Tulsi

Aka: Holy Basil
Krishna Tulsi is the purple variety

rich in vitamin c and zinc.

tastes absolutely dreadful.

the leaves have antibacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties.

reduces cortisol (meaning you'll store less belly fat), balances your HPA axis (the central stress response system), and improves how well your body adapts to physical and mental stress (adaptogen).
trials show significant improvements in stress, anxiety, sleep quality, mood, and cognitive function.
Krishna Tulsi (purple variety) is slightly more potent for stress.
good for chronic stress, burnout, generalized anxiety disorder, sleep disturbances from stress, mental fatigue, brain fog, mood swings, stress-related digestive issues, and general nervous system rebuilding.

orientin and vicenin only protects healthy cells from radiation damage, not cancer cells. which means radiation therapy can be more effective AND cause less collateral damage.
natural radiation protector, with clinical evidence supporting use in cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.
head and neck cancer patients on tulsi supplementation during radiation therapy had significantly less mucositis (mouth sores from radiation), less salivary gland damage, less bone marrow damage, and less overall radiation-induced oxidative damage.
take 500-1000mg of standardized tulsi extract daily during and after radiation treatment, or drink 3-4 cups of tulsi tea daily.
useful for cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy, workers exposed to medical or industrial radiation, post-CT scan support, post-radioiodine treatment recovery, and general radiation exposure recovery.

lowers blood sugar, reduces insulin resistance, and improves the lipid profile in type 2 diabetes. documented HbA1c reduction and fasting glucose reduction.

protects your heart from stress-induced damage, reduces cholesterol and triglycerides, mildly lowers blood pressure, and protects cardiac tissue from oxidative damage after heart attack.
showed cardioprotective effects in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction models.

kills breast, colon, lung, oral, liver, prostate, and skin cancer cells in lab studies.
eugenol, ursolic acid, rosmarinic acid triggers cancer cell death, block cancer signaling pathways, and protect healthy DNA from damage.
rosmarinic acid provides DNA protection from carcinogens.

loosens thick mucus, kills respiratory bacteria, relaxes airway muscles (helps with asthma), and reduces bronchial inflammation.

tulsi kills a broad range of bacteria like staph, strep, E. coli, pseudomonas, klebsiella, salmonella, fungi (candida, athlete's foot), and viruses (herpes, hepatitis).

helps to treat insect bites and protects us from diseases such as dengue, malaria, etc.
is also used to keep insects and mosquitoes away.

activates Nrf2 (glutathione production and 200+ protective genes), AMPK (the master energy-sensing pathway), and autophagy (cellular self-cleanup).
also has senolytic activity (killing "zombie" cells that accumulate with aging) through luteolin and apigenin.
lipofuscin reduction.

tulsi blocks the cytokine cascade that drives sepsis through NF-kappaB inhibition, while also directly killing the bacteria most likely to cause hospital sepsis (staph, E. coli, klebsiella, pseudomonas).
useful as adjunct support during severe bacterial infection, post-surgical sepsis risk, or recovery from sepsis.

this is mad important for a lot of young people right now -
tulsi improves cognitive function, sustained attention, memory, and reduces mental fatigue. protects your brain from cortisol-induced damage (chronic stress literally shrinks the hippocampus, the brain region for memory), and the rosmarinic acid protects neurons.

eugenol is used in professional dental practice for temporary fillings and toothache treatment.
chewing fresh tulsi leaves reduces bad breath, kills the bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease, provides temporary toothache relief, and reduces gum inflammation.

prevents cataract formation by reducing glycation damage to eye lens proteins.
orientin and vicenin protects retinal tissue from oxidative damage.

reduces acne, heals wounds faster, protects skin from UV damage, prevents wrinkles (blocks enzymes that break down collagen and elastin), and treats eczema and fungal skin infections.
apply crushed leaves topically, use as a face wash (strong cooled tea), or take internally.
perhaps you can pour tulsi extract into lotion or some skin care products.

documented mercury and chromium accumulation activity, but not commercially used.

normalizes body temperature during a fever.

used to cure sore throat and tonsilitis.

increases appetite, balances acid reflux and maintains ph levels.

the leaves activate the metabolism rate in our body, thus increasing the fat-burning process.

can cause uterine contractions in pregnant women.

don’t take too much cuz it’ll cause an eugenol overdose. Eugenol is said to reduce respiratory problems, but an overdose could result in poisoning. The common symptoms of the same include fast breathing, blood present in the urine, and blood while coughing.