Holy Basil
Perfect for: Relaxing and regulating your mood
Botanical name: Ocimum sanctum
Botanical family: Lamiaceae
Part of plant used: Leaf
Active substances: Essential oils, Triterpenes
Origin: India, Thailand
Benefits:
Holy Basil (or Tulsi) is a calming and purifying herb that produces relaxing effects on the body. Its calming properties reduce anxiety, hyperactivity and mild depression. Tulsi is used to restore balance and harmony.
History:
Holy Basil is cconsidered the "Queen of Plants" in the Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. According to tradition, this plant is the incarnation of Vishnu, a Hindu god.
There are at least three types: the sri variety with green leaves, or rama tulsi, the krishna tulsi with dark green, almost purple leaves and a stronger taste and smell, and the vana tulsi, a forest variety with green leaves that often grow in the wild. Tulsi is one of the few adaptogens that can easily be grown, and its harvest is usually bountiful year after year.
Found in : The Serenity
Bibliography:
Study #1 which validates the traditional claim of Tulsi as a medicinal plant
Study #2 on the anxiolytic effects of Tulsi