Tulsi: first-aid in a teacup

Stress is a common part of modern daily life. To cope with stress we often plan travel holidays but even these holidays can place stress on your body and health. Travellers often arrive feeling wrung out, anxious, tired and queasy, with bad breath, stiff muscles, aching joints and a greater chance of headache, gastroenteritis, deep venous thrombosis and upper respiratory tract and other infections. A review of the hundreds of scientific studies of the plant Ocimum sanctum, commonly known as tulsi, or holy basil, reveals that tulsi is the ideal solution for these modern challenges.

Tulsi: The “incomparable one”

Tulsi is revered within India as being without equal for its medicinal and spiritual properties. The tulsi plant is regarded as the holiest of all plants by Hindus and, within Ayurveda, tulsi is known as “the incomparable one”, “the queen of herbs” and considered an “elixir of life” and a potent adaptogen that promotes longevity.

As spa treatments become increasingly popular worldwide for unwinding and coping with the stresses of modern living, tulsi could well become the favoured complementary herbal tea in spas and hotels, as well as a valued travellers’ ally.

Tulsi in action

It may seem strange that tulsi, which is considered the most potent medicinal herb in India, is relatively unknown in the West. The reason for this may be tulsi’s greatest quality as an adaptogen, a concept not acknowledged in the West.

Adapting to stress

Adaptogens are agents that help the body cope with stress, enhance physical and mental health and promote longevity. Adaptogens are therefore primarily used by healthy people to improve defences and increase resistance to a broad spectrum of harmful physical, chemical and biological stressors.

Tulsi has a unique combination of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and other actions that combine to help the body and mind adapt to and cope with a wide range of physical, emotional, chemical and infectious stresses. Tulsi’s unique pharmacological activity particularly helps address many issues faced by modern air travellers, such as infection, fatigue, thrombosis, anxiety and dealing with restraint, noise, hypoxia, (from oxygen reduction), radiation, industrial chemicals and poor sleep.

The beneficial effects of Tulsi have been demonstrated in numerous animal experiments, and human trials have shown that tulsi can improve general anxiety and stress scores, relieve symptoms such as forgetfulness and feelings of exhaustion and assist with sexual and sleep problems.

Taking the pressure off travel

Despite being pressurised, an aircraft flying at cruising altitude has cabin air with approximately 20–25 per cent less oxygen than at sea level. At a height of around 10km, aircraft are also less protected from cosmic radiation by Earth’s atmosphere, with even greater radiation exposure occurring on flight paths further away from the Equator.

Ionising radiation causes harmful biological effects by directly damaging living tissues and cells and disrupting molecules such as DNA, yet tulsi has been shown in multiple experiments to protect against such damage. Tulsi has also been shown to protect against radioactive iodine, a significant contributor to the health hazards from nuclear accidents as well as a range of environmental chemicals and other toxins.

Kicking the travel bugs

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US currently lists over 60 infectious diseases related to travel (wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/diseases) and travellers are more prone to infections due to greater exposure to different pathogens and the immune-suppressant effects of travel stress. Yet recent research suggests that tulsi may support the human immune system in fighting off infections while at the same time suppressing many bugs.

Tulsi has an extraordinarily broad range of antimicrobial actions with experiments showing that it has activity against bacteria, viruses, fungi and various parasites, including malaria parasites and some parasitic worms. Tulsi’s broad antibacterial activity has led to it being used as a sanitiser, for water purification and as a herbal handwash.

Mouth health

As a mouthwash, tulsi tea can treat bad breath and mouth ulcers and prevent dental plaque. So you may benefit from swishing and gargling your tulsi tea before swallowing it.

Environmental protection

While regular consumption of tulsi tea has been shown to assist in the detoxification from environmental chemicals, tulsi plants have also been shown to detoxify the environment and reduce air pollution. This has led to thousands of tulsi plants being grown around the Taj Mahal in Agra to help protect the iconic marble building from environmental pollution damage.

Treatment as a treat

While herbal therapies are often bitter-tasting concoctions, tulsi tea is a flavoursome, caffeine-free herbal tonic that is a treat served either hot or cold. The pleasant taste and clove-like aroma of tulsi are attributed, at least in part, to its eugenol content, which also confers medicinal antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These properties bring a host of beneficial protective effects and, when taken on a regular basis, tulsi serves as preventive treatment for a wide range of conditions.

You should take tulsi every four to six hours to help cope with stress or while travelling. If using tulsi for travel, preferably start taking it the day before you leave and continue until the day after you return. If you prefer tulsi in capsule form, you should take one gram a day as a preventive measure or two grams a day if you are already feeling unwell.

• References available on request.