Tulsi is known to be “Queen of herbs”. If you are wondering why today you’ll get the reason. We all have heard from our parents and grandparents that we must worship the Tulsi plant and is often placed at the entrance of our home. The science behind this superstition is that Tulsi (holy basil) has several splendid properties that are beneficial to us, and one of them is its anti-bacterial property that fights-off mosquitoes and other insects.
Tulsi is also always offered in temples as Prasad (holy offerings) and the reason is that it has a whole lot of benefits that play a major role in keeping our mind and body healthy.
Today, we’re going to unveil the benefits of Tulsi and we’re pretty sure that after reading the whole article, you’ll add Tulsi in your life.
Many research reports state that the whole Tulsi plant, from leaves to seed, has amazing benefits as it contains essential oils, phytonutrients, vitamin A, vitamin B, calcium, zinc, iron, and chlorophyll.
So today, we’ll talk a lot about Tulsi and answer some of the common questions you might have.
Topics to be covered:
- Health Benefits
- Skin Benefits
- Hair Benefits
- Fighting-off diseases
- Side-effects
- Consuming Tulsi
- FAQs
Health Benefits:
There are plenty of them and people are getting amazing every day with some newly experienced benefit, but here are some of the most experienced one:
- Tulsi reduces the risk of heart disease, to be specific, it eliminates hypertension and high blood cholesterol. It stops the blood clotting in arteries and improves heart-health.
- Tulsi is full of antioxidants to keep you calm. It reduces stress, resulting in reduced cortisol levels. Stress doesn’t only mean the psychological one, but it includes physiological chemical, and metabolic stress too.
- If you have respiratory problems, tulsi will be your savior.
All you need to do is boil some tulsi leaves in water, strain it, drink and gargle for a few times. Repeat the steps twice in a day to encounter respiratory sickness.
- It is been said that a lot of health problems rises due to indigestion, and today, most people experience it. It is one of the most common illnesses among humans but tulsi will have your back!
Start adding ½ tsp of fresh tulsi leaves in your meals and eliminate this most-experienced disease.
- Tulsi carries phytochemicals that give rise to hypoglycaemic effect and maintains blood glucose levels. This effect makes it beneficial for type2 diabetic patients.
- Tulsi improves liver function and has antiviral and antioxidant properties that eliminate the virus and free radicals causing damage to liver cells.
- Tulsi is proved to help lose weight. BMI or body mass index of a person is determined by cholesterol and blood glucose level, both of which are maintained by tulsi.
- Many infections and diseases are caused due to a lack of immunity, but being an immunity booster, tulsi will help you.
Boil a few freshly plucked tulsi leaves and gulp them down with a glass of water to improve your immunity.
- Inflammation in joints are painful and can be treated by tulsi. Tulsi is a natural analgesic as it contains a compound named Eucalyptol that improves blood circulation and lubricates joints reducing inflammation.
- If you experience stomach aches or flatulence, then tulsi will do the work! It has enough nutrients to improve gut health. It also eliminates gassiness.
- It also maintains uric acid levels and prevents kidney stones.
Since, it has antibiotic, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-fungal properties, it eliminates some common health problems like fever, cold-cough, flu, and chest congestion.
Skin Benefits
Tulsi is a detoxifying, cleansing, and purifying agent and has several amazing beauty benefits. Some of them include:
- Tulsi has plenty of antioxidants and antimicrobials that counteract free radicals and results in anti-aging effect. It also has antimicrobial property that makes you look young for a longer time.
Boil a few leaves in water, crush the leaves once the water cools down and drink it every morning to get the best results.
- Our skin goes through dust, heat, and pollution that gives rise to various skin problems. Tulsi eliminates these effects and deep-cleans your skin.
Crush a few tulsi leaves and mix it well with water to make a paste. Add some egg white and apply it on your skin, leave it for 15 minutes before rinsing with water. Repeat the process twice a week to get better results.
