Basil: Useful Properties, Recipes

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 02:10

Basil: useful properties, recipes

Basil is a highly branched plant, its height varies within 30–60 cm. The stems of this plant are straight, have four edges, and branch strongly from the base. Basil leaves are green or purple in color, their shape is oblong-ovoid. The leaves of the plant are long, their length is 5.5 cm, they have long petioles. The inflorescence is located at the end of the stem, it looks like a brush. Each inflorescence has several flowers, the color of which can be white, pink or white-purple.

Basil is a plant whose cup has two lips. The corolla of the plant is white, consists of five petals and four stamens. Leaves, stems and calyx have glands that contain essential oil. It is this oil that gives the basil such an amazing smell and aroma. Basil blooms in the summer. Basil fruits are dry, breaking up into 4 nuts.

Benefits of basil

Basil has an antiseptic, analgesic, diaphoretic and bactericidal effect on the human body, and this plant is also used as an expectorant, antispasmodic and digestive aid. Basil has a soothing effect on stress. The plant normalizes the menstrual cycle, increases lactation, tones the body and neutralizes any poison. Basil is an aphrodisiac.

Sweet basil is used for flu, colds, high body temperatures, insomnia and nervous disorders.

Composition and calorie content

• Fats:

  0.6 g

• Proteins: 3.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 2.7 g
• Water: 92 g
• Ash: 1.5 g
• Cellulose: 1.6 g

Vitamins (per 100 g):	amount	% RDA
Vitamin K	414.8-1714.4 mcg	887.2%
Beta carotene	3142 μg	62.8%
Lutein + Zeaxanthin	1150-5649 mcg	56.7%
Vitamin B9 (folic acid)	68-310 μg	47.3%
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)	0.16-1.34 mg	37.4%
Vitamin A (retinol)	264 μg	29.3%
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)	18 mg	25.7%
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)	0.21-0.84 mg	10.5%

Minerals (in 100 g):	amount	% RDA
Manganese	1150 mcg	57.5%
Cobalt	5.2 μg	52%
Copper	390 mcg	39%
Iron	3.2 mg	21.1%
Rubidium	17.1 mcg	17.1%
Calcium	177 mg	16.1%
Magnesium	64 mg	sixteen%
Vanadium	6.3 μg	15.8%
Silicon	3-6.2 mg	15.3%
Potassium	295 mg	11.8%

Other important connections:

• Phytosterols - 26 mg (47.3% of the RDI)
• Purines - 3.1 mg (2% of the RDI)

Basil varieties with green and purple leaves differ little in the chemical composition of the main components. In particular, in terms of the content of the main component of basil essential oil - phenylpropanoid eugenol (antioxidant, immune stimulator) - green basil varieties are slightly inferior to purple ones (67.4% of the essential oil mass - in green varieties, 72.8% - in violet ones).

The differences concern only the composition and content of colored pigments - anthocyanins (purple varieties significantly exceed green ones in the content of anthocyanins, namely, cyanidin and peonidin).

Complete chemical composition ➤

Basil application

Basil has long been used in folk medicine as a treatment for various diseases. The most common use of basil is its use in the preparation of medicinal balms, infusions, decoctions and oils.

Even in ancient times, basil leaves and flowers were ground and combined with white sesame oil. From these ingredients, a medicine was made that helps with skin diseases and various burns.

An infusion made from basil flowers, which also includes black sesame seeds, helps to reduce heat. The same infusion is taken for colds as a prophylactic agent.

Exhausted women in labor were helped by mashed basil leaves mixed with milk (sour). This remedy gave them strength, and during lactation normalized and increased it.

To soften the corns, use gruel, which is prepared from basil leaves and put it on the corns.

To relieve a headache, you need to grind the basil leaves and put the grated mass on the temples and the back of the head.

A tea made from dried flowers and basil leaves will help relieve blood pressure and invigorate.

Basil infusion baths will help heal minor wounds and cuts. To get rid of sweaty feet and unpleasant odors, use foot baths from cold infusion of basil.

If a person suffers from a runny nose, then basil will help here too: you just need to inhale the aroma from the leaves of the plant.

Basil recipes

Basil infusion. The infusion is used as an expectorant and sedative. To prepare it, you need to take 20 grams of flowers or leaves (you can do both) and pour one glass of boiled water, then put in a water bath for 15 minutes, then remove from the bath and leave to cool for 45 minutes. Do not forget to strain the finished infusion. Take this remedy daily, 70 ml. Drink the infusion 30 minutes before meals.

Broth. The broth helps with skin diseases, runny nose and as an eye wash. We take 15 grams of seeds or the aboveground part of the basil and pour a glass of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes in a water bath, cool for 10 minutes and filter through cheesecloth. Such a decoction should be taken daily three times, 70 ml before meals. If you want to use this broth for washing the eyes, then before use it must be diluted with water in a one-to-one ratio (for example, take 10 grams of water for 10 grams of broth).

Fresh basil juice. Fresh juice can be made from basil leaves and flowers to normalize digestion. You need to take it 3 times a day before meals, 20 ml. And to strengthen the teeth, such juice must be kept in the oral cavity for 2 minutes - and so several sips in a row.

Precautions and contraindications for the use of basil

Basil irritates the mucous membranes of all organs, it is for this reason that it cannot be used in large quantities. The person taking basil should be monitored by a specialist doctor.

Basil oil is very dangerous in high doses. If you exceed the dose of taking basil oil, then this can lead to poisoning, and there are cases of death.

Basil essential oil is prohibited for people who have heart and vascular diseases.

Basil should not be taken by pregnant women and people with impaired blood clotting rate, with vein thrombosis.

The author of the article: Sokolova Nina Vladimirovna | Phytotherapist

Education: Diploma in "General Medicine" and "Therapy" received at the Pirogov University (2005 and 2006). Advanced training at the Department of Phytotherapy at the Peoples' Friendship University of Moscow (2008).