Basil - Basilic

Basil = Ocimum Basilicum

Common Names

Basil , Sweet Basil

Botanical Name

Ocimum basilicum

Family

LAMIACEAE or LABIATAE Mint Family

harmaceutical	Herba Basilici
English	Basilie, Sweet Basil
French	Basilic, Basilic commun, Herbe royale
Georgian	რეხანი, რეჰანი, ჯაშკვლავი
	Rekhani, Rehani; Jashk’vlavi, Jashkvlavi (variety with cinnamom scent)
German	Basilikum, Basilienkraut, Königskraut
Hindi	बन तुलसी, जंगली तुलसी, तुलसी
	Ban tulsi, Jangli tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum), Tulsi
Italian	Basilico
Malayalam	തുളസി, കൃഷ്ണതുളസി, രാമതുളസി
	Pachcha (?), Thulasi*, Sivathulasi*, Krishnathulasi*; Ramathulasi (Ocimum gratissimum)
Thai	โหระพา, กะเพรา, กะเพา, ผักอีตู่, แมงลัก, กะเพราช้าง, ยี่หร่า
	Horapa, Horapha; Kaprao, Krapau, Kapao (Ocimum tenuiflorum); Phak iotu, Manglak (Ocimum citriodorum); Yihra, Kaprao-chang (Ocimum gratissimum)
Vietnamese	É dỏ*, É tía, É trắng, Cây húng quế, Cây rau é, Húng, Húng giỏi, Húng quế, Lá quế, Nhu tía*, Rau quế
	E do*, E tia, E trang, Cay hung que, Cay rau e, Hung, Hung gioi, Hung que, La que, Nhu tia*, Rau que

*** Plant Description

Genovese basil plant

The sweet or bush basil is Ocimum basilicum is the one most used as a condiment. There are about a hundred and fifty varieties of basil, now found through out the world.

*** Regional Traditions :

How to Grow Basil: Basil should be grown in a position that receives a good amount of sunlight - around 6-8 hours a day. Basil likes a fertile soil, and plenty of sunlight. Water well every week, making sure to water the base of the plant, avoiding the leaves and stems. Harvest the topmost leaves, picking a few leaves. Harvest plants before the first frost. Basil can be dried or frozen for further use.

*** History and Traditions & Folklore

Basil is originally native to India and other tropical regions of Asia, having been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years, reached Europe in the sixteenth century.

Basil brings prosperity and happiness when planted in the garden. In Europe, they place basil in the hands of the dead to ensure a safe journey. In India, they place it in the mouth of the dying to ensure they reach God. The ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks believed that it would open the gates of heaven for a person passing on.

*** Basil Medicinal Uses & Benefits

Common Uses:

ConcentrationMemory/Focus * Culinary * Facial and Skin care *General Health Tonics * Insect Bites/Rashes * Insect Repellent *

Properties: 

Antispasmodic* Carminative* Cephalic* Digestive* Emmenagogue*Expectorant* Febrifuge* Nervine* Stomachic* Diaphoretic* Stimulant* Antifungal*Galactagogue* Aromatic* Refrigerant*

Parts Used: 

leaves, essential oil

Constituents:

camphor, cineole, estragol, (or methyl chavicol),eugenol, linalool, pinene

Basil - for : Bee stings

Being applied to the place bitten by venomous beasts, or stung by a wasp or hornet, it speedily draws the poison to it

Nicholas Culpeper, Culpeper's Complete Herbal (1653)

Basil - for :Culinary

Mediterranean and Indochinese cuisines frequently use basil, the former frequently combining it with tomato. One of the most well known uses of basil is as one of the main ingredients in pesto.

Basil - for :Warts

Basil contains many antiviral compounds, which no doubt is why it's a time honored folk remedy for warts.

James Duke, The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook (2000)

Basil - for :Insect repellent

For a quick insect repellent, just rub some crushed basil leaves on your skin, or add the essential oil to a outdoors blend

Basil - for : Gas in Babies

Basil in considered a safe and gentle tonic for nursing mothers. Taken as a tea, it helps to expel gas in infants and increases lactation in the mother.

Weiss, Gaea and Shandor, Healing Herbs, The (1985)

Basil Essential oil - for : Mental Clarity, Focus

Oil of Basil is an excellent, indeed perhaps the best, aromatic nerve tonic. It clears the head, relieves intellectual fatigue, and gives the mind strength and clarity.

Robert B Tisserand, The Art of Aromatherapy (1977)

*** Aromatherapy

Basil Constituents:camphor, cineole, estragol, (or methyl chavicol),eugenol, linalool, pinene

Basil Oil Description
Basil essential oil is a light greenish-yellow and contains linalol, which is also present in bergamot and lavender oils. Most basil oils that are available are distilled from sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum, which has a strong clove scent from eugenol, the same chemical as actual cloves.

Basil Properties

Energizing *Focus *Headache *Home and Garden *insect_repellent*Nervous tension *stress *Uplifting *

Basil is a very aromatic plant originally native to India and other tropical regions of Asia, where it is an important herb in Hindu practices. Basil has the stimulating properties of the other mints, with a spicy,hot undertone. Aromatherapists use basil to improve appetite and gently combat fatigue. The stimulating aroma of basil can lift melancholy and and refresh the mind. As an added bonus it repels insects, and a few drops of basil essential oil will take the sting out of insect bites.

