Basil

Also called

Sweet Basil, Genovese Basil, Saint Joseph's Wort, Basil Seeds, Sabja Seeds, Tukmaria Seeds

Older scientific names

Ocimum odorum Salisb.

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

• Basil has been used in many traditional medicine systems:

  • Ayurvedic and Unani medicine (South Asia): fever, cough, colds, digestive problems and reproductive problems.
  • Southeast Asian traditions: gas, stomach ulcers, tuberculosis and ringworm (a fungal skin infection).
  • African traditional medicine: allergic reactions, inflammation and the common cold.
  • Brazilian folk medicine: late periods, indigestion and a stuffy nose.

  Traditional preparations included teas and infusions, steam inhalations, pastes and powders.[4]

• Basil seeds (also called sabja or tukmaria seeds) have traditionally been soaked in water as a refreshing, nourishing food. In Middle Eastern countries they're added to drinks (sharbat) and frozen desserts (faloodeh). In traditional medicine they've been used for:

  • Indigestion and ulcers
  • Diarrhoea
  • Sore throats
  • Kidney problems
  • Long-term constipation and piles
  • Washed and pounded into poultices for sores and sinus problems

  [5]

Laboratory & animal research

Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.

• In lab tests and animal studies, basil has shown a wide range of effects: it acted against several viruses (including SARS-CoV-2, dengue, HIV, herpes simplex, hepatitis B and Zika) and against many bacteria and fungi, including Candida yeast. It also showed antioxidant activity, slowed some breast and brain cancer cells in the lab, had insulin-like effects, improved memory and reduced seizures in mice, reduced swelling in mice, and helped wounds heal when applied to the skin. The review included no human trials. All of this comes from lab, animal or computer-model studies.[4]

  Technical detail: antiviral, antibacterial (Gram-positive and Gram-negative), antifungal (Candida albicans, Aspergillus), antioxidant (DPPH assays), anticancer (breast cancer and glioblastoma cell lines), antidiabetic, neuroprotective and anticonvulsant (mice), anti-inflammatory (carrageenan-induced paw edema in mice) and wound-healing effects in topical formulations.

• Lab analyses show basil seeds are rich in protein, fibre and fats (mostly linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, a plant omega-3), plus calcium, potassium and magnesium, though amounts vary a lot between samples. About a fifth of the seed is a gel-forming fibre (mucilage) that swells when soaked; food makers use it to thicken and stabilize ice cream, puddings and low-fat yogurt and to replace fat in cakes. In lab tests, compounds from the seeds blocked a starch-digesting enzyme, a possible way they could affect blood sugar. These effects haven't been tested in people.[5]

  Technical detail: protein 11.4–22.5 g/100 g; dietary fibre 7.1–26.2 g/100 g; mucilage about 17–20%; α-amylase inhibitory peptides.

Research in people

• In one trial, 60 people with major depression who were already taking the antidepressant sertraline added either a basil syrup or a placebo (a dummy syrup) every night for 4 weeks. The basil group had much larger drops in anxiety and depression scores than the placebo group. This is a single trial, and the result needs to be repeated to be confirmed.[1]

  Technical detail: single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled; hydroalcoholic-extract syrup, 1100 mg extract per 5 mL; Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and Beck Depression Inventory, p < 0.001 for both.