Holy Basil/Tulsi
Herb ·Exploratory record · not publication-reviewed ·Updated July 13, 2026
Sacred Ayurvedic herb for stress adaptation and metabolic balance.
Exploratory record, not a reviewed medical publication.
See the editorial and medical-review policies for the publication gate.
This generated database record has not completed a claim-level review by a qualified human medical reviewer. Bibliography links and evidence labels are not approval. The page remains available for reference and is excluded from search indexing.
What the research says.
A quick, data-only summary. The full evidence, dosing, and sources are below.
Holy Basil/Tulsi is a herb most often used for stress relief, blood sugar balance, cognitive function. NutriStack rates the overall evidence as moderate. A typical adult dose is 300-600 mg daily, commonly taken as standardized extract (2.5% ursolic acid). This profile indexes 17 sources.
The bottom line
Evidence rating moderate. Most-documented uses: stress relief, blood sugar balance, cognitive function. 17 sources indexed (1996–2025), with 0 interaction records on file.
How it works, mechanistically.
Core mechanism
Eugenol, rosmarinic acid, and ocimumosides modulate cortisol, reduce COX-2 inflammation, lower blood glucose via alpha-glucosidase inhibition, and enhance GABA signaling.3,4
Dosing & protocol.
Can take morning or evening3
What it actually costs.
Real-world pricing across three quality tiers. Assumes Standardized Holy Basil Extract.
Assumes 300-600 mg/day. Vendor basis: NOW/iHerb, Vitacost, Gaia-style herb products, and Amazon marketplace; liquid extracts and certified organic products cost more. Updated 2026-05-28.
The same dose, as food.
How much you'd eat to match a supplemental dose.
Standardized extracts cannot be matched precisely with culinary leaf servings.
Full safety detail.
Sources, by evidence tier.
Numbered references. Citations throughout the page link here.
Randomized controlled trials
10- 1Efficacy of Topical Turmeric, Calendula officinalis, and Tulsi (Ayurvedic Gel) in the Management of Erosive Lichen Planus: A Placebo-Controlled StudyPMIDSrivastava R, Sarkar S, Gupta P et al. · Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences · 2024
Srivastava R, Sarkar S, Gupta P et al.. Efficacy of Topical Turmeric, Calendula officinalis, and Tulsi (Ayurvedic Gel) in the Management of Erosive Lichen Planus: A Placebo-Controlled Study. Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences. 2024
- 2Benefits of basil tea for patients with differentiated thyroid cancer during radioiodine therapy: A randomized controlled trialPMIDNomura K, Nakayama M, Okizaki A · Heliyon · 2023
RCT of 44 thyroid cancer patients found holy basil tea significantly reduced STAI anxiety scores, protected oral mucosal conditions and salivary gland function, and improved quality of life during radioiodine therapy.
- 3A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigating the effects of an Ocimum tenuiflorum (Holy Basil) extract (HolixerTM) on stress, mood, and sleep in adults experiencing stressPMIDLopresti AL et al. · J Affect Disord · 2022
Compared to placebo, tulsi supplementation significantly improved stress scores, insomnia scores, and lowered hair cortisol concentrations at week 8
- 4Antibacterial efficacy of manuka honey, ocimum sanctum, curcuma longa and 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthwash on the level of streptococcus mutans and lactobacillus acidophilus - A randomized controlled trialPMIDJain A, Singh V, Lukram A, Chatterjee S, Khan AM, Dawar G · Indian J Dent Res · 2022
RCT found Ocimum sanctum mouthwash showed significant percentage reduction in S. mutans and L. acidophilus comparable to 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthwash.
- 5Randomized placebo-controlled pilot clinical trial on the efficacy of ayurvedic treatment regime on COVID-19 positive patientsPMIDDevpura G, Tomar BS, Nathiya D et al. · Phytomedicine · 2021
RCT in asymptomatic COVID-19 patients found Ayurvedic treatment including Tulsi achieved 100% recovery by day 7 vs 60% in placebo. Inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, IL-6, TNF-alpha) were significantly lower in treatment group.
