1. Fever and common cold:
The tulsi medicinal uses begins with the ability of the leaves to cure many kinds of fever.
- Tender Tulsi leaves boiled in water acts as a preventive against malaria and dengue fever.
- In case of acute fever, a decoction of the leaves boiled with
cardamom power in half a litre of water mixed with sugar and milk brings
down the temperature.
Tulsi is also a good germicidal agent and a disinfectant that protects the human body from all types of viral infection.
2. Cough and Respiratory Problems:
Chewing Tulsi leaves also cures cough and flu. It helps to mobilize
mucous in bronchitis and asthma attacks. A decoction of leaves with
honey and ginger is an effective remedy against bronchitis, asthma,
influenza and cold. A decoction of leaves, cloves and common salt also
relieves influenza.
Water boiled with basil leaves can be taken as a drink in case of
sore throat. You can also gargle with this water to soothe sore throat.
Tulsi is an important ingredient in the preparation of cough syrups and
expectorant.
3. Kidney stone:
One of the tulsi plant uses is that its leaves have a strengthening
effect on the kidneys. In case of renal stones, the consumption of juice
of basil leaves mixed with honey help removes these stones through the
urinary tract. Tulsi being a detoxifying agent can help to reduce uric
acid level which is the main reason behind kidney stones.
4. Heart disorder:
Basil is very beneficial in combating cardiac disease and the
weakness resulting from it. It reduces blood cholesterol level. Tulsi
also contains Vitamin C and other anti-oxidants such as Eugenol which
protects the heart from harmful effects of free radicals. Tulsi can also
reduce blood pressure and thus is useful for heart patients.
5. Children’s ailments:
- Common paediatric problems like cough, cold diarrhea and vomiting respond favourably to tulsi juice.
- Basil leaves taken with honey keeps chicken pox at bay.
- If a baby is given tulsi juice regularly before teething, it helps
grow teeth easily without any of the usual teething troubles. Massaging
the gums with a mixture of tulsi leaves and honey will also help.
- Giving children a mixture of tulsi juice and honey helps bring relief to cough and sore throat too.
- Warm tulsi juice gets rid of the worms in the stomach.
6. Teeth disorder:
The leaves are also useful in treating teeth disorders. Tulsi leaves
dried and powdered can be used for brushing teeth. It can also be mixed
with mustard oil and can be used as a tooth paste. It maintains the
health of the gums and helps to counteract bad breath, pyorrhoea and
other dental problems. This tooth paste can also be rubbed on the gums
to hinder gum inflammation.
Tulsi is also used as a mouth wash to relieve tooth ache. Tulsi is an
excellent mouth freshener and oral disinfectant and destroys 99% of
germs and bacteria found in the mouth. These leaves are quite effective
for several mouth infections like ulcer.
7. Headache:
Basil leaves are a good medicine for headache. Pounded leaves mixed
with sandalwood paste can be applied on the forehead for relief from
headache.
8. Eye disorder:
Basil juice is an effective remedy for sore eyes and night blindness,
which is generally caused by lack of Vitamin A. Two drops of basil
juice can work wonders for the eyes. It soothes eyes and reduces
stress. Also it can protect from conjunctivitis, boils and other
problems of the eyes which are caused mainly due to bacterial and fungal
infections by washing eyes with water soaked in tulsi leaves.
9. Stomach problems:
Several stomach problems like acidity, constipation and flatulence
can also be cured with tulsi leaves. Tulsi supports digestive system and
makes you feel less bloated and more comfortable. It also helps people
suffering from vomiting and lack of appetite.
10. Diabetes:
Tulsi is one of the many herbs that help to control blood sugar level
in a person. It reduces the blood sugar level by causing a sudden or
drastic drop.
11. Pain relief:
Tulsi plant acts like a COX-2 inhibitor and benefits people with
painful medical condition. Some Compounds found in tulsi helps to ease
inflammatory and neurological pain and has no side effects whatsoever.
Tulsi is also used in the treatment of ulcers, cuts and wounds because
of its beneficial antiseptic and healing properties.
12. Anti-cancer:
Tulsi is anti-carcinogenic in nature and helps to treat some forms of
cancer including breast cancer. Tulsi restricts the blood vessels that
feed tumours. It also helps to inhibit the growth of oral cancer that it
caused due to tobacco. But tulsi should not be used as a sole treatment
of cancer however.
13. Stress reliever:
The anti-oxidants present in Tulsi help in balancing different
processes of the body. Drinking Tulsi extract daily smoothes the nervous
system and helps to relieve stress.
14. Lung disorder:
Several compounds present in tulsi like Vitamin C, camphene, Eugenol
can cure lung congestion. They have proven to be effective in healing
damage caused by smoking, tuberculosis etc.
15. Insect bite:
This herb also prevents insect stings and bites. A teaspoon of fresh
juice should be applied on the affected areas and repeated after a few
hours. A paste of fresh roots is also effective in case of bites of
insects and leeches.
Apply a paste of Tulsi leaves and roots ground together on the sting
of the scorpion. It will completely eliminate the effects of poison.
