Tulsi tea is made using the tulsi herb, which is also known as holy basil. It grows naturally in Asia and India and belongs to the mint family. It can grow up to 18 inches tall and has purple flowers, and has a scent like cloves.
What is Tulsi tea?
Tulsi tea is good either as a hold or cold drink made from the Tulsi herb leaves and flowers. This tea has been used in India for 1000s of years and it is considered made from a sacred herb due to its perceived healing abilities.
What makes Tulsi Tea healthy?
It is an antioxidant and has adaptogenic properties, as well as anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. These are known to fight stress and aid the immune system, as well as other medicinal properties. Tulsi has no caffeine free and also has valuable vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, zinc, and chlorophyll.
Tulsi tea also has phytochemicals that are good for healthy benefits. These include eugenol, which is an oil that smells like cloves, as well as ursolic, rosmarinic, caryophyllene and oleanolic acids.
Tulsi Tea Health Benefits
Tulsi tea has many different health benefits, these include:
- Lowers cholesterol
- Lowers high blood pressure
- Improves oxygen levels in the body
- Aides digestion
- Treats gastrointestinal illnesses
- Protects liver functions
- Gets rid of biochemicals that can cause cancer or other degenerative problems
- Fights infections
- Fights arthritis inflammation
- Builds stamina
- Promotes mental focus
- Balances the metabolism
Health Conditions Treated with Tulsi Tea
Some of the various illnesses or other conditions that Tulsi Tea has been used to treat include:
Cold and Flu
Tulsi tea can be drunk to help a person treat a cold or the flue due to its anti-viral properties and its infection fighting properties. It is also an expectorant, which helps with coughs. It can also be used to soothe the throat since it has a good taste, especially if it is mixed with some honey.
To use for this you should steep about two and a half grams of the tulsi tea leaves in hot water for about ten minutes and then sweeten if desired and drink a cup every day until the cold is gone.
Diabetes
Tulsi tea has been found to lower blood sugar levels by 18 percent during a 1996 study at the Azad University of Agriculture and Technology in India, published in the “International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. During the study volunteers drank Tulsi tea every day and the control group that drank no Tulsi Tea didn’t have any reductions. Therefore, it may be good to use it along with regular medications for treating diabetes.
Protects during Radiation Therapy
Tulsi tea is also being studied by the University of Maryland Medical Center by having volunteers drink the tea three times a day made with a teaspoon of the tea leaves in hot water steeped for 10 minutes to see if it protects patients during radiation treatments for cancer.
Convulsions
Tulsi tea was studied in 2003 to see if it could be used against convulsions during epilepsy and the results were printed in the “Indian Journal of Experimental Biology.” Tulsi tea was compared to phenytoin, which is a drug used to treat convulsions and this tea was found to be nearly as effective.
Weight Loss
Tulsi tea has been used to help clean out the digestive system, which is said to help promote weight loss, according to a study done in India, but more testing needs to be done to confirm this possible benefit.
More Scientific Studies with Tulsi Tea
Several studies have been done using Tulsi Tea that confirms some of its medicinal effects. For example, in 2007 Dr. Kapil Sethi of the Medical College of Georgia tested to see if Tulsi Tea actually worked to fight stress. It was confirmed that the antioxidants in Tulsi Tea are what work to fight stress.
Possible side effects of Tulsi Tea
Like any herbal concoction, Tulsi team should not be used until you have consulted with your doctor. For instance, it should not be taken with acetaminophen has it has an adverse reaction. Mixing it with this medication has caused drowsiness. Also, don’t mix with aspirin, as it can increase the possibility of bleeding.
Tulsi tea is possibly safe for pregnant women and for nursing women, but you should check with your doctor first before using it to be certain.
All in all, Tulsi tea is a tasty drink that has been used for 1000s of years and is considered sacred and a beverage that has many medicinal benefits. If you would like to try Tulsi tea you can buy it online and in some health food stores.
