Chinese herbal medicines for type 2 diabetes mellitus.
However, these findings should be carefully interpreted due to the low methodological quality, small sample size, and limited number of trials.PubMed 15266492 ↗
Open Source Apothecary At Home / The herbs
Holy basil (tulsi)
An adaptogen with modest trial evidence, and one of the easiest aromatic plants to grow in a pot. — Ocimum tenuiflorum
remedyHoly basil or tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is the aromatic basil of Ayurvedic tradition and one of the standard "adaptogens" — a useful term precisely because it has no accepted pharmacological definition, which is worth knowing before paying a premium for it.
What the trials suggest. Small randomised trials of tulsi have shown reductions in stress markers and improvements in general wellbeing, and there is some evidence for blood-sugar effects and for respiratory symptoms. The trials are small, often short, and frequently of modest methodological quality.
The honest reading of "adaptogen". Adaptogens are claimed to normalise the stress response in either direction. There is no agreed mechanism, no standardised measure, and the literature is dominated by small studies and traditional-use framing. Tulsi is pleasant, safe and cheap; that is a good reason to grow it, and it is not the same as a demonstrated treatment.
Where it genuinely fits. Tulsi makes a good everyday tea, is easy to grow in a pot, and is a reasonable substitute for anyone who finds caffeine unpleasant. Its blood-sugar evidence is interesting but not strong enough to matter to someone with diabetes.
Tulsi is not sweet basil — different species, different aroma, and the culinary basil is not a substitute.
What the studies found
Promising traditional Indian medicinal plants for the management of novel Coronavirus disease: A systematic review.
The study identified some important potential traditional Indian medicinal herbs such as Ocimum tenuiflorum, Tinospora cordifolia, Achyranthes bidentata, Cinnamomum cassia, Cydonia oblonga, Embelin ribes, Justicia adhatoda, Momordica charantia, Withania somnifera, Zingiber officinale, Camphor, and Kabusura kudineer, which could be used in therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2 infection.PubMed 34132429 ↗
Are Ayurvedic herbs for diabetes effective?
There is heterogeneity in the available literature on Ayurvedic treatment for diabetes.PubMed 16202376 ↗
A randomized clinical study to examine the oral hygiene efficacy of a novel herbal toothpaste with zinc over a 6-month period.
Routine oral hygiene with the test toothpaste formulated with herbal ingredients and zinc demonstrated a clinical adjunctive improvement in oral hygiene and parameters of gingival health as compared to brushing with a fluoride toothpaste.PubMed 33866666 ↗
Potential of native Thai aromatic plant extracts in antiwrinkle body creams.
Antioxidant activities of 10 essential oils and 10 absolutes extracted from Thai aromatic plants were evaluated and compared to thyme oil, trolox, quercetin, and kaempferol by two independent assays: the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH*) radical scavenging assay and the thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) assay for lipid peroxidation.PubMed 26665978 ↗
Growing it
| | | |---|---| | Life | Perennial in the tropics; grown as an annual here | | Propagation | Seed or cuttings — both easy | | Light | Full sun | | Soil | Reasonable fertility; more tolerant of moisture than Mediterranean herbs | | Spacing | 30 cm | | Harvest | Leaf and flowering tops, repeatedly, through the season | | Dry | Shade, ambient | | Note | Easy in a pot; bring in before frost if you want to keep a plant going |
Pinch out the growing tips to keep it bushy, and harvest regularly — like sweet basil, it rewards cutting.
Preparation
Tea — 1-2 teaspoons dried leaf per cup, covered, 5 minutes. The everyday use.
Fresh leaf — chews well, and the leaves are pleasant raw.
Tincture — fresh leaf in alcohol.
Culinary — not a substitute for sweet basil, but good in some dishes.
Note: the trials used extracts and standardised preparations rather than tea, so the tea is a pleasant drink and not a studied treatment.
Cautions and interactions
- "Adaptogen" has no accepted pharmacological definition — do not pay a premium for the word.
- Tulsi may lower blood sugar — caution with diabetes medication.
- May have antiplatelet activity — check with the prescriber if on anticoagulants.
- Avoid medicinal doses in pregnancy without advice.
- Tulsi is not sweet basil — different species.
When this is not a self-care problem — get help
- Persistent high stress, anxiety or low mood that interferes with life — clinical care, not a tea.
Known interactions
- Possible additive effect with blood-sugar-lowering and anticoagulant medication.
Related
Sources
- Chinese herbal medicines for type 2 diabetes mellitus. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews 2004; doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003642.pub2 PubMed 15266492
- Promising traditional Indian medicinal plants for the management of novel Coronavirus disease: A systematic review. Phytotherapy research : PTR 2021; doi:10.1056/NEJMc2001737 PubMed 34132429
- Are Ayurvedic herbs for diabetes effective? The Journal of family practice 2005; PubMed 16202376
- A randomized clinical study to examine the oral hygiene efficacy of a novel herbal toothpaste with zinc over a 6-month period. International journal of dental hygiene 2021; doi:10.1111/idh.12505 PubMed 33866666
- Potential of native Thai aromatic plant extracts in antiwrinkle body creams. Journal of cosmetic science 2015; PubMed 26665978