The sweet or bush basil is Ocimum basilicum is the one most used as a condiment. There are about a hundred and fifty varieties of basil, now found through out the world.

Side Effects: of Basil 
Avoid during pregnancy, undiluted use will cause skin irritation

He oil is a light greenish-yellow and contains linalol, which is also present in bergamot and lavender oils. Basil is a very aromatic plant which has the stimulating properties of mint, but is hotter. Great to burn while working or reading, helps you to concentrate and uplifts your mood. It is restorative, stimulant, and nerve tonic. The various basils have such different scents because the herb has a number of different essential oils which come together in different proportions for various breeds. The strong clove scent of sweet basil comes from eugenol, the same chemical as actual cloves. The citrus scent of lemon basil and lime basil is because they have a higher portion of citral which causes this effect in several plants, including lemon mint, and limonene, which gives actual lemon peel its scent. African blue basil has a strong camphor smell because it has camphor and camphene in higher proportions. Licorice Basil contains anethole, the same chemical that makes anise smell like licorice, and in fact is sometimes called Anise Basil.

Ginseng

Ginseng

* Common Names

Ginseng, Siberian , Eleuthero ginseng, Ci-wu-jia, Wu Jia Shen Jing

* Botanical Name

Eleutherococcus senticosus

* Family

ARALIACEAE Aralia or Ivy Family

* Plant Description

It is a shrubby member of the same botanical family as Chinese ginseng (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius)Eleuthero is a woodland shrub native to southeastern Siberia and the Korean peninsula, and adapted to the damp forests of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and northern California.

* Related Species Chinese ginseng (Panax ginseng) 
American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius)

See Also: Ginseng 

*  History and Traditions& Folklore

Siberian ginseng was used in Eastern Europe as a folk remedy for hundreds of years, but it was not until the 1940s that it became a popular herb in Russia and Europe.

* Medicinal Properties & Benefits

* Common Uses:

Chronic Fatigue - ConcentrationMemory/Focus - Fibromyalgia - Immune System - Kidney - Sexual tonics - Stress - Weight Loss 

* Properties:

Adaptogens - Stimulant - Breath – Circulation – Immunostimulant -

* Parts Used:

root

* Constituents:

eleutherosides b and e, and immunostimulant complex polysaccharides

* Traditions:

Traditional Chinese Medicine 

Siberian ginseng, Eleutherococcus senticosus, is also known as eleuthero ginseng or eleuthero. Siberian ginseng is one of the most widely used herbs in the world. It's one of the primary tonic herbs, which means it works it's magic over time, you'll need to take it for several months to see results. Eleuthero ginseng is sometimes combined with other adaptogens, like Korean, Chinese or American ginseng, astragalus, or schisandra, to increase its effectiveness.

* Traditional Chinese Medicine

Known in China as wu-jia-pi, eleuthero has been used in Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years, to balance vital energy and vitality and to treat respiratory and other infections. In traditional Chinese medicine, eleuthero is considered good for vital energy (qi/ch'i), used for sleeplessness with many dreams, lower back or kidney pain, deficiency of yang in the kidney or spleen, lack of appetite, and to enhance overall resistance to disease or stress. For treating rheumatoid arthritis and making muscles and bones strong, one prescription mixes wu-jia-pi with sweet rice wine.

* Side Effects:

In general, side effects with Siberian ginseng are rare and milder than those that occur with American and Korean ginseng. Not for use by pregnant women. Many commercial ginseng products are adulterated, buyer beware!

*  How to Use: Ginseng, Siberian

Preparation Methods & Dosage :The dried root is often taken in capsules, or brewed into tea, or made into tinctures

* Eleuthero for :Kidney pain

TCM practitioners use eleuthero for lower back or kidney pain, and deficiency of yang in the kidney or spleen

* Eleuthero for :Chronic stress

Eleuthero restores overstressed adrenal glands, working wonders for people who are chronically stressed.

* Eleuthero for :Concentration and focus

Eleuthero boosts concentration and focus without the letdown than comes from stimulants like caffeine.

* Siberian ginseng for :Fatigue

Siberian ginseng is often recommended as a general tonic to revitalize people who are fatigued.

* Siberian ginseng for :Fibromyagia, Stress

Because it enhances immunity and helps the body deal with stress, Siberian ginseng is frequently included in nutritional support programs for people with fibromyalgia.

* Siberian ginseng for :Diet and exercise

If you are starting a new diet and exercise program, adaptogens like Siberian ginseng can help your body adapt to the stress. While it won't re-sculpt your body, you may feel less tired, so you're more likely to stick to your new exercise routine.

* Siberian Ginseng for :Adrenal burnout/Fatigue

The adrenal glands have a big impact on our sexual health because of the their role in producing a variety of hormone that regulate many physical responses, not just gender-oriented ones. Tonic herbs such as ginseng helps prevent "adrenal burnout" caused by ongoing physical or mental challenges.