For Facts Sake: 7 Stress-less Facts about Tulsi

Wouldn’t it feel great to improve the way you respond to stress? Take a leaf (or leaves) from ancient Ayurveda’s book and try Tulsi. Yes, the wonder-herb Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil and commonly served as a tea, has been proven to contain stress-relieving adaptogens that can give the ‘S-word’ a good old dunking. Here are 7 facts about Tulsi that will see you breathing a huge sigh of relief.

FACT 1: TULSI GOES BY MANY NAMES WHICH INDICATE HER INCREDIBLE POWER

Tulsi who? You may never have heard of Tulsi but believe you me, in India, where it is commonly grown, it is revered as a sacred ingredient that has many benefits, including working wonders on relieving stress.Tulsi has been revered for over 5000 years by ancient sages, rishis, Ayurvedic texts and the Hindu tradition. It’s considered the holiest of plants by Hindus and is used in Ayurvedic medicine and treatment. Tulsi is also considered to be so effective that it is known by not one, two or three but by more than four other names – all of them hinting at its ‘wonder properties’. You may find Tulsi referred to as Holy Basil, as Mother Medicine of Nature, The Queen of Herbs or The Incomparable One.

FACT 2: TULSI IS IN THE SAME FAMILY AS BASIL 

Tulsi is a member of the Lamiacae family – the same one as everyday culinary basil (so the name Holy Basil kind of makes sense). Although they have that family tree in common that’s where the similarities end. You might not want to sprinkle Tulsi leaves on a plate of ‘Spag. Bol’ because it tastes completely different. You do, however, want to put it in your mouth. Push the al dente pasta to one side and instead steep a Tulsi teabag in a cup of hot water or pop it in your mouth in capsule form.

FACT 3: TULSI IS AN ADAPTOGEN 

Adapto-whato? Well, you take the word ‘adapt’ which means to ‘modify, change or adjust’ and then add ‘gen’ which means ‘one that generates or produces’. You then add an ‘o’ (I’ll explain that bit in a minute). Still not got it? It may help to liken adaptogens to an internal personal trainer that builds-up the body’s defences and boosts resistance to the ‘stressors’ that we face in our day-to-day lives. Once ingested, adaptogens can help the body cope with stressful situations, enhance concentration, promote longevity and, just like a real PT, strengthen you physically. And guess what? Tulsi’s heady mix of antioxidants, antimicrobials and anti-inflammatory properties all come together to make it regarded as one of the most potent adaptogens. Amazing, isn’t it? And that, my friends, is where the ‘o’ comes in!

FACT 4: TULSI ISN’T JUST STRESS RELIEVING, IT’S PROTECTING

Yes, a cup of Tulsi can have some brewtiful results on your stress levels. However, as well as stress relief it has been traditionally used, over a period of time, to assist chest complaints such as asthma and coughs; stomach issues like diarrhoea, indigestion, vomiting, gastropathy, and even insect, snake and scorpion bites. Oh, and did I mention that it has traditionally been used to protect buildings? Yes, gardeners at the Taj Mahal have planted beds of the wonder herb to detoxify the environment and protect the magnificent palace from the damaging effects of pollution.

FACT 5: TULSI MAKES A GREAT TRAVEL COMPANION 

Blow up pillow, eye shades, 10,000 page novel, tea bags… Wait. Did someone say tea bags? Yes, Tulsi is an ideal drink to have before, during and after travel. We get bombarded by emotional, mental and physical stressors whilst travelling but by drinking Tulsi Tea you can mop up all those nasty irritants and avoid hazardous health slip-ups. Don’t forget, travel stress can show itself in many guises so it’s just as well that Holy Basil can do battle using its fighting force of antioxidants, antimicrobials and anti-inflammatories to rid you of those other nasty and inconvenient travel complaints such as infection and fatigue.

FACT 6: TULSI WORKS. SIMPLE.

You’d expect there to be a lot of white coats involved in making sure that Tulsi does what it says on the tin, and you’d be right. When it comes to how effective it is at relieving stress, researchers carried out a six week, randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled experiment involving 150 people. A bit of calculator bashing later and the results showed that Tulsi not only significantly improved scores for general stress but also helped forgetfulness, frequent feelings of exhaustion, sexual difficulties and sleep problems. Phew.

FACT 7: MAKE A SWISH

Just when you thought it couldn’t do anything else there’s one more thing. If the thought of pongy, stale breath is enough to stress you out, worry no more. When you next drink your Tulsi Tea be sure to use the first few mouthfuls as a mouthwash. Swish the tea around your mouth and in-between your teeth as it’s great at getting rid of bad breath, ulcers and plaque. Now that’s refreshing news!

Tulsi – Holy Basil is the feature in each of ORGANIC INDIA’s teas, making each blend incredibly special and unlike you’ve experienced before. Although Tulsi is still virtually unknown to the western world, it is a complex herb with an extensive list of added benefits, promoting a healthy response to stress and whole body health. Enjoy a mug or two today!