Basil is so much more than a delicious herb lets talk plant medicine
Of the back of this great competion by @naturalmedicine here I want to share with you my entry for basil.
Well, this week I chose to look at basil, specifically its properties as a natural medicine. Basil is something that I have grown in the garden for years as its use in cooking spans many cuisines and is something I love to cook with.
Its also is great to have in the garden as a companion plant, even if your strange and don't like it 😅 Not only will it help certain plants grow better it's also great at deterring certain pests like aphids, whiteflies and mosquitoes. My personal experiences have differed from this in that those pesky aphids love basil. but as it grows so quickly and readily from cuttings, I'd rather share the basil with the critters than my lovely chillies, sweet peppers and other vegs.
If that hasn't convinced you to go out and buy/plant some basil lets get on to its fantastic medicinal properties.
Basil plant medicine
From doing a little bit of research basil has some very helpful properties that would be beneficial in a natural medicine tool kit. Some of these include;
- anti-inflammatory properties
- anti-bacterial
- a natural adaptogen
- High in antioxidants
You might be wondering what an adaptogen is. well, they literally help the body to adapt and adjust itself to our surroundings, wither that be emotional or physical.
For example, they might help us with the following;
- Help calm in times of stress.
- Bring clarity when we are experiencing chaos.
- Give us energy when we are tired.
Basil essential oil appears to help with mental burn-out and fatigue (Varney, E. and Buckle, J. Effect of inhaled essential oils on mental exhaustion and moderate burnout: a small pilot study. J Altern.Complement Med. 2013;19(1):69-71)
Another benefit of basil is its anti-inflammatory properties, this is something I'm keen to look into further as eating foods or using herbs that inhibit inflammation can only be a good thing as I put my body through the day to day grind of life. Basil has an active ingredient called Eugenol which has anti-inflammatory properties
anti-inflammatories can help with many ailments like joint pain, something I suffer from quite bad due to old injuries so deffinatly one to explore further for me.
What you need
- Basil 😅 (either fresh or dried)
- loose leaf tea pot/infuser (you could just strain it after infusing if you don't have either of these)
Chops those leaves up nice and fine making sure to get those medicinal juices flowing.
Its as simple ad pouring over hot water and leaving to infuse until its a drinkable temperature. sit back, relax and reap the rewards of the medicinal benefits of basil.
How on earth can you keep stocked up on enough basil to get its the most out of all those amazing medicinal properties, well if you're like me and don't have acres that you can plant up with herby goodness, you're still in luck. Basil roots so easily with a little prep and pre-planning you can clone plants super quick and grow hundreds of plants from one.
Keep your eyes peeled for my next post as ill be running through the process as I start to build up my supply of basil for the year.
How many of you are growing basil currently?
Information offered is for educational purposes only. This post makes neither medical claim, nor intends to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Links to external sites are for informational purposes only. This post neither endorses them nor is in any way responsible for their content. Readers must do their own research concerning the safety and usage of any herbs or supplements. If you are pregnant or nursing consult a professional before using herbs.
And as always thanks for stopping by and reading the post. If you think it's worth it, don't forget to follow, like and upvote! But if you only do one thing leave a comment and say hello!
All the best
D.
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://electronicgarden.co.uk/2019/03/15/basil-is-so-much-more-than-a-delicious-herb-lets-talk-plant-medicine/
Winner! Love how clear and well pr3sented this is. I've never had basil tea.. might just try it! My basil is about to die off for the year sadly but I'm going to plant TWICE as much next year... pesto pesto pesto!! And well done for entering though I'm still nettle slapping you for being so last bloody minute!
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Wow! Thanks so much ill take the slaps for the late entry 😅 thankfully no nettles growing this time of year
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We do eat a lot of basil in my family but we often forget that it can also be taken as tea.