- 6Efficacy of chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide and tulsi extract mouthwash in reducing halitosis using spectrophotometric analysis: A randomized controlled trialPMIDSharma K, Acharya S, Verma E et al. · Journal of clinical and experimental dentistry · 2019
Sharma K, Acharya S, Verma E et al.. Efficacy of chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide and tulsi extract mouthwash in reducing halitosis using spectrophotometric analysis: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of clinical and experimental dentistry. 2019
- 7Holy basil (Ocimum sanctum Linn.) leaf extract enhances specific cognitive parameters in healthy adult volunteers: A placebo controlled studyPMIDSampath S et al. · J Ayurveda Integr Med · 2015
Significant improvement in reaction time and error rate on cognitive tests in participants receiving holy basil extract compared to placebo
- 8A randomized controlled clinical trial of Ocimum sanctum and chlorhexidine mouthwash on dental plaque and gingival inflammationPMIDGupta D, Bhaskar DJ, Gupta RK et al. · Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine · 2014
Gupta D, Bhaskar DJ, Gupta RK et al.. A randomized controlled clinical trial of Ocimum sanctum and chlorhexidine mouthwash on dental plaque and gingival inflammation. Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine. 2014
- 9Randomized controlled trial of standardized Ocimum sanctum extract for anxiety and depressionSource linkedPMIDBhattacharyya D, Sur TK, Jana U, Debnath PK · Indian J Pharmacol · 2008
- 10Randomized placebo-controlled, single blind trial of holy basil leaves in patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitusPMIDAgrawal P et al. · Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther · 1996
Holy basil leaf powder significantly decreased fasting and postprandial blood glucose in NIDDM patients compared to placebo
Reviews & position papers
4- 11Ameliorative effects of Ocimum sanctum in Oreochromis niloticus against waterborne sub-lethal cadmium toxicityPMIDSaad MA, Hussain SM, Ali S et al. · Veterinary research communications · 2025
Saad MA, Hussain SM, Ali S et al.. Ameliorative effects of Ocimum sanctum in Oreochromis niloticus against waterborne sub-lethal cadmium toxicity. Veterinary research communications. 2025
- 12Anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant effect and cytotoxicity of ocimum sanctum intra oral gel for combating periodontal diseasesPMIDRamamurthy J, Jayakumar ND · Bioinformation · 2020
Ramamurthy J, Jayakumar ND. Anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant effect and cytotoxicity of ocimum sanctum intra oral gel for combating periodontal diseases. Bioinformation. 2020
- 13The Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Tulsi in Humans: A Systematic Review of the LiteraturePMIDJamshidi N et al. · Evid Based Complement Alternat Med · 2017
24 human studies reported therapeutic effects on metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, immunity, and neurocognition from tulsi ingestion
- 14Tulsi - Ocimum sanctum: A herb for all reasonsPMIDCohen MM · J Ayurveda Integr Med · 2014
Tulsi counters metabolic stress through normalization of blood glucose, blood pressure and lipid levels, and psychological stress through positive effects on memory and cognitive function
Mechanistic & preclinical
1- 15Anti-stress Activity of Ocimum sanctum: Possible Effects on Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal AxisPMIDJothie Richard E et al. · Phytother Res · 2016
Anti-stress activity attributed to inhibition of cortisol release, blocking CRHR1 receptor, and inhibiting 11beta-HSD1 and COMT activities
Reference material
2- 16Bhattarai K, Bhattarai R, Pandey RD et al.. A Comprehensive Review of the Phytochemical Constituents and Bioactivities of Ocimum tenuiflorum. TheScientificWorldJournal. 2024Source linkedPMID
- 17Yadav I, Kumar R, Fatima Z et al.. Ocimum sanctum [Tulsi] as a Potential Immunomodulator for the Treatment of Ischemic Injury in the Brain. Current molecular medicine. 2024Source linkedPMID
Common questions.
Quick answers about Holy Basil/Tulsi, drawn from the data on this page.
What is Holy Basil/Tulsi?
Sacred Ayurvedic herb for stress adaptation and metabolic balance.
What is Holy Basil/Tulsi used for?
Commonly cited benefits of Holy Basil/Tulsi include: Stress relief; Blood sugar balance; Cognitive function; Immune support. NutriStack rates the overall evidence as moderate.
What is a typical dose of Holy Basil/Tulsi?
A typical adult dose of Holy Basil/Tulsi is 300-600 mg daily. The commonly recommended form is Standardized extract (2.5% ursolic acid). These are general ranges, not personalized advice; confirm the right dose with a clinician.
What are the side effects of Holy Basil/Tulsi?
Reported side effects include mild blood thinning, may lower blood sugar. This is educational information; check with a healthcare professional before use.
How strong is the evidence for Holy Basil/Tulsi?
NutriStack rates this as Moderate, meaning several aligned RCTs or one large RCT plus supporting reviews. Full tier criteria are at https://nutristackapp.com/methodology/evidence-tiers.
Use this with your stack
Holy Basil/Tulsi in NutriStack.
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