Research has shown that tulsi contains many antioxidants that slow down the aging pro-cess. Ayurvedic healing has recongnized this herbal wonder — tulsi — for its holistic health promoting properties for over 5,000 years. With its many health benefits, tulsi is also an adaptogen, which means it can help us stay calm and relaxed during stress. The health and welness applications of ‘holy basil’, or tulsi, as it is called in its native India, date back to around 5,000 years. The far-reaching benefits of this herb are backed up by scientific research. This aromatic herb is actually a principle herb of Ayurveda, the Indian holistic healthcare system which is now gaining ground in the West as well. The people of India have long integrated tulsi into their daily life by incorporating it into religious rituals.

Scientific studies have recognized that the antioxidants, which tulsi contains in abundance, are powerful nutrients that protect our health by fighting against free radicals in our body, thereby preventing damage from oxidation. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that steal electrons from the first thing they encounter, such as a cell wall, or a strand of DNA. The loss of an electron, in turn, oxidizes these cells, which makes them unstable and easily breakable. As this free radical damage continues, cells can no longer perform properly and hence, our tissues begin to degrade and disease sets in.

Studies have demonstrated that antioxidants play a vital role in maintaining good health and reducing the risk of diseases like heart disease, Aezheimer’s, asthma, Parkinson’s and cancer, and may contribute to slowing down the aging process itself. Although many food we eat contain antioxidants, the diets we take do not provide us with all free radical scavengers we need. This is one area where tea can come in handy as several types of tea have been shown to contain healthy antioxidants, including green tea and black tea. However, tulsi’s unique chemistry is highly complex and offers benefits that go over and beyond that of tea. Tulsi contains hundreds of beneficial compounds known as phytochemicals which are non-nutritive compounds containing protective and health promoting properties.

Thus, the blend of tea and tulsi contains all these potential antioxidants and adaptogenics, and immune-enhancing properties to fight stress and help promote our general health in multiple ways bolstering our immune system; improving our digestive system; providing us with a calming effect; promoting healthy metabolism; helping maintain blood sugar levels in the normal range; providing us with skeletal and joint support and supporting normal cholestoral levels.

Meenakshi Das