Whether you throw it on your pizza, add it to your pasta sauce, or heck, even make it into ice cream, basil is the herb that keeps on giving.
While we may associate it with Italy, the herb is believed to have been discovered in India and southeast Asia more than 5,000 years ago.
And it doesn’t just taste good – it can help you live longer, too.
‘Basil contains nutrients and compounds that can help stave off chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease and arthritis,’ says registered dietitian Gillian Culbertson, for the Cleveland Clinic.
‘On top of that, basil has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits. And it may even boost your mental health, depending on the variety and form that you use.’
But why is it such a wonder food?
Basil helps manage blood pressure
Cardiovascular disease has been treated with basil in traditional Chinese medicine for hundreds of years, since studies on animals have shown it can reduce high blood pressure.
‘Plus, holy basil contains eugenol, an oil that may help lower blood pressure by relaxing your blood vessels,’ adds Gillian.
This goes for basil in all forms, including extracts, leaves and powders.
That being said, you should still consult your doctor if you struggle with your blood pressure levels.
Basil helps prevents cancer
The herb doesn’t just taste great on pizza, it can also help prevent some types of cancer.
A study in the Journal of Molecules in 2016, found sweet basil essential oil prevented human colon cancer cells from growing.
In fact, five different types of basil have been found to have anti-cancer properties, getting in the way of the cancer cells being able to grow and divide, ultimately destroying them.
This included genovese basil, purple ruffle basil, dark opale basil, anise basil and bush green basil, according to a Natural Product Research study.
‘There is a growing body of evidence that basil could be a powerful cancer prevention tool,’ says Gillian. ‘But researchers need to do more human studies to confirm these promising results and understand how much basil people should consume.’
Types of basil
The scientific name for basil is Ocimum basilicum, but it comes in many different varieties than the one were used to seeing in the supermarket.
- Sweet basil – this is the popular supermarket basil with the grass-green leaves, typically used in pesto
- Genovese basil – this has larger and darker leaves with a stronger flavour
- Thai sweet basil – this has flatter pointier leaves that have a black liquorice flavour. It holds up well in high cooking temperatures unlike other basil
- Purple basil – this variety has reddish-purple leaves
- Holy basil – this is used for worship in Hinduism and it’s also considered to be an important medicinal herbs. It’s more bitter than other varieties when eaten raw
Basil improves blood sugar levels
‘Human studies are in the early stages but have shown some exciting potential benefits for blood sugar management and Type 2 diabetes,’ Gillian explains.
This comes from studies where scientists found basil extract contributed to reductions in blood sugar levels for diabetes models, this same effect was found in animals when holy basil extract was used.
However, Gillian says more needs to be done to understand the long term impact of the herb on your blood sugar health.
Basil protects against cell damage
This tasty herb is chock full of antioxidants – substances which prevent or slow cell damage by neutralising molecules that can harm cells.
These bad molecules are known as ‘free radicals’.
‘Your body makes free radicals in response to stress and inflammation. Free radicals also come from environmental exposures, like cigarette smoke and ultraviolent (UV) radiation,’ Gillian says.
‘But antioxidants act as a shield against free radicals — and the health problems they cause.’
If you don’t protect yourself from these harmful molecules you could develop cataracts, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and even cancer.
How to incorporate basil into your diet
Gillian advises that you speak to your doctor before you incorporate basil into your diet, in case it interferes with any medications you’re taking.
‘Basil along with blood-thinning medications could thin your blood too much,’ she says. ‘There’s also a risk that your blood sugar or blood pressure could get too low when ingesting both basil and medication for these issues.’
You can eat it fresh or dry, although dried basil tends to taste stronger. What’s better, is it’s only 52p from Aldi.
‘If you only have dried basil on hand, use one-half to one-third the amount of fresh basil you need,’ recommends Gillian. ‘Stick with the leaves, and pay close attention to the kind you have.
‘Some types of basil, like sweet basil and Italian, are best used fresh as a garnish. But other types, like Thai basil, can handle heat and be cooked.’
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