Nature's Pantry

Tulsi (holy basil)

Also: tulasi · Ocimum tenuiflorum (O. sanctum)

A sacred plant in Hindu households. Small human trials of extracts look interesting but are short and limited.

Overall evidence

Limited or early evidence

Encouraging but small, short, varied studies of extracts, not of tulsi tea as usually drunk.

A few small or low-quality studies, inconsistent results, or mostly lab and animal work. Interesting, but not enough to rely on.

Soothing drinks

What it is

A clove-scented basil distinct from the sweet basil used in Italian cooking. It is mostly drunk as an infusion rather than cooked.

Traditional use

Tradition, not evidence: how cultures use it, not proof that it works.

India (Hindu households)
A tulsi plant is grown in many courtyards and tended daily. Leaves are chewed, added to tea with ginger and honey, or given in a warm drink for coughs and colds.
Ayurveda
Tulsi is classed as a rasayana, a herb thought to support general resilience.

What the research says

Each claim graded on its own evidence.

Tulsi for stress, blood sugar and metabolic health
Evidence level: Limited or early evidence
A 2017 systematic review found 24 small human studies, mostly using extracts for 2 to 13 weeks, with favourable results and no significant adverse events reported. The authors call for more research on dose, form and who might benefit.[1]

In food amounts

A few fresh leaves, or a teaspoon of dried leaves, steeped in hot water.

We describe everyday cooking amounts only, never supplement doses.

Safety

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: There is little safety research beyond food amounts in pregnancy and breastfeeding; ask your midwife or doctor before using tulsi products, and follow the NHS limit of four cups of herbal tea a day in pregnancy.[2]
Medicines: Tulsi extracts have not been well studied with medicines. If you take regular medicines, especially for diabetes, ask your pharmacist before using concentrated tulsi products.

If you take regular medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a baby or someone who is unwell, check with a doctor, pharmacist or midwife before using any food or supplement for a health reason.

Sources

[1] The clinical efficacy and safety of tulsi in humans: a systematic review of the literature (Jamshidi, Cohen) — Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2017
[2] Foods to avoid in pregnancy — NHS (UK)

Sources were checked when this entry was written. Research changes; if you spot something out of date, please tell us.

Cook with tulsi (holy basil)

We don't have recipes using this yet.