Herbal Remedies: Tulsi Tea for Health and Stress Relief

One of my favorite reasons for using herbal remedies is to enhance my health and well-being. My search for these herbal allies led me to a few herbal superstars.

Used appropriately, these wonder-herbs protect us from the ravages of chronic stress and help our immune systems function optimally. Herbs that are rich in vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals help to replenish energy reserves and support the overall health of our bodies.

One herbal superstar is Holy Basil, also known as Tulsi. This herb is unique in that it seems to support the health of a variety of organs and systems in the body.

Tulsi has been valued as a healing herb in India for thousands of years. In Ayurevedic medicine, it's classified as "an herb that nourishes a person's growth to perfect health and promotes long life".

Tulsi has such a wide variety of impressive health benefits that the claims made about it almost seem too good to be true. But according to recent research, Tulsi seems to be living up to its reputation.

Holy Basil owes its fine reputation to its rich chemical makeup of antioxidants and plant compounds.

In the west, Tulsi is perhaps most valued as an adaptogenic herb. These herbss help you better handle the effects of physical, environmental and emotional stress. They help restore and move the body towards balance and health.

When using adapogens, you might feel a bit more relaxed right away. After a few weeks of regular use, you may notice that you have more energy and get stressed less frequently. Please keep in mind that the health benefits of Tulsi and other adaptogens are cumulative over time. It may take a few months to fully realize the benefits.

If all Tulsi did was help your body adapt to stress, that would be noteworthy in itself. But it's value goes way beyond stress-relief.

Since holy basil supports your immune system, and has antiviral and antibacterial constituents, you may also notice that you're less susceptible to whatever "bug" is going around.

Tulsi is rich in antioxidants that help protect you from damaging free radicals. It helps lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation, making it an important herb for heart health. It has a balancing effect on blood sugar, and supports the health of your respiratory system, digestive system, liver and pancreas. It is helpful for a variety of skin conditions including excema, psoriasis and wound healing. Current research even supports its use for cancer and arthritis.

Holy basil leaves are available packaged as teas or in bulk from health food stores locally and on-line.

To use tulsi tea for more immediate, or acute, needs, combine it with other herbs. For example, for stress-relief, you can buy tulsi tea blended with jasmine, rose or chamomile. Favor chamomile in the mix if you have a nervous tummy. For coughs try the licorice blend.

You can enjoy your tulsi tea hot or cold. You may want to make enough for a few days - just keep the extra in the refrigerator. It will last for a few days.  If you don't like teas, you can find tulsi in capsule form and in stress remedies combined with other herbs.

If it's true that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, then this "Queen of Herbs" is a worthy addition to your list of herbal remedies. Enjoy a cup or two of your favorite tulsi tea every day to enjoy all it has to offer.