How is Sweet Basil Used?

Traditional Uses of Sweet Basil

Among its many therapeutic uses, basil is perhaps most commonly used for its antimicrobial properties (including bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses). Basil is also used in funeral rites and planted on graves in many different cultures. It is thought to bring luck, wealth and love in numerous ancient cultures. Because the constituents of basil may vary between different regions, this may account for its wide variety of uses among different cultures.

African medicine: Basil is traditionally planted on graves in Egypt and is also used for scorpion stings, due to its purported antivenom properties.

Asian medicine: Basil is a traditional Asian remedy for colds, fevers and respiratory infections. It has also been used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, menstrual disorders, and skin conditions, and as an antivenom for venomous bites and stings. It is commonly used as an analgesic. In India, Ocimum basilicum is a common household and roadside plant. It has been used for its purported antimicrobial effects in treating dental ailments, by folding the leaves and brushing (massaging with tea dust) against the teeth. It has also been used in India to treat various skin conditions, such as acne. Indian medicine also uses basil to treat various gastrointestinal disorders including diarrhea, dyspepsia, and constipation. In Thai medicine, basil has been used for its antimicrobial effects and to treat cough and gastrointestinal disorders; the seed is also used as a laxative and a diuretic. In Malaysia, it is used for parasitic infections, due to its antimicrobial effects.

Ayurveda: Basil has an important role in Ayurvedic medicine and is used as a general tonic. It is a classic Ayurvedic remedy for fever. Other traditional indications in Ayurvedic include arthritis, gastrointestinal disorders (e.g., stomach cramps or dyspepsia, acid reflux, and nausea and vomiting), earache, respiratory disorders (e.g., asthma, bronchitis, colds, flu, cough and pertussis), malaria, liver disorders, memory impairment, renal disorders, skin conditions and menstrual disorders (dysmenorrhea). Basil is also believed to be an effective antitoxin and antivenom and has been used on venomous bites and stings.

European medicine: Use of basil was mentioned by the Greek physician Dioscorides (first Century AD). Basil is traditionally planted on graves in Greece, and it is also a remedy for scorpion stings. It was a traditional Roman remedy for gastrointestinal disorders and was used as an antitoxin, diuretic and lactagogue. Basilcello (a liqueur made from basil) is traditionally used to ease digestive and gastrointestinal disorders. In 17th-Century England, the herbalist Nicholas Culpeper recommended basil for its antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, and antispasmodic effects. He also recommended basil for various other indications, including psychiatric disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, skin conditions, and fever, and as an antivenom for stings. As described in Culpeper's Complete Herbal, first published in 1653, if basil is applied to the site of a wasp or hornet sting or bite of a "venomous beast," it "speedily draws the poison to it." The German Commission E did not approve the medicinal use of basil as a diuretic, appetite stimulant, of digestive stimulant or for flatulence.

Latin American medicine: Based on an ethnobotanical survey conducted among the Carib population of Guatemala in 1988-1989, Ocimum basilicum was noted as one of the most frequently reported plants used as medicine. An urban Mexican migrant community in Athens, Georgia, was interviewed with respect to herbal use, and basil was among the most commonly used pharmacological herbs. In Belize, basil is a traditional remedy for menstrual disorders and earache.

Middle Eastern medicine: Basil is reportedly one of the most frequently mentioned substances in the Genizah manuscripts. In Muslim graveyards in northern Israel, basil is commonly grown. Sweet basil has also been part of traditional Middle Eastern cooking, such as in Turkish cuisine. In Arabic medicine, basil has been used to treat bleeding (hemorrhaging) and to heal wounds. Other traditional indications include cataracts, colds, and gastrointestinal disorders.
Modern (Western) herbal medicine: Herbalists reportedly use basil for reduction of fever and for gastrointestinal disorders such as dyspepsia and nausea. Basil essential oil is used in aromatherapy as an antidepressant and stimulant. The German Commission E did not approve the medicinal use of basil as a diuretic, appetite stimulant, digestive stimulant, or for flatulence.

Veterinary medicine: Believed to have muscle relaxant properties, basil spirits have been rubbed on horses to ease cramps.

References
1.Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. www.naturalstandard.com

http://www.depsyl.com/

http://back2basicnutrition.com/

http://bionutritionalresearch.olhblogspace.com/