Holy Basil for stress and cold relief

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Pure Himalaya Holy Basil
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Holy Basil or Ocimum sanctum is a herb used in India for healing all kinds of ailments including those of the mind. It is however considered the queen of stress relief herbs. It has been shown more effective in combatting stress than Asian ginseng and Siberian ginseng.

Holy Basil has been shown in studies to help maintain normal cortisol levels. Stress can cause elevated cortisol levels which in turn raise blood sugar levels. Ursolic acid and triterpenoic acids found in holy basil, help the body to respond to stress without raising cortisol levels.
Based on its ability to maintain blood sugar levels, Holy basil is also used as a remedy against diabetes.

In addition to its benefits against stress, Holy basil is also a well-known household remedy against fevers, coughs, colds, asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory problems. Chemical compounds in the herb are said to help reduce inflammation and pain. A tea made from the leaves of the plant are very useful in clearing up phlegm. Holy basil can be consumed as a liquid extract used in teas or capsules.

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Holy Basil benefits | Fight stress lower blood sugar

Holy basil (Ocimum sanctum) is a plant that grows ubiquitously in India. It is one of the many varieties of basil including sweet basil used in Italian dishes, Thai basil and lemon basil used in Asian cooking.

Holy basil is generally not used in cooking although now some recipes include it. It is most commonly used as a tea in India mainly to alleviate cough and cold symptoms, headaches and digestive problems.

Basil seeds are also used in various sweet drinks and desserts as well as for medicinal properties. Whole basil seeds are an excellent laxative.

Animal studies show that holy basil acts fast in reducing chronic stress and lowering elevated levels of cortisol - the stress hormone. In a study holy basil was compared to Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) and Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) and was found to be the most potent anti-stress agent of the three. It also had the highest margin of safety.

In 2007, researchers found three new compounds from in holy basil which displayed promising antistress effects by normalizing hyperglycemia, plasma corticosterone, plasma creatine kinase, and adrenal hypertrophy

Holy basil also helps lower blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes. The herb helps to stimulate the secretion of insulin, the blood sugar--regulating hormone produced by the pancreas.

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