Written By Health Hub
August 10, 2017
Holy basil (Ocimum sanctum) is a well researched medicinal plant. It has been used in the traditional ayurvedic medicines for more than 3000 years. It is well known for its healing properties. The Indian name of this plant is “Tulsi” which means “incomparable one” as this plant can, not only improve the physical health but also enlighten the spirituality in a person. It improves the natural immune system of the body and enhances our ability to fight with diseases.
Diabetes is a serious metabolic disorder. The rate of diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate because of some factors like consumption of calorie-rich diets, obesity and sedentary lifestyles. Drugs currently used for diabetes are associated with several side effects and fail to restore the proper glucose balance in our body. O. sanctum helps to fight diabetes naturally.
The leaves of O. sanctum can reduce the blood glucose levels in normal, glucose-fed hyperglycaemic and streptozotocin-treated diabetic rats. The ethanol extract of O. sanctum was capable of increasing the insulin release from the pancreatic cells. A diet containing holy basil leaf powder (1%) was fed to normal and diabetic rats for a span of one month. This significantly reduced fasting blood glucose levels. Studies suggest that holy basil can trigger various pathways involved in insulin secretion (Hannan et al).
One of the most prominent complications of diabetes is post-prandial hyperglycemia (PPHG), that is, increase of blood glucose after the intake of food. PPHG is elevated by the action of glucosidases, a class of enzymes that help in the breakdown of complex carbohydrates into simple sugars such as maltose and glucose.
Some of the glucosidase inhibitors, particularly α-amylase inhibitors, help in the management of PPHG as they inhibit the action of α-amylase enzyme. This causes a reduction in starch hydrolysis which controls the glycemic index (this parameter indicates about the effect of food on person’s blood glucose) in diabetic patients. O. sanctum has the capacity to inhibit glucosidase activity, thus controlling the PPHG indirectly. The chloroform extract of the holy basil has been tested to have the capacity to inhibit murine pancreatic and intestinal glucosidases (Bhat, et al).
During an animal study, 200 mg/Kg body weight of the aqueous extract of Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi) was mixed along with normal diet and given to diabetic rats. These rats were put on such diet for almost 8 weeks. Results showed a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose and improvement in glucose tolerance (Hussain et al).
The results obtained from another animal study indicate that Holy basil potentiates the action of exogenous insulin. With the enhancement in the action of insulin, the metabolism of blood sugar is also potentiated, and this helps to control the blood sugar levels (Hussain et al).
During in vitro studies, some of the pancreatic islets cells (insulin secreting cells) were isolated and tested for insulin secretion after the introduction of ethanol extract of holy basil. When glucose concentration was increased, holy basil extract was able to simulate almost 2-fold increase in insulin release from these cells.
Tulsi is well known for its wide variety of medicinal properties across the world. It is a solution for a large number of problems ranging from minor (cough) to major (diabetes) ailments. The essential oils present in this plant are considered to provide these beneficial effects. No side effects have been reported with the use of tusli. So it can be safely consumed by people of all age groups. Consume this glucose lowering agent and adopt healthy life style habits so that you can stay away from diabetes and live longer.
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