{"id":8171,"date":"2019-03-01T14:00:29","date_gmt":"2019-03-01T22:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.everywomanover29.com\/blog\/?p=8171"},"modified":"2019-03-01T07:05:57","modified_gmt":"2019-03-01T15:05:57","slug":"tulsi-or-holy-basil-adaptogenic-herb-for-adrenal-support-anxiety-and-anti-stress-effects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.everywomanover29.com\/blog\/tulsi-or-holy-basil-adaptogenic-herb-for-adrenal-support-anxiety-and-anti-stress-effects\/","title":{"rendered":"Tulsi or holy basil: adaptogenic herb for adrenal support, anxiety and anti-stress effects"},"content":{"rendered":"

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One very effective approach for supporting the adrenals, reducing anxiety and providing general anti-stress support is using a herbal adaptogen. One of my favorite herbal adaptogens and one that I have found to be very effective and well tolerated by my clients is tulsi, also known as holy basil or the \u201cElixir of Life\u201d in Ayurveda. I also really like rhodiola. ashwagandha and licorice root but we\u2019ll cover these in another blog.<\/p>\n

As stated in this 2017 paper, The Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Tulsi in Humans: A Systematic Review of the Literature<\/a><\/p>\n

Tulsi, also known as holy basil, is indigenous to the Indian continent and highly revered for its medicinal uses within the Ayurvedic and Siddha medical systems. Many in vitro, animal and human studies attest to tulsi having multiple therapeutic actions including adaptogenic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, and immunomodulatory effects.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The above paper is a review of the literature and the 24 studies that were included, reported favorable therapeutic effects of tulsi for humans and no significant adverse effects. Only one clinical trial reported mild nausea that lasted a short while.<\/p>\n

The authors conclude that the outcome of this review<\/p>\n

reinforces traditional uses and suggests tulsi is an effective treatment for lifestyle-related chronic diseases including diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and psychological stress.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

With regards to psychological stress, three of the clinical studies reviewed<\/p>\n

reported significant reduction in anxiety and stress levels with higher doses of tulsi given over a longer time period.<\/p>\n

The positive effect of tulsi on mood was demonstrated \u2026 with two studies reporting reductions of 31.6%\u201339% in overall stress-related symptoms in patients with psychosomatic problems compared to a control group.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In two of these stress studies the dosage ranged from 300mg to 400mg 3 x day and was taken either before or after a meal. In one stress study, 3g (3,000mg) twice a day was used. In all the stress\/anxiety studies improvements were observed in 4-12 weeks.<\/p>\n

The review also looked at studies on metabolic disorders i.e. type 2 diabetes with \u201cmeasures of blood glucose, lipids, and blood pressure\u201d and studies on immunity, all showing benefits. In one of the immunity studies, the participants were given 10g (10,000mg) \/day for viral hepatitis and symptoms all improved within 2 weeks. I\u2019m sharing this so you can see that the dosage varies depending on the condition and severity of symptoms.<\/p>\n

Adrenal support, anxiety, depression and radiation-protection<\/h2>\n

Here are some additional animal studies that support the use of holy basil or tulsi for adrenal support, for easing anxiety and even depression, and for the anti-stress effect it offers:<\/p>\n