Life
Tulsi Slows Aging
| Researchers at the Poona College of Pharmacy claim that the herb tulsi (holy basil) has antioxidant properties that fights aging. Many Indian keep tulsi plants in their homes, treating it as sacred. Rosaries made out of the plant’s stems are commonly used as meditation beads and its leaves are a popular home remedy for everything from colds, flues and pains to digestive disorders.
The Poona study, presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester, U.K., found that basil extracts protect against free radicals. Ayruvedic practioners recommend consumption of 2 grams of the freshly dried herb, usually with tea, twice daily for preventive therapy. Higher doses are used in curative therapies. Tulsi leaves have a pungent taste and are used in some Indian dishes and its extract is popular in some Ayurvedic medicines as a rejuvenation drug. “Oh Narada, wherever Tulsi grows there is no misery. She is the holiest of the holy. Wherever the breeze blows her fragrance there is purity. Vishnu showers blessing on those who worship and grow Tulsi. Tulsi is sacred because Brahma resides in the roots, Vishnu resides in the stems and leaves and Rudra resides in the flowering tops.” |
