The Amazing Health Benefits of Basil
This article will teach you all the important health benefits of basil.
Health Benefits of Basil
Basil is a highly versatile herb that can be used in your favourite recipes and even as a garnish. Basil is also known for its many health benefits. Let’s explore some of the ways basil can improve your health.
- Health Benefits of Basil
- Promotes Heart Health
- Fights the Flu and the Common Cold
- Anti-Inflammatory
- Health Benefits of Basil – Combats Stomach Issues
- Health Benefits of Basil – Promotes Brain Health
- Health Benefits of Basil – Reduces Signs of Aging
- Basil can Help you Feel Younger, be more Alert and Lower your Risk of Disease
- Is Basil Good to Eat Raw?
- Is it Healthy to Eat Basil?
- Who Should Not Eat Basil?
- Conclusion – Health Benefits of Basil
Promotes Heart Health
Basil contains flavonoids, which are compounds that help lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
These compounds also reduce the risk of heart disease. In addition, basil is an excellent source of magnesium, a mineral that may help fight high blood pressure.
Fights the Flu and the Common Cold
Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, herbs and foods are not absorbed into the bloodstream. Instead, they work in a different way—by stimulating your body’s defence systems. This is called “immunomodulation.”
Basil is an antiviral herb: it helps your immune system fight off viruses, including the flu and colds. The antioxidants in basil also keep your cells healthy, which benefits your overall health.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can help boost the immune system when you’re sick with a virus like the common cold or influenza (the flu). Basil is rich in vitamin C, just one cup has huge amount of the recommended daily intake for this vitamin.
Anti-Inflammatory
Basil is an anti-inflammatory.
Basil contains a compound called apigenin, which has been shown to help reduce inflammation in the body by blocking certain enzymes from creating inflammatory chemicals.
Health Benefits of Basil – Combats Stomach Issues
- Helps with gas, bloating and indigestion
- Can help relieve menstrual cramps
- Can help with constipation
- Can help with diarrhoea (but don’t think of it as a laxative)
- May help with heartburn because of its anti-inflammatory effect on the digestive tract and its ability to reduce stomach acid production
Health Benefits of Basil – Promotes Brain Health
According to the National Institutes of Health, basil can help you:
- Prevent memory loss and dementia
- Boost concentration
- Improve mood and reduce stress
- Improve sleep quality
- Improve your ability to learn and retain information
Health Benefits of Basil – Reduces Signs of Aging
The antioxidant properties of basil are what help to reduce signs of aging, such as visible wrinkles and age spots. Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that can damage your cells, which in turn leads to accelerated aging.
Antioxidants also have anti-inflammatory effects that may be useful in treating conditions like eczema (skin irritation) or psoriasis (redness, scaling, itching or flaking).
Basil’s anti-inflammatory properties might also help relieve sunburn pain as well as reduce inflammation due to acne breakouts.
Basil can Help you Feel Younger, be more Alert and Lower your Risk of Disease
To understand how basil can help you feel younger, be more alert and lower your risk of disease, let’s take a look at what antioxidants are.
Antioxidants are natural compounds that help fight free radicals in your body. Free radicals are byproducts of some of the body’s natural processes, but they can also damage cells in your body.
This damage can cause cell death or contribute to disease like heart disease and cancer. Basil is an excellent source of antioxidants because it contains large amounts of vitamin C and beta-carotene (a form of vitamin A).
Is Basil Good to Eat Raw?
You can eat basil raw, and it’s safe to do so.
In fact, basil leaves are full of vitamins and nutrients that are good for your health.
Basil contains a lot of potassium and vitamin K, which help strengthen your bones. It also has antioxidants that fight free radicals in the body to prevent cancer and heart disease.
Is it Healthy to Eat Basil?
Is basil healthy? Yes, it is. Not only is basil an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K, but it also contains antioxidants that can help keep your body in good shape.
Basil has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties as well, which may be beneficial for those with arthritis or other inflammatory conditions like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
Basil has also been associated with improved heart health by reducing bad cholesterol levels while increasing good cholesterol levels in the body.
According to one study published in Nutrition Research Journal, consuming basil regularly may help prevent atherosclerosis—a condition that involves plaque build-up on blood vessel walls—by boosting blood flow and improving blood vessel elasticity (which allows them to expand easily when necessary).
Who Should Not Eat Basil?
- People with a latex allergy should avoid eating basil
- People with a bleeding disorder, such as hemophilia or von Willebrand’s disease, should avoid eating basil because of its ability to increase blood clotting
- People with iron deficiency anemia should also steer clear of basil due to its high iron content and potential for worsening their condition
- Pregnant women should avoid consuming large quantities of basil due to the effects it can have on fetal development if used in excess (the same goes for any herb)
Conclusion – Health Benefits of Basil
If you’re wondering whether basil is good for you, the answer is yes!
This herb can help improve your health in many different ways. If you eat it regularly and use it as a seasoning for your food, then you’ll reap all of these benefits.
Make sure to keep an eye out for adverse reactions though—some people may not react well to basil consumption or have allergies that make them sick when they eat too much of this herb at once.
