Natural Remedies - Basil - Part 2 - Holy Basil, or Tulsi (Ocimum Tenuiflorum):

Thank you for coming back for part 2 of this series. As I mentioned before, there are numerous varieties of basil. Today I'm going to be sharing some of the health benefits and remedial uses of holy basil alone, along with the ways to prepare it for each use. I became familiar with each of these uses by word of mouth, but I took them all a step further and searched for confirmation from multiple places. Even though I'm not going to quote anything from what I've researched, I'll still place the links for the content I read so you have access to further references and research of your own. Let's get started.

Holy Basil Tea Preparation:  Pour 8 ounces of boiling water over 10 leaves of fresh holy basil, cover it and let it steep for around 5 minutes. After it has steeped, strain off the basil leaves and drink. Prepare this without honey or other sweeteners unless specified. Some teas have alterations depending on what they are being used for, the alterations will be stated.

Remedial Uses of Holy Basil Tea:

Arthritis Relief, also Reduces Inflammation and Swelling - Drink as needed.

Asthma and Bronchitis Relief - The tea for this is a bit different, boil 15 fresh basil leaves and 2 thin slices of ginger in 1 liter of water until the water has boiled down to half its original volume, then add a bit of honey to taste and drink.

Blood Sugar - One 8 ounce cup per day could keep blood sugar regulated.

Cold and Flu Relief - Drink twice daily.

Fever Reducer - Can be drank every 2 - 3 hours to keep fever down.

Headache Relief - Can be crank at first sign of headache, this could prevent the headache from worsening and relieve the current pain.

Increases the Function of Kidneys - When drank daily with a small bit of honey, this can increase the function of kidneys. This may also help expel kidney stones (renal stones) in about 6 a month period. I know that's a long time, but if it were to ever come down to not having other options, this is a natural alternative.

Respiratory - Promotes healing of bacterial, fungal, and viral infections.

Sore Throat Relief, Soothes Cough - Can be drank or gargled.




Chewing Fresh Holy Basil Preparation: Following the harvesting instructions on the previous page, harvest the specified number of holy basil leaves you will need off the plant, rinse them well, and chew them fresh.


Remedial Uses for Chewing Fresh Holy Basil Leaves:

Mouth Infections - Chewing about 3 - 4 fresh leaves could cure mouth infections and ulcers, this may need to be done one time daily, for a couple days simultaneously. This can also help bad breath.

Stress and Anxiety - Chewing 12 fresh leaves a day could prevent stress and anxiety disorders. If you choose not to chew these daily, you can chew them at the first sign of heightened stress or anxiety to keep it at bay and provide calming.




Topical Holy Basil Leaf Preparation : Pound about 8 to 10 fresh holy basil leaves until it becomes a paste or cream-type consistency unless otherwise specified. You may need to add drops of water as you pound it out, but only use one or two drops at a time to ensure that you don't make it too watery.

Remedial Uses for Topical Fresh Holy Basil Leaf Cream or Paste:

Arthritis, Inflammation, and Pain Relief - A larger quantity of leaves may need to be used depending on the size of the area that needs relief. Just follow the general instructions, adding leaves and a drop or two of water as needed until you have enough paste to apply topically to the area. This can be done as needed, generally every 3 to 4 hours.

Headache Relief - If the tea doesn't seem to be doing the job, you can pound the leaves with sandalwood paste to be applied topically to temples or right onto the area of your head where you feel the headache.

Insect Bite Relief - Can be applied right to the bite to reduce swelling and ease the stinging, burning, or itching.

Minor Cuts and Scrapes - This can be applied to help with the pain and promote quicker healing. I don't recommend this for burns, I've tried it and it seemed to make it feel worse. Aloe is better, we'll discuss that in another post.



While I'm sure there are additional uses for Holy Basil, these are the main benefits and uses that I am familiar with. If you're aware of additional uses, please comment below so I can add them to this post. Below are the links I looked at to confirm these natural remedies and benefits, feel free to check them out.


What Are The Health Benefits Of Basil?

Basil Plants Have Anti-Arthritic Properties

Holy Basil Benefits: Growing Your Own Medicine

Health Benefits Of Holy Basil - Tulsi

15 Benefits Of Holy Basil (Tulsi)

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 Please be sure and check back in for further information about other natural remedies. Leave a comment if you have one, and share this with others who may find it useful. I'm still interested in finding similar blogs and sites too, so please share yours or your favorites in the comments below. Don't forget you can contact me personally through any of the options on the Contact Magpie page, I'm always open to suggestions for article content and interested in getting to know my blog's readers.