Basil and its Health Effects

I thought it might be interesting to look at some of the most popular culinary herbs produced commercially and consumed world wide. With a focus on their medical effects on the human body as understood so far. These are herbs that are ingested on an almost daily basis by a large percentage of the world population; Basil, Chives, Dill, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, and Thyme.

Basil or Ocimum basilicum, sanctum, minimum, americanum, citriodorum, kilimandscharicum, aka: Sweet Basil, Tulsi, Herbe Royale, and Al-habaqa etc. Basil is a highly aromatic plant species indigenous to the tropical regions of Asia and especially Africa, where the most diversity of the species is present. In Asia it has been widely cultivated for over 5000 years. Sometimes called the King of Herbs by discerning chefs, Basil originates in the Greek word Basileus which means King. Although there are an estimated 150 varieties (cultivars) of Basil of those we use 25 on a daily basis worldwide.

The most common use of basil is culinary, the fresh leaf in food preparation, enjoyed the world round especially with tomatoe based dishes. Basil is very high in volatile oils which are easily lost to the air from bruising and drying, and accounts for this traditional process of consuming them fresh. The seeds are also employed in many eastern beverages.

Basil like many of these herbs enjoys a rich spiritual tradition in many cultures. The cultivar Ocimum sanctum is most revered in Hinduism and called Tulsi or Holy Basil The name comes from Tulasi, a nymph much beloved of Krishna who was transformed into the sacred plant. Tulsi is used extensively in rituals and grown at home for it protection properties against calamity and enhancement of luck, harmony, serenity and purity. For the same reasons Basil roots are carved into Hindu rosary beads and are often depicted in pictorial Hindu symbolist art. There are Ancient African legends in which Basil protects people from scorpions through its mystical powers. It has also been employed throughout the ages from Ancient Egypt to Ancient Greece, India and Europe as a spiritual aid to the dead. The plant was placed in various positions from the mouth to the feet of the corpse before burial. Basil is also the plant said to be found growing around Christ’s tomb after his resurrection. Basil has enjoyed a long strong mythological presence wherever it has been grown or grows naturally. This is important because whenever a particular plant enjoys such a close spiritual relationship with man, the odds are it is important pharmacologically.

The intense smell and the wide variety of aromas present in the various cultivars come from the high volatile oil contents present generally in the Ocimum Genus. These volatile oils give the unique flavours and smells to the many cultivars from Sweet Basil to Holy, Lemon, African, Greek, Thai, Red, Magical and Cinnamon. Though volatile oils which are essentially :) smell-able fragrances, only tell part of the story. Ocimum basilicum alone has over 387 recognised distinct chemical compounds present in the plant. And this is what I am really interested in, how do these compounds effect us that we as the world consume so often.

Ocimum basilicum with its horde of compounds has over 772 discovered individual activities or effects on the human body when consumed. I am going to concentrate on the effects that are backed by the most compounds present in the plant.

Cancer Preventative activities kick off first with 53 compounds that are known to have a preventative action toward initial cancer development. I am listing them in their entirety that you might research them individually if you want to, or perhaps recognise some of them. (AESCULETIN, AESCULIN, ALANINE, ALPHA-CEDRENE, ALPHA-PINENE, ANETHOLE, APIGENIN, ASCORBIC-ACID, BETA-CAROTENE, BETA-IONONE, BETA-MYRCENE, BETA-SITOSTEROL, CAFFEIC-ACID, CAMPHOR, CARVONE, CITRAL, ERIODICTYOL, ESCULETIN,ESCULIN, ESTRAGOLE, EUGENOL, EUGENOL-METHYL-ETHER, FIBER, GERANIOL, GLYCINE, ISOEUGENOL, ISOQUERCITRIN, KAEMPFEROL, LIMONENE, LINALOOL, INOLEIC-ACID, LUTEOLIN, MENTHONE, METHIONINE, METHYL-EUGENOL, METHYL-ISOEUGENOL, MUCILAGE, NIACIN, OLEANOLIC-ACID, OLEIC-ACID, ORIENTIN, P-COUMARIC-ACID, QUERCETIN, RIBOFLAVIN, ROSMARINIC-ACID, RUTIN, SAFROLE, SERINE, STIGMASTEROL, SUCCINIC-ACID, TANNIN, TYROSINE, URSOLIC-ACID)

Anti-bacterial‘s come a close second with 52 compounds present that are proven Ant-bacterial’s or Antiseptics which only kill off bacteria. The essential oil of basilicium has proven effective against Staphylococcus aureus (Staph), Salmonella enteritidis (Salmonella) and Escherichia coli (E.Coli). (1,8-CINEOLE, ACETIC-ACID, AESCULETIN, ALPHA-BISABOLOL, ALPHA-PINENE, ALPHA-TERPINEOL, ALPHA-THUJONE, ANETHOLE, APIGENIN, ASCORBIC-ACID, BENZALDEHYDE, BETA-IONONE, BETA-SITOSTEROL, BETA-THUJONE, BORNEOL, CAFFEIC-ACID, CARVACROL, CARYOPHYLLENE, CIS-OCIMENE, CITRAL, CITRONELLOL, DELTA-CADINENE, ERIODICTYOL, ESCULETIN, EUGENOL, GERANIAL, GERANIOL, ISOQUERCITRIN, KAEMPFEROL, LIMONENE, LINALOOL, LUTEOLIN, MENTHOL, MENTHONE, METHYL-EUGENOL, METHYL-ISOEUGENOL, MYRCENE, NERAL, NEROL, NEROLIDOL, OLEANOLIC-ACID, P-COUMARIC-ACID, P-CYMENE, QUERCETIN, ROSMARINIC-ACID, RUTIN, SABINENE, SAFROLE, TANNIN, TERPINEN-4-OL, THYMOL, URSOLIC-ACID)

