Tulsi (Holy Basil) by Banyan Botanicals

INSUFFICIENT RELIABLE EVIDENCE to RATE

• Aging. Although there has been interest in using oral holy basil for aging, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of holy basil for this purpose.
• Asthma. Although there has been interest in using oral holy basil for asthma, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of holy basil for this condition.
• Dental plaque. Small clinical studies suggest that topical use of holy basil mouthwash, gel, or toothpaste may modestly reduce the severity of dental plaque. Details: Small clinical studies in patients with mild to moderate dental plaque or gingivitis shows that using 10 mL of a mouthwash containing holy basil leaf extract 4% twice daily for 30 days reduces plaque severity by about 17% to 28% when compared with baseline (91570,103621). In one study, this effect was significant when compared with a placebo mouthwash and similar to a mouthwash containing chlorhexidine 0.12% (91570), whereas the other study did not conduct comparisons between study groups (103621). A small clinical study in patients with chronic gingivitis shows that applying holy basil extract 2% gel as a gingival massage twice daily for 30 days reduces plaque severity when compared with baseline (110030). The validity of this finding is limited by the lack of statistical comparison to the other study groups. Also, a small clinical trial in children 14-15 years of age shows that brushing with toothpaste containing holy basil leaf extract 4% twice daily for 3 weeks reduces plaque severity when compared with placebo, with similar improvements when compared with a fluorinated toothpaste (104183). Holy basil has also been evaluated in combination with other ingredients. A small study shows that rinsing with 10 mL of a solution containing tea tree oil, clove, and holy basil (0.2% to 0.3% of each), for 30 seconds twice daily for 21 days, reduces plaque formation by 64%. This reduction is similar to a 72% reduction seen in the active control group using a mouth rinse containing thymol, eucalyptol, menthol, and methyl salicylate (91446).
• Diabetes. Small clinical studies suggest that oral holy basil may modestly improve glycemic control in patients with diabetes. Details: One small clinical trial in adults with type 2 diabetes shows that taking holy basil dried leaf powder 2.5 grams daily for 4 weeks decreases fasting and postprandial blood glucose by 18%, compared with a 7% reduction in those taking placebo (12242). Another small clinical study in patients with type 2 diabetes shows that taking holy basil 250 mg twice daily in combination with glyburide 5 mg daily for 3 months reduces fasting blood glucose by 16%, postprandial blood glucose by 13%, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels by 18% when compared with glyburide alone (91571).
• Dyspepsia. Although there has been interest in using oral holy basil for dyspepsia, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of holy basil for this purpose.
• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). It is unclear if oral holy basil is beneficial in patients with GAD. Details: One small, uncontrolled clinical study in patients with GAD shows that taking holy basil leaf extract 500 mg twice daily following meals for 60 days reduces anxiety and associated symptoms of stress and depression when compared to baseline (19575). The validity of these findings is limited by a lack of control group.
• Gingivitis. Small clinical studies suggest that topical use of holy basil mouthwash or toothpaste may modestly improve gingivitis. Details: Small clinical studies in patients with mild to moderate dental plaque or gingivitis shows that using 10 mL of a mouthwash containing holy basil leaf extract 4% twice daily for 30 days reduces gingivitis by about 23% to 40% when compared with baseline (91570,103621). In one study, these effects were significant when compared with placebo mouthwash and similar to those of a mouthwash containing chlorhexidine 0.12% (91570), whereas the other study did not conduct statistical comparisons between study groups (103621). A small clinical trial in children 14-15 years of age shows that brushing with toothpaste containing holy basil leaf extract 4% twice daily for 3 weeks reduces the severity of gingivitis when compared with placebo, with similar improvements when compared with a fluorinated toothpaste (104183). However, a small clinical study in patients with chronic gingivitis shows that applying holy basil leaf extract 2% gel as a gingival massage twice daily for 30 days does not reduce gingivitis severity when compared with baseline (110030). Holy basil has also been evaluated in combination with other ingredients. A small clinical study shows that rinsing with 10 mL of a solution containing tea tree oil, clove, and holy basil (0.2% to 0.3% of each), for 30 seconds twice daily for 21 days, reduces gum inflammation by 76%. This reduction is similar to a 70% reduction seen in the active control group using a mouth rinse containing thymol, eucalyptol, menthol, and methyl salicylate (91446).
• Headache. Although there has been interest in using oral holy basil for headache, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of holy basil for this purpose.
• Hepatitis. Although there has been interest in using oral holy basil for hepatitis, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of holy basil for this condition.
• Hypercholesterolemia. Although there has been interest in using oral holy basil for hypercholesterolemia, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of holy basil for this purpose.
• Hypertension. Although there has been interest in using oral holy basil for hypertension, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of holy basil for this purpose.
• Insect repellent. Although there has been interest in using topical holy basil as an insect repellent, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of holy basil for this purpose.
• Insomnia. It is unclear if oral holy basil is beneficial for sleep problems. Details: A moderate-sized clinical study in adults with stress and sleep problems (i.e., unrefreshing sleep or difficulty falling or staying asleep) shows that taking holy basil 125 mg twice daily for 8 weeks does not improve patient-reported or wearable tracker scores related to sleep when compared with placebo (112416). However, the interpretation of these results is limited by self-reported outcomes and use of a non-validated measurement tool for sleep (i.e., Fitbit device).
• Obesity. It is unclear if oral holy basil is beneficial in overweight or obese patients. Details: One small clinical study in individuals with overweight or obesity shows that taking holy basil extract 250 mg twice daily for 8 weeks slightly reduces body weight and improves levels of triglycerides or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and certain glycemic indices when compared to baseline, but not when compared with no treatment. Holy basil extract also did not improve liver enzymes when compared to baseline or with no treatment (96944).
• Oral submucous fibrosis. It is unclear if topical holy basil paste is beneficial for oral submucous fibrosis. Details: A moderate-sized clinical study in adults with oral submucous fibrosis conducted in India shows that applying a paste containing holy basil extract 250 mg intraorally twice daily for 1 month modestly improves mouth opening scores and patient-reported burning sensation at the 3 month follow up when compared to baseline (112424). However, the validity of these findings is limited by poor methodology and lack of a comparator group.
• Respiratory tract infections. Although there has been interest in using oral holy basil for respiratory tract infections, including bronchitis, common cold, influenza, and tuberculosis, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of holy basil for these conditions.
• Stress. It is unclear if oral holy basil is beneficial in patients with stress. Details: One small clinical trial in patients experiencing various symptoms of stress shows that taking a specific holy basil extract (OciBest, Natural Remedies Pvt. Ltd.) 400 mg in the morning and 800 mg at night for 6 weeks decreases self-reported symptoms of stress, including forgetfulness, sexual problems and sleep problems of recent origin, and frequency of exhaustion, when compared with placebo (18107). A moderate-sized clinical study in adults with stress and sleep problems shows that taking holy basil 125 mg twice daily for 8 weeks modestly improves stress scores but does not improve individual symptoms related to stress including anxiety, mood disturbance, physical function, depression, fatigue, or sleep disturbance when compared with placebo (112416). However, the interpretation of these findings is limited by self-reported outcome measures and unclear clinical significance.
• Tinea corporis. Although there has been interest in using topical holy basil for tinea corporis, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of holy basil for this purpose. More evidence is needed to rate holy basil for these uses.

