many animal pathogens, leading to its use in animal care to reduce infections in cows, poultry, goats, fish, and silk flowers. In addition, tulsi's efficacy as a water and food preservative suggests that it can be used in food preservation, water purification, and as a natural hand sanitizer.

Tulsi's broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, including activity against Streptococcus mutans (a bacteria that causes tooth decay), suggests that it can also be used as an herbal mouthwash to treat bad breath, gum disease, and mouth ulcers. This has been confirmed by clinical studies that have shown that rinsing with tulsi is as effective as 0.2% chlorhexidine and Listerine in reducing Streptococcus mutans levels, and tulsi-based herbal mouthwashes are often the most popular due to their taste and ease of use.

Tulsi's unique combination of antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties also makes it useful in wound healing. This is supported by experimental evidence showing that tulsi can increase wound resistance and accelerate wound healing in animal studies. Tulsi has also been shown to be antiulcerogenic and to heal ulcers in many animal studies, including aspirin, indomethacin, alcohol, histamine, reserpine, serotonin, acetic acid, meloxicam, cold-control, pyloric ligation and stress-induced wound tests. This anti-ulcerative activity is attributed to multiple effects, including reduction of harmful factors such as acid-pepsin secretion and lipid peroxidation, and increase in gastric defensive factors such as mucus secretion, cellular mucus and mucosal cell lifespan.

Mental health

In addition to physical, toxic, and infectious stress, modern life is associated with increased levels of psychological stress caused by the many demands and fast pace of modern life. This stress is exacerbated by the toxic effects of chemical pollution, and the constant fear of toxic chemicals everywhere can itself lead to even greater stress and anxiety, which can be as toxic as the chemicals that cause it. While daily chemical exposure cannot be denied, regular use of tulsi not only helps protect and detoxify the body’s cells and organs, but it can also help reduce toxic stress by relaxing and calming the mind, as well as providing many psychological benefits, such as an antidepressant-like effect and positive effects on memory and cognitive function.

The psychological properties of tulsi have been studied in various animal studies, and it has been found that tulsi possesses anti-anxiety and antidepressant-like effects comparable to diazepam and antidepressants. Animal studies have also shown that tulsi improves memory and cognitive function, and protects against age-related memory impairment. Similarly, human studies have found that tulsi reduces stress, anxiety, and depression, and a six-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial reported that tulsi significantly improved overall stress levels, sexual and sleep disorders, and symptoms such as memory impairment and fatigue.

Although modern scientific research suggests that tulsi is effective in treating a variety of stressful conditions, in Ayurveda, tulsi is more commonly recommended as a preventative measure to improve the ability to adapt to both psychological and physical stress, thereby preventing the development of stress-related illnesses. For this reason, many Ayurvedic practices recommend tulsi tea as part of the daily lifestyle.

Liquid yoga

Regular consumption of Tulsi tea can be compared to regular yoga practice, which can be “adaptogenic” by nurturing and nourishing the body - mind - spirit while promoting relaxation and well-being. In contrast, regular consumption of black and green tea (Camellia sinensis L.) and coffee (Coffea arabica L.) can be compared more to aerobic exercise, which provides health benefits through stimulation and activation.

Like yoga, tulsi also brings peace of mind, leading to clarity and a more relaxed and calm state of mind. The cognitive and memory-enhancing properties of tulsi are therefore different from those of beverages containing coffee and tea, which increase alertness and can cause physical and mental restlessness. Furthermore, tulsi does not cause the same physical dependence as caffeine, and can be safely used regularly without fear of withdrawal symptoms.

The effect of Tulsi on metabolism and protection

Numerous test-tube, animal, and human studies have confirmed the anti-diabetic properties of tulsi. In diabetic animal studies, tulsi has been shown to significantly lower blood glucose levels, correct abnormal lipid profiles, and protect the liver and kidneys from glucose-induced metabolic damage. In addition, tulsi has shown the ability to improve lipid profiles, prevent weight gain, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and insulin resistance, and protect organs and blood vessels from atherosclerosis in animals fed a high-fat diet. In human studies, tulsi has been shown to be effective in lowering blood glucose levels, improving blood pressure and lipid profiles, and reducing the symptoms of type 2 diabetes.

The metabolic benefits of Tulsi are extensive. It helps protect the liver, kidneys, and pancreatic islet cells from free radicals, promotes bile acid synthesis in the liver, reduces fat synthesis in the liver, improves insulin secretion and function, lowers cortisol levels, and reduces inflammation. The anti-inflammatory effects of Tulsi, which have been observed in both acute and chronic inflammation models, are due to its eugenol and linoleic acid content and its ability to inhibit the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways in arachidonic acid metabolism. As a result, Tulsi is able to provide anti-inflammatory effects comparable to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as phenylbutazone, ibuprofen, naproxen, acetylsalicylic acid, and indomethacin.

Infection protection and immune response

Current research has shown that tulsi possesses antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties that target a wide range of pathogens that cause human infections. Studies have shown that tulsi enhances immune responses in both stressed and non-stressed animals, as well as in healthy humans. Although there are no published human studies focusing on infections, experimental studies suggest that tulsi may be helpful in treating a variety of human bacterial infections, including urinary tract infections, skin and wound infections, typhoid fever, cholera, tuberculosis, gonorrhea, acne, herpes simplex virus, leishmaniasis, pneumonia, and fungal infections. It is also effective against mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, and filariasis.

Tulsi has also shown efficacy against many animal pathogens, leading to its use in animal care to reduce infections in cows, poultry, goats, fish, and silk flowers. In addition, tulsi's efficacy as a water and food preservative suggests that it can be used in food preservation, water purification, and as a natural hand sanitizer.

Tulsi's broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, including activity against Streptococcus mutans (a bacteria that causes tooth decay), suggests that it can also be used as an herbal mouthwash to treat bad breath, gum disease, and mouth ulcers. This has been confirmed by clinical studies that have shown that rinsing with tulsi is as effective as 0.2% chlorhexidine and Listerine in reducing Streptococcus mutans levels, and tulsi-based herbal mouthwashes are often the most popular due to their taste and ease of use.

Read more about the topic in an extensive article on the Tulsi research results, which can be found HERE .


Keywords: Adaptogen, Ayurveda, holy basil, lifestyle, Ocimum sanctum, stress, tulsi

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