Holy basil, or tulsi, has abundant healthy-restoring properties: stress reducing, immune boosting, and high in antioxidants. Holy basil has roots in Indian culture and Hinduism. Our Holy Basil Blend includes 3 Tulsi varieties: Rama, Krishna, and Vana. This blend tastes minty and spicy, with hints of licorice. Herbalist Greta de la Montagne sheds some light on the subject.

Holy Basil/Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum, and O. africanum), Lamiaceae (Mint) family

The herb “holy basil” (also known as tulsi) (Occimum sanctum) and the culinary herb basil (Occimum basilicum) are indeed different plants with significant genetic differences, so don’t get confused! According to plant expert Richo Cech of Strictly Medicinals, holy basil was first introduced into the US about 50 years ago. Since then, scientists have found (using chrome spectrum genetic analysis) that the US strain originated from Africa, not India. Ayurveda (“the science of life” originating in India over 5,000 years ago) claims the herb as its own, but there are conflicting claims as to which continent the herb originated from.

Four kinds of holy basil grown or imported in the US

• Temperate Tulsi (Occimum africanum): a self-seeding, short-season annual that matures quickly—harvestable at 40 days. This tulsi grows well in northern latitudes, and also at altitudes up to 6000 ft.
• Vana Tulsi (Occimum gratissimum): a temperate wild forest/bush/tree basil, native to East Africa, containing a high quantity of euganol (oil of clove).
• Rama Tulsi (Occimum tenuiflorum): green-leaved with a purple stem; one of the tropical tulsi. The dried leaves make an excellent tea, primarily used for digestion. It grows 3’ high with stems about ½” thick. 
• Krishna Tulsi (Occimum tenuiflorum): also called Shyama-black or Amrita tulsi, because it comes from Ama-chi’s ashram in the south of India. It has dark purple leaves, a purple stem, and gets even more purple as it grows. This variety can grow over 6’ tall and 5’ across with stems over 2” thick—essentially a small tree! People use it for its detoxifying diaphoretic (warming) action.

Many more varieties and hybrids of holy basil grow in India and worldwide, but tea drinkers will primarily find these four types.

Good for the bees, too!

As a cultivated plant, holy basil greatly benefits bee populations. Bees swarm to the plant’s beautiful lavender blooms, tightly displayed on linear spires. Holy basil also contains abundant triterpenoid compounds (essential oils) that help clean the beehive, dispel pathogens, and limit mold. These compounds, found in all holy basil varieties, give plants a unique clove and black pepper aroma. 

Holy basil as a medicinal herb

Many other medicinal compounds found in holy basil benefit humans, as well as bees. As a medicinal herb, basils act as stomachics (easing digestion). Hence, we often add them to foods or teas we consume (think basil in tomato sauce and salad dressings). As a tea, holy basil soothes the stomach, and also helps balance and strengthen the digestive tract. Thus, holy basil works well for including in a morning tea blend!

Oldest herbs in Ayurveda

In Ayurveda, holy basil is one of the oldest and most used herbs. It provides the backbone of multiple treatments among Ayurvedic physicians, who consider it—along with soma and lotus—one of the three most sacred herbs of India. Tulsi directly translates as “incomparable,” and ancient Ayurvedic texts call it the “elixir of life”. Holy basil is believed to promote longevity, and to support the energy of attachment, which energy draws prosperity near and keeps it in our lives. In addition, Ayurveda considers all basils heart exhilarants, useful to increase joy and happiness.

Generally speaking, Ayurveda promotes holy basil as one of the best herbs for stress relief and anxiety disorders. Other traditional uses include treating coughs, diarrhea, intestinal issues, fevers, arthritis, hiccups, skin conditions, malaria, diabetes, dementia, and acne. 

Recent studies on holy basil

Recent scientific research has tested these age-old uses for holy basil and determined that the plant extract has multiple therapeutic actions, including adaptogenic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, cardio-protective, and immunomodulatory effects. Serious attention is being given to its potential use in several conditions, like treating diabetes, normalizing blood sugar and blood fats (like cholesterol and triglycerides), and helping with cardiovascular diseases. Holy basil has also been shown to decrease shortness of breath and bronchospasm in asthma patients, kill microbes including bacteria and fungi, and stimulate the immune system. These studies validate its historic use, and continue to demonstrate the health benefits of this ancient herb. 

References: American Botanical Council review on Holy Basil  |  Holy Basil as an Immune Booster  |  Basil: A Brief Summary of Potential Health Benefits

Holy Basil Reference | Tulsi – Ocimum Sanctum: A Herb for All Reasons

Written by: Greta de la Montagne, RH (Registered Herbalist), AHG (American Herbalists Guild), and Lake Missoula’s herbalist consultant and blogger. Edited by Heather Kreilick and Boo Curry.