Eight Benefits