- Tulsi contains essential oils that nutrify and moisturize the skin and enhances its complexion. It is also a detoxifying agent and safeguards your skin from dust and pollution.
Mix some tulsi leaves with gram flour and water to form a mask, apply it, and let it dry before rinsing with cool water.
- Tulsi acts as a skin brightening agent by clearing up the pores of your skin.
Make a mask by mixing equal amounts of tulsi leaves and milk, apply on your face and neck, and wipe it off after 20 minutes.
- No more use of chemical-filled toner, now you can DIY toner with tulsi to tone up your skin. What toner do to your face is that closing open pores and enhances your skin texture.
Boil some tulsi leaves in water, let it cool, and then strain to remove leaves, and add an equal amount of rose water to it. Fill it in a spray bottle and your DIY toner is ready!
- Tulsi has various properties that treat insect-bites.
Crush some tulsi leaves and mix it with your saliva, its mixed effect will reduce pain and remove the poison from the bitten area.
This eliminates various skin infections and allergies.
A mix of tulsi leaves and lime juice will treat ringworm bite too.
- Instead of those painful blackhead-removal masks or vacuums, now it will be painless, easy, and almost penniless. Since tulsi has antibacterial properties, it becomes a natural blackhead-remover.
Wet the upper side of tulsi leaves, place it on the affected areas, and wash off after 5 minutes.
- Acne and its marks are the most irritating issues of our lives. But with tulsi, you don’t have to worry now! As mention many times, it has antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties that cleanse the blood, pull-out toxins, and bacteria to give you an acne-free clear face.
Mix a tablespoon of tulsi leaves, a teaspoon of chandan (sandalwood) powder, and some drops of rose water. Apply the paste and rinse it with cold water after it dries. Repeat it twice or thrice a week.
Hair Benefits
Till now you must be amazed by the fact that a few tulsi leaves can do wonders to your health and skin, and now it’s time for your hair.
- Hair loss and thin hair are the most common problems among both men and women. Tulsi can improve blood circulation to the scalp overcoming hair loss and promoting its growth, and provides required nutrients to encounter itching.
Apply a mixture of crushed tulsi leaves and regular hair oil and massage into your scalp. Shampoo and conditioner after 30 minutes.
- Dandruff on the shoulder and flares on the scalp caused due to unsuitable hair products or lack of shampooing is something embarrassing but tulsi will save you here as well. Having antifungal property, it fights-off with 4 types of fungal strains.
Mix a little amount of tulsi with your regular hair oil and massage on your scalp. Wash it off after a few minutes.
- Having grey hair strands before turning older is stressful, it is caused when pigment responsible for hair’s color is not produced enough by the cells in hair roots, another cause can be lack of vitamin B12. Tulsi helps in better circulation encounters this problem.
Make a paste of a few tulsi leaves and amla powder, apply a night before hair wash to get the best results.
- Seeing hair everywhere is disgusting and too much hair fall needs your attention. Causes vary from pollution, over-using of hair styling tools to using hot water to wash your hair.
All you need to do is make a paste of amla powder, tulsi powder, and a tsp of coconut oil, mix it well and add some water, once the paste is smooth, apply it on your hair and wash off after 30 minutes.
Fighting-off diseases
You must be impressed and shocked at the same time to know that a few tulsi leaves can be extremely beneficial to you.
Let’s amaze you more with the fact that tulsi has a radioactive property that fights-off cancer-cells. Eugenol in tulsi can hit some specific cancers. Tulsi leaves help in detaining breast cancer.
Tulsi also encounters free radicals and oxidative stress that are causes of several eye diseases, namely cataract and vision disorders, as it contains antioxidants.
Tulsi treats various types of severe headaches as a migraine. Boil a few tulsi leaves in water and consume it to encounter headaches.
Several respiratory sicknesses like chronic bronchitis and asthma can be treated with tulsi.
