Holy Basil for Anxiety And 6 Other Health Perks

Hey guys, Dr. Axe here, doctor of natural medicine and founder of draxe.com. In this video, I'm going to be talking about the many benefits of holy basil, also known as tulsi, and how to get it in your diet every single day. And also talk about when to use it, how much in the exact dosage, all as part of this video.

And hey, I hope you enjoy this video whether you're watching on YouTube or Facebook right now. So let's dive in and talk about the 6 benefits and perks of holy basil. Now first off, holy basil is a plant that's grown traditionally in Asia.

Now, it's also grown in subtropical areas in other areas of the world at this point, but it was used most commonly in Ayurvedic medicine, which is a form of medicine that was used in the areas of ancient India. And Ayurvedic medicine, again, has been practiced more than 3,000 years.

And one of the main benefits or ways they would use holy basil in history was for using it as an adaptogen to lower stress levels. And we know when you become emotionally stressed in any way, whether it be work anxiety or relational stress or work stress, whatever it is, that can really weigh down on you.

And actually what it starts to do is cause your cortisol to raise, can cause other hormones like insulin to get out of balance and melatonin so you don't sleep as well, causing disease in your body. The great benefits of adaptogens like holy basil, They help sort of balance those cortisol levels, bringing them back to neutral to where then your body can function better, your body can heal better.

And this is why it's also known as one of the top anti-aging herbs in the entire world today, especially in Ayurvedic medicine. So here are some benefits. Number 1, if you're struggling with anxiety, holy basil is one of the number 1 herbs you want to be doing on a regular basis. Now, at the end, I'll talk about the different forms. Forms you can use it in, from tea to capsule to food.

But again, anxiety is one of the ways you want to use holy basil. So a few other things about anxiety, you know, there are a few other herbs that help with this as well. Calming herbs like chamomile and lavender also are greatly beneficial, but I'd recommend those 3 for anxiety, holy basil along with lavender and chamomile. Number 2 here is adrenal fatigue.

We know your adrenal glands can use adaptogenic herbs. Now, the family of adaptogens doesn't just include holy basil. It also includes herbs like schisandra, rhodiola rosea, ashwagandha, ginseng, licorice root extract, and even medicinal mushrooms like reishi and cordyceps all fall within those categories.

Now, all of those benefit, but especially holy basil can actually benefit and nourish your adrenal glands supporting adrenal fatigue by balancing out those cortisol levels. So again, if you have adrenal fatigue, Number 1, take holy basil. Also, make sure you're consuming a diet that isn't too high in sugar as that can absolutely contribute to adrenal fatigue.

Number 3, this is a big one, hypothyroidism. The number of people struggling with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the autoimmune form of thyroid dysfunction with low thyroid markers, this condition can greatly benefit from using holy basil on a regular basis. And I recommend for thyroid issues doing a 1-2 punch of herbs of holy basil and ashwagandha.

Now, here's the amazing thing in clinical studies. They found when using ashwagandha, which the same would work in holy basil in terms of how the body responds, is that whether your levels are high or low, what these adaptogenic herbs do is they help bring your body back to neutral and back into balance.

So getting these herbs every single day, holy basil and ashwagandha, those are the 2 herbs you want to be taking if you've got thyroid issues. And also if you have thyroid issues, consider taking a B complex vitamin and selenium, and then also getting plenty of greens in your diet like a green superfood powder with some algae like spirulina and chlorella.

You get all of those in your diet, you're going to go a long way to helping your thyroid and eliminating processed sugar, and gluten. If you want to learn more about hypothyroidism, just check here on YouTube for Dr. Axe thyroid. I've got another advanced talk on here on my YouTube channel. Number 4 is acne.

Now, one of the unique things about holy basil is it contains a compound that's also found in clove oil called eugenol. Now, this is commonly used— eugenol is commonly used for killing off gingivitis and different types of gum disease, but eugenol as well as some of the other compounds in holy Holy basil.

I'll say that the unique thing about holy basil is it can— if we would talk about it in its essential oil form, it's kind of like a blend of lavender and clove. I mean, it has all of these calming, anti-anxiety properties and antibacterial properties of lavender, but also has the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of clove, which is really what makes it such a unique and rare herb.