Anti-oxidants are in at third with 40 compounds present that are proven anti-oxidants and thereby help the body by donating their electrons (which they can regain elsewhere without harm) to stabilise free radicals who are missing theirs and therefore dangerous.(AESCULIN, ALANINE, ANETHOLE, ANTHOCYANINS, APIGENIN, ASCORBIC-ACID, BETA-CAROTENE, BETA-SITOSTEROL, CAFFEIC-ACID, CAMPESTEROL, CAMPHENE, CARVACROL, ERIODICTYOL, ESCULIN, EUGENOL, GAMMA-TERPINENE, HISTIDINE, ISOEUGENOL, ISOQUERCITRIN, KAEMPFEROL, LINALYL-ACETATE, LUTEOLIN, METHIONINE, METHYL-EUGENOL, MYRCENE, OLEANOLIC-ACID, ORIENTIN, P-COUMARIC-ACID, PALMITIC-ACID, QUERCETIN, ROSMARINIC-ACID, RUTIN, STIGMASTEROL, TANNIN, TERPINEN-4-OL, TERPINOLENE, THYMOL, TRANS-ANETHOLE, TRYPTOPHAN, URSOLIC-ACID)

Anti-Spasmodic’s are at fourth with 35 supporting compounds. They suppress smooth muscle contractions mostly within tubular organs such as the stomach intestine and bladder. This is effect is useful for gastric complaints such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome. They are also useful during the process of Endoscopy or when they are threading a camera through your digestive tract, to prevent spasms from the instruments presence.(1,8-CINEOLE, ALPHA-BISABOLOL, ALPHA-PINENE, ALPHA-TERPINENE, ANETHOLE, APIGENIN, BENZALDEHYDE, BETA-DAMASCENONE, BETA-PINENE, BORNEOL, CAFFEIC-ACID, CAMPHOR, CARVACROL, CARYOPHYLLENE, EUGENOL, FARNESOL, GERANIOL, KAEMPFEROL, LIMONENE, LINALOOL, LINALYL-ACETATE, LUTEOLIN, MENTHOL, MENTHONE, METHYL-ISOEUGENOL, MYRCENE, NERAL, NIACIN, P-COUMARIC-ACID, POTASSIUM, QUERCETIN, RUTIN, TERPINEN-4-OL, THYMOL, VALERIC-ACID)

Anti-Fungal’s are the fifth most well represented with 33 compounds which would help with fungal infections such as candidiasis, athlete’s foot, ringworm, and perhaps even cryptococcal meningitis. (1,8-CINEOLE, ACETIC-ACID, AESCULETIN, ALPHA-BISABOLOL, ANETHOLE, BETA-IONONE, BORNEOL, CAFFEIC-ACID, CAMPHOR, CARVACROL, CARYOPHYLLENE, CARYOPHYLLENE-OXIDE, CHAVICOL, CIS-OCIMENE, CITRAL, CITRONELLOL, ESCULETIN, EUGENOL, FURFURAL, GERANIOL, KAEMPFEROL, LINALOOL, MENTHONE, METHYL-EUGENOL, MYRCENE, O-METHOXYCINNAMALDEHYDE, P-COUMARIC-ACID, P-CYMENE, PROPIONIC-ACID, QUERCETIN, TERPINEN-4-OL, TERPINOLENE, THYMOL)

As I said before these are only five out of the 772 known pharmacological effects that consuming Basil would have upon the human body. What this does show is that a high mythological presence and societal use for a plant such as Basil, is there for a reason. Knowledge built up and preserved through myth and legend because it works. There are many uses for Basil in traditional herbal medicine, as we can see from the pharmacology of the plant there should be. Here are some of those traditional medicinal uses throughout the world:

Alcoholism - India

Aphrodisiac - India, Philippines

Bites (dog, bug, snake) - China

Circulation China

Collapse, convulsion, and delirium - India

Croup - Iraq

Depression - Greece

Diarrhoea - Honduras, Iraq, Kurdistan, Philippines

Diuretic - Sudan, Turkey

Ear ache, deafness - India, Panama, Philippines, Salvador

Fever - Honduras, India, Mexico

Fungicide - Philippines

Headache - Honduras, India, Panama, Salvador

Infection, inflammation - China, Philippines

Kidney - China, India, Turkey

Labour during child birth - China, India

Regular menstrual flow - Honduras, Philippines, Salvador

Nerves - Honduras, Salvador

Spasm - China, Haiti, India, Spain, Turkey

Stimulant - Philippines, Sudan, Turkey

Stomach (carminative, pain, cancer, diaphragm tumours, colic) - Algeria, Cambodia, China, Europe, Haiti, Laos, Philippines, Salvador, Turkey, Venezuela, Vietnam

Wart - Greece

And it’s at about this point that you realise just how useful Basil is and how much good it does when we consume it. Fairly impressive for this humble holy plant that would be King, add to this the fact that it is consumed daily around the world in many different ways. What you end up with is not just an average popular tasting herb but a highly prophylactic medicinal plant that does an incredible amount of good the world round. So bring on that Pesto or Tomatoe and Basil soup, it could be saving your life.

In this Series: Chives Dill Mint Oregano Parsley Rosemary Sage Thyme Conclusion