Health Benefits Of Basil 1. Anti-Oxidant Basil contains polyphenolic flavonoids such as vicenin and orientin. These compounds are found to have anti-oxidant protection against oxidation of lipid caused by radiation. Benefits • Eat fresh basil leaves regularly to get best anti- oxidant effect • The anti-oxidant effect helps to prevent the bad effects of free radicals on health including preventing cancer. 2. Fever And Common Cold Basil leaves are one of the best remedies for fever and common cold. Juice of basil leaves are effective in bringing down high temperature. You can reduce the risk of malaria and dengue fever by consuming the tender leaves of basil. How To Use? • Chew fresh basil leaves to get relief from cold and flu • You can boil the leaves in water and consume the leaves as well as the water • To reduce acute fever make a decoction of basil leaves along with powdered cardamom in one cup of water and consume it several times day. 3. Boosting Immune System It has been proved that the chemical compounds found I n basil leaves is capable of boosting the production of antibodies by about 20 %. These antibodies help our body to fight against various infections. Benefits • Consuming basil leaves helps to prevent infections and to improve the immune system • Consuming fresh leaves is better than consuming it in dried form to boost the immune system. You can just chew some leaves of basil every day to purify the blood and to fight infections. 4. Cough This herb is an important constituent of cough syrups and expectorants. The various compounds present in basil mobilize the mucous. It is an effective treatment for curing bronchitis and asthma. How To Use? • Boil a cup of water with 8-10 basil leaves and five cloves for about 10 minutes. Allow this to cool and consume it to get relief from cough. • For sore throat due to cough, gargle using the water in which basil leaves are boiled. 5. Anti-Inflammatory Basil contains essential oils like eugenol, citral, linalool, terpineol etc. These essential oils help in reducing the inflammations. How To Use? • You can boil 10-20 basil leaves in water and consume it to reduce inflammations in the body • You can also apply a paste of basil leaves with lemon juice on the inflamed area to reduce infections. • This is highly effective for reducing the rashes and inflammations caused by eczema. 6. Lung And Oral Cavity Cancers Basil leaves are good source of vitamin A. Vitamin A helps to maintain the mucus membranes and skin in proper health. It has been found that vitamin-A help the body to prevent lung and oral cavity cancer. Benefits • This herb is easy to consume in fresh or dried form and it will provide 24% of the daily intake for women and 19% for men. • Since they prevent the formation of free radicals in the body they are effective in preventing cancer. 7. Oral Health Enhancement Basil helps to maintain oral health. Various periodontal diseases can be prevented by the regular use of basil. It can fight off pyorrhea and bad breath. How To Use? • Dry the basil leaves in the sun for two to three days. Make a powder from them and use it to brush the teeth regularly. • Massaging the gums with this powder will help to get rid of bad breath. 8. Improves Eyesight The vitamin A present in basil leaves is essential for proper eye sight. Lower level of vitamin a in the body can cause night blindness. You can also prevent sore eyes with basil How To Use? • You can consume the basil leaves to prevent night blindness • Put two drops of basil juice daily into the affected eye to clear sore eyes. 9. Stress Reduction Basil leaves has anti -stress properties and helps in providing stress reduction. According to expert’s opinion, consuming basil daily reduces the stress disorders. How To Use? • Chew 10 to 12 basil leaves twice a day to keep away stress • You can put 8-10 leaves in two tablespoon of water and keep it over night. You can consume these along with water next day morning to bust stress. 10. Acne Prevention This herb is effective in preventing the acne outbreaks and also helps to heal acne lesions. The leaves have anti-bacterial property which helps to fight the bacteria that causes the infection. Basil is also effective in treating other skin problems like ring worm, psoriasis and insect bites. How To Use? • Apply basil juice to the acne affected areas to destroy the bacteria causing clogged pores. • Make a paste of basil leaves and turmeric and apply it on acne affected areas • Mix the juice of basil and honey and apply it on the skin affected by acne. 11. Kidney Stone Elimination Basil improves the overall functioning of the kidneys. The chemicals in the juice of basil leaves will help in the breaking down the kidney stones and eliminate them through urinary tract. How To Use? • Consume five to six basil leaves along with half cup water on an empty stomach • Mix fresh basil juice with equal amount of honey and drink the mix every day for a few months to eliminate kidney stones 12. Stomach Problems Basil is an excellent cure for stomach problems. It helps in the proper functioning of the digestive system. Basil juice is highly effective in treating the stomach aches and cramps. You can get instant relief from stomach pain by consuming the juice of basil. Consuming basil is very effective in treating problems like indigestion, constipation, acidity and piles. How To Use? • For stomach ache mix one teaspoon of basil juice with one teaspoon of ginger juice. • You can drink basil tea to cure constipation indigestion etc. 13. Cures Skin Problems Basil leaves have anti bacterial and anti septic properties and hence is used for treating skin problems. It is used for the treatment of leucoderma by naturopaths. Most of the skin diseases can be cured using the basil juice. It is very effective in treating ring worm infections and other fungal infections of the skin. It is also effective in treating insect bites. How To Use? • Consume one teaspoon of basil leaf extract twice daily to cure skin infections and to treat insect bites. • You can also apply the fresh juice of basil directly on the skin affected by infections or insect bite. 14. Relieves Headache Basil helps the muscles in the body to relax and hence it is a good medicine for treating head ache. Tension and tight muscles are the main cause of head ache. The basil soothes the muscles and relaxes them providing relief from headache. How To Use? • Make a paste of basil leaves with sandal wood and water and put on the fore head. This will provide a cooling and soothing effect and relieves the tension of the muscles. • You can drink basil tea twice a day to get relief from head ache • If you have mild head ache chewing some basil leaves or massaging the head with basil oil will be effective. 15. Respiratory Disorders Basil is one of the best cures for various disorders of the respiratory system. It reduces the inflammation of the respiratory tract and makes breathing smooth. It can fight the various infections of the system. This is an effective remedy for asthma, influenza, bronchitis etc. How To Use? • Make a decoction of basil leaves and mix it with honey and juice of ginger and consume it twice a day. • If you are suffering from influenza or common cold, make a decoction of basil leaves with cloves and common salt and consume it to get instant relief. Boil 15-20 leaves in one glass of water and reduce it to half a glass to make the decoction.
Posted on: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 08:55:03 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015