But again, it's great for fighting acne. If you want to get rid of acne, this is the one. Okay. Mix a little bit of holy basil essential oil or the herb with some honey, raw honey, put it on your face, wash it off after 2 minutes. It's great for fighting acne. Number 5, blood sugar regulation.

In fact, there are clinical studies showing that by about 17%, if you supplement with holy basil, it can balance out or reduce insulin levels by 17%. So pretty incredible when you look at the benefits on blood sugar level when you get holy basil in your diet.

Now, also listen, if you've got diabetes or blood sugar issues, you typically want to reduce the amount of processed carbohydrates you're eating and focus more on getting protein, fiber, and healthy fat, and antioxidants during your meals. Remember that, protein, fiber, healthy fat, antioxidants, getting those things with your meals and just small amounts of carbohydrates with the meals.

That's an ideal diet for getting rid of diabetes. And for diabetes as well, again, take these 2 supplements, holy basil and chromium picolinate. Both of those help balance those blood sugar levels. Cinnamon is actually pretty good too. Number 6 here, it's a natural stress buster.

Here's the truth, almost everybody today, whether you're sitting in traffic or looking at a computer screen or just busy and on the go, We have more stress today than we've ever had in human history due to all of the things that are increasing what's called our sympathetic nerve system.

Now, if you really want to heal your body and heal your adrenals and your thyroid and reduce overall stress levels, holy basil is so beneficial because of how it lowers stress levels and can help balance out your sympathetic and your parasympathetic nerve system. Your sympathetic nerve system is like your body's fight-or-flight. Fight or flight response.

If you've got a bear chasing you, or hey, you're rushing to meet a deadline, or rushing to pick the kids up from soccer practice, or whatever it is, that puts you in a sympathetic state. A sympathetic state is when all your energy moves to your extremities and it leaves your insides.

Parasympathetic is when your body is digesting food and you are secreting hormones and your body's resting and regenerating and healing. But when you're in a sympathetic state, you're not in a parasympathetic state. So you really want to live more in that parasympathetic state. Holy basil helps.

It helps you do that by relieving stress and supporting even your entire brain and nerve system, your adrenals, your thyroid, all of these organs in your body, your pancreas that we talked about. Holy basil is one of the greatest herbs. It's been used more than 3,000 years. It's been proven in history. It's been proven in medical studies.

And again, let's talk about now specifically the dosage and how to use it to benefit your health. Here when we're talking about how to use specifically, here are 3 different ways you can get it in your body on a daily basis. Number 1, doing it in a tea form. It's called tulsi tea. Remember, tulsi is the same as holy basil.

Drinking 2 cups a day, one the first thing in the morning, one in the afternoon. It's a great way to get it in your body, so drinking it in tea form. Number 2, taking it as a supplemental dose, typically about 400 to 500 milligrams once to twice daily in a supplement form. And you can also use it in an essential oil form, typically about 3 drops 3 times a day.

You want to rub it on your neck area right here, just sort of on your neck is the best place to put it, or you can put it in a diffuser and just do about 2 10 deep breaths in through your nostrils. So again, the essential oil form, the capsule form, or the tea form, the most common beneficial ways to get holy basil in your diet every single day.

And remember, this is one of the world's ultimate adaptogenic herbs. And hey, if you've enjoyed this live training video, make sure to subscribe here to my YouTube channel to learn more about essential oils and herbs and how to use food as medicine. And hey, if you want to learn a lot more about herbs, just Google search online Dr. Axe remedies or Dr. Axe holy basil or Dr. Axe adaptogens.

Just search my name online with whatever you want to find and you can find more information on my website, draxe.com. Guys, I hope you've enjoyed this live training on the many benefits of holy basil. Hi, Dr. Axe here.

I want to say thanks so much for checking out this YouTube video and also don't forget to subscribe if you want to get more great content on things like herbs, essential oils, natural remedies, and how to use food as medicine. Also, check out more of our content on my YouTube channel. Thanks for watching.