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POSSIBLY SAFE ...when used orally, short-term. Holy basil leaf extract has been used with apparent safety at a dose of 500 mg daily for 60-90 days (12242,18107,19575,91571,96944). ...when used topically in the mouth, short-term. Holy basil has been used with apparent safety as a 4% mouthwash solution for up to 30 days (91570,103621).

PREGNANCY AND LACTATION: POSSIBLY UNSAFE
when used in high doses during pregnancy or when trying to conceive. Animal research suggests that relatively high doses of holy basil extract (200 mg/kg) may reduce implantation rate when used for one week, while long-term use of higher doses (2-4 grams/kg) may decrease the number of full-term pregnancies (55040,91569). There is insufficient reliable information available regarding the safety of holy basil during lactation; avoid using.

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ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS Interaction Rating = Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Severity = High •  Occurrence = Possible •  Level of Evidence = D Theoretically, holy basil seed oil might increase the risk of bleeding when used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.  Details Animal research shows that holy basil seed oil can prolong bleeding time, possibly due to inhibition of platelet aggregation (13251). However, it is not known if this occurs in humans.

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS Interaction Rating = Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Severity = Moderate •  Occurrence = Possible •  Level of Evidence = B Theoretically, holy basil might increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.  Details Small clinical studies show that taking holy basil can decrease fasting blood glucose and other measures of glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes (12242,91571).

PENTOBARBITAL (Nembutal) Interaction Rating = Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Severity = High •  Occurrence = Possible •  Level of Evidence = D Theoretically, holy basil seed oil might increase the sedative effects of pentobarbital.  Details Animal research shows that holy basil seed oil increases pentobarbitone-induced sleeping time (13056,13251). However, it is not known if this occurs in humans or if this applies to other barbiturates or sedatives.

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General ...Orally and topically, holy basil extract seems to be well tolerated.
Most Common Adverse Effects:
Orally: Loose stools and nausea.
Topically: Bitter taste with oral application.

Gastrointestinal ...Orally, two out of 24 participants taking capsules containing holy basil extract in one clinical study experienced nausea or loose stools (55037).
Topically, holy basil mouthwash has been reported to cause a bitter taste in clinical trials (55038).

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