Basil is a common aromatic herb.
Perhaps you know it as a spice herb, but there’s a lot more than that.
There are many benefits of basil that makes it well-known for its immunity-enhancing properties. Basil extract, or basil essential oil, is proven to help prevent a wide range of health conditions, which makes it one of the most important medicinal herbs known today. It was used in herbal treatments for thousands of years and is considered a sacred herb.
This amazing herb is known as an anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and powerful adaptogen — meaning it helps the body to respond to stress and fight disease. It has a mild soothing and sedative effects that could be useful in the treatment of nervous irritability, depression, anxiety, and sleep difficulties.
One of the key benefits of basil essential oil is the ability to help fight free radical damage while protecting DNA structure and cells. Basil contains two important water-soluble flavonoid antioxidants, known as orientin and vicenary, which help protect white blood cells responsible for immune function, as well as cellular structures where DNA is stored.
Antioxidants found in basil keep chromosomes from becoming altered and result in cell mutations and cancerous cell growth. Oxidative stress occurs inside the body due to the effects of toxins in the diet, environmental pollution, and radiation — but antioxidants like the kind found in basil help fight oxidation and slow down the effects of aging.
Basil contains powerful essential oils, including eugenol, citronellol, and linalool. These are enzyme-inhibiting oils that help lower inflammation, which is at the root of most diseases like heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel conditions.
Basil is able to increase antioxidant activity, positively alter gene expressions, induce cancerous-cell apoptosis (death of harmful cells), and stop cancerous tumors from spreading.
Antibacterial Properties
Another benefit of basil essential oils is to provide protection against harmful bacterial growth. In studies, basil extract is even shown to be helpful in inhibiting resistant strains of bacteria that don’t respond to antibiotic treatments.
When researchers from the Medical University of Lodz in Poland tested the antibacterial activity of basil oil against strains of E. coli and other powerful bacteria that were gathered from sick patients with infections, the results showed that basil was effective in acting against the bacteria strains and helping to inhibit their growth.
Contains Antimicrobial Properties that Fight Viruses and Infections
Basil essential oils have been found to exhibit anti-microbial activity against a wide range of bacteria, yeasts, molds, and viruses. This means you can add protection against the candida virus and various forms of skin irritations to the long list of proven benefits of basil.
This herb is used across the world because of its health and nutritional benefits, aroma, and scent. It is considered as holy in some transitions and used in rituals. Basil’s purpose is to help, cleanse and soothe for many centuries to come.
