Holy basil

desertrat · Post by **desertrat** » Sun Jul 21, 2013 5:35 pm

I'm wondering if anyone here has heard of or taken holy basil? Holy basil is supposed to work wonders for lowering cortisol levels, reduce inflammation, and lower glucose levels. It is also suppose to help with GI problems ant thyroid issues.
It sounds too good to be true and yet there are so many glowing reports on it.

So, is anyone taking holy basil or know of someone who swears by it?

Thanks in advance
Mandy

Fiona · Post by **Fiona** » Sun Jul 21, 2013 6:12 pm

Hi, Mandy. I've been taking holy basil for about a year or so (have only been dealing with LC for the past couple months), and although I don't take it for anti-inflammatory or glucose-lowering purposes, I can say that it's helped me somewhat with anxiety. I haven't been on any SSRI or SNRI drug for several years now (having tried nearly all of them), but I'm always on the lookout for things that might help with anxiety naturally, and I do feel that Holy Basil is one of them. If it also happens to be helping with inflammation, so much the better. I take Nature's Way Holy Basil (standardized to 2.5% Ursolic Acids), 450 mg 2x a day.

Fiona

desertrat · Post by **desertrat** » Sun Jul 21, 2013 6:34 pm

I decided to take holy basil to lower my cortisol, since it is high in the morning (anywhere from 19 to 25). I can't seem to lower it (luckiest I've been is 15) no matter how hard I try and my PA thinks that high cortisol is affecting my thyroid.
Did you notice any side effects and do you take it before bed?
Thanks!
Mandy

Fiona · Post by **Fiona** » Sun Jul 21, 2013 6:45 pm

I've not noticed any side effects at all. In fact, I don't find it sedating in the least, so I take one capsule with breakfast and one with lunch. Mornings and afternoons are always higher stress with me than evenings and night time, so I just figured that would be the best time for me to take it.

desertrat · Post by **desertrat** » Sun Jul 21, 2013 7:40 pm

I am 50/50 on when to take it. I've taken it at night, and today I tried it in the late morning. Surprisingly, my BP lowered to 90/64! I am usually 120/80, so I am going to try again tomorrow in the late morning to see if it happens again.
Thanks!

Mandy

Fiona · Post by **Fiona** » Sun Jul 21, 2013 8:59 pm

My blood pressure has been consistently low throughout my lifetime (90/60 - 100/60) despite my stress/anxiety issues, so I can't say if it helps on that front. But what you mentioned about cortisol makes me want to get my level tested again as I haven't since I've been on the holy basil. My last result was 25, and that was early 2011. Since that time, I also quit the job that was making my life hell, so if my cortisol level is much lower now, I'd really have to attribute it to that more than my taking the holy basil. But who knows? I read about it, researched it, found a quality product, tried it and feel like it's helping on some level. Could it be a placebo effect? Of course. Will that possibility make me stop spending $8.00 a month on something I believe works for me? Probably not.