For asthma- mix 1 tsp of honey in tulsi water and consume it 3-4 times a day.
Many other diseases like hepatitis, malaria, TB, dengue, and diarrhea gets relieved by tulsi.
Constipation, bloating, vomiting, nausea and other problems caused due to improper digestion can be eliminated by the use of tulsi. It improves Pachan Agni and helps in proper digestion.
Tulsi is a relaxing herb that keeps you calm and hence, it helps in overcoming Insomnia as well.
Side-effects of Tulsi
- Tulsi should NOT be consumed by pregnant women as it contains a compound named estragole, the reason for uterus contraction, and may cause miscarriage sometimes.
- Tulsi reduces fertility in both men and women by lowering sperm count in males and affect the menstrual cycle in women. It causes diarrhea as well and should NOT be consumed by men and women who are willing to become parents.
- Consumption of Tulsi is prohibited for 2 weeks before the surgery takes place. It becomes responsible for excessive bleeding during and after surgery by slowing blood clotting.
- If you are already taking medicines for a certain problem, you may consult a doctor before consuming tulsi. It might interact with the medicine, and their mixed effect might prove to be dangerous for your health.
Adding Tulsi in your meal
Now that you are all surprised that a few tulsi leaves have such a big influence in your life and can do wonders, you must be eager to know how you can add it in your meal and have all these amazing benefits.
Though tulsi drops, capsules, tablets, and other supplements are available but consuming it naturally is always the best option! You can have tulsi in any way except chewing it raw, here are some of the ways to have it naturally:
- Tulsi tea in an empty stomach is a great start to your new day with a refreshing mind and health.
- Tulsi ghee or honey can be used in the preparation of various desserts.
Can be prepared by mixing tulsi powder and ghee/honey/oil, the amount will be according to the consistency you need.
- Tulsi is used to enhance the flavor of many desserts, veg soups, and sauces. Tulsi is included in Thai cuisine a lot.
Some other normal ways of consuming it can be tulsi water or gulping it down directly with a glass of water.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Why should we not chew tulsi leaves?
- Tulsi has enough amount of mercury and iron which are released when you chew them and are harmful to your causing discoloration.
Q2. Can tulsi be used as a mouth freshener?
- Yes, tulsi contains antibacterial properties that protect your teeth from plaques and helps to refresh your mouth.
Q3. Is it okay to drink tulsi tea at night?
- Yes, tulsi is a relaxing herb and keeps you calm. This effect will help you overcome insomnia and have a better and deeper sleep.
Q4. How much tulsi should be consumed in a day?
- It depends on its form, ¼-½ tsp of tulsi powder is enough for a day, but you can have twice or thrice tulsi tea in a day.
Q5. Does tulsi help stress?
- Yes. Tulsi acts as a stress-buster and even helps anxiety at a certain level.
Q6. What are the risks of consuming tulsi?
- Consuming tulsi can be risky in a few ways, one should not consume tulsi if already taking medicines to low blood sugar level as it can reach a very low level which is not good for your health. Tulsi also decreases fertility if taken more than enough and has other side-effects as well if overdosed.
Q8. Can tulsi make you sleepy?
- No. Tulsi acts as a relaxing and calming herb, it reduces your stress and with better mental health, you can sleep easily when you want to.
Q9. Does tulsi help in boosting energy?
- Not certainly. Tulsi does not boost your energy but maintains the energy level for a longer time.
Q10. Is tulsi safe for infants?
- Yes. Tulsi will safeguard their sensitive health from the common cold, flu, and other problems. You can feed them with tulsi water or with a few drops in milk.
Wrapping Up
In this article, we have tried our best to make you aware of regarding benefits of tulsi. Though tulsi is still surprising us with some new effect on human bodies, the given information is enough to make you understand its importance and why it is called the Queen of herbs. Keep in mind the dosage and do not exceed it. Hope you will try adding tulsi in your daily meal to have a healthier mind and body.