Also in such cases, crushing a few leaves of Tulsi and mixing it with
lemon helps too. Apply it on the area of the sting and it will cure the
problem. The pain caused by the sting can be reduced by drinking Tulsi
juice and also by applying it on the sting.
16. Helps to quit smoking:
Tulsi can also help you immensely if you are trying to quit smoking.
It is more helpful than nicotine gums and candies which claim to keep
you distracted from your need of smoking. Keep some fresh tulsi leaves
in your pocket and munch whenever you feel the urge to smoke. The tulsi
juice will cool your throat just as the mint drops do and chewing will
distract you. The anti-oxidant will actually help you to undo the damage
done by years of smoking.
B. Skin care benefits of Tulsi:
Time and again, this wonder herb has proved itself to be one of the
most essential ingredients used in herbal skin care products. The beauty
benefits of tulsi plants are plenty. It helps in maintaining a healthy
skin and shiny hair. Tulsi extracts make the most organic solution for
your skin and hair problems. Tulsi is endowed with antiseptic and
purifying qualities which help to prevent skin diseases. Some of them
have been listed below.
17. Tulsi works very well on eczema, acne and pimples and many
cosmetic companies use Tulsi as an ingredient in skin ointments due to
its anti-bacterial properties. People suffering from scabies and eczema
should drink Tulsi juice to help cure it.
18. Tulsi works great on the skin, whether you eat raw leaves or
apply a paste to the face. When eaten raw, it purifies the blood from
toxins and prevents appearance of acne and pimples. You can also make a
toner by boiling Tulsi leaves in water. Let it cool for 15 minutes and
then apply on the acne affected areas. This remedy will not only help
eliminate pimples but will also impart an instant glow to the skin and
will smooth the skin out completely.
19. Besan and tulsi paste face pack is a popular pack to get rid of
scar marks and get a clean and even skin tone. Skin whitening effects of
besan lightens the appearance of scars and black marks and Tulsi kills
the bacteria that lead to acne.
20. Rubbing finely powdered dry tulsi on the face like a loose powder makes the face glow and removes dark spots from the face.
21. Tulsi leaves contain anti-bacterial and anti-fungal compounds. A
paste made of Tulsi leaves along with sandalwood paste and rose water
can be applied on the face as it helps to prevent inflammation.
22. The antioxidants present in Tulsi makes you look younger and
fresher. Tulsi is very healthy for the skin. It works well as a skin and
hair moisturizer too.
23. Skin with blemishes can also benefit from Tulsi leaves. Make a
face pack using one egg white and Tulsi leaves paste. Then rub the
mixture gently on the face particularly on the infected areas of the
skin. Wash off the face pack after 20 minutes scrubbing it gently. The
egg white used will tighten the pores while the tulsi paste will
disinfect the skin and prevent infections which cause pimples and acne.
24. Using tulsi paste and lemon helps to cure ring worms.
25. Continued ingestion of powdered tulsi roots and leaves is believed to cure all skin diseases.
26. Another good remedy for treating all types of skin diseases is
boiling tulsi in mustard oil till the oil turns black. Let it cool, then
strain the oil and apply all over the body during winters. This
promotes quick healing. Application of tulsi juice on the boils is
beneficial and gives relief too.
27. Apply tulsi paste for relief from skin irritations caused due to plucking of the hair.
28. Dry tulsi leaves in a shade, add alum, grind and sieve well and
store the powder in a clean glass bottle. Apply the powder on wounds and
cuts. Pain due to burns can be alleviated by applying equal amounts of
Tulsi juice and coconut oil mixed in it.
29. Rubbing tulsi leaves on areas that itch gives quick relief.
Itching can also be soothed by applying a mixture of Tulsi and lemon
juice.
C. Hair Care benefits of tulsi
Dry and damaged hair is often a cause of concern for beauties.
Further high pollution in cities and several other factors combine to
wreak havoc on our crowning glory and damage our hair to the very roots.
It is highly important to keep ourselves hydrated and eat a balance
diet to ward off hair problems. Always rely on herbal products and homemade remedies for hair problems
rather than using over the counter, chemical laden hair care products
which do nothing but make the matter worse for us. Tulsi is a wonder
herb which helps to achieve lustrous shiny and healthy hair.
30. One of the major causes of hair loss is dandruff and dry scalp.
Add a small quantity of Tulsi oil to regular carrier oil like coconut
oil and massage well on your scalp. Tulsi helps to improve the blood
circulation and keeps your scalp cool reducing itchiness and dandruff
and promotes hair growth. You can also apply tulsi paste which keeps the
scalp, roots clean and keeps the dandruff at bay.
31. A paste of tulsi, hibiscus and neem leaves can be applied on the hair to keep it healthy and itch free.
32. Regular massage of tulsi oil in your scalp energizes you and your hair.
33. Tulsi has a complex constitution that includes immunity booster,
adaptogens and anti-oxidants. Hence, tulsi juice when taken every week
keeps our scalp healthy and hydrated.
Apart from all these benefits, it has been recently discovered that
tulsi has environmental benefits too. Tulsi apparently gives out oxygen
for 20 hours and ozone for 4 hours along with the formation of nascent
oxygen which absorbs harmful gases like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide
and sulphur dioxide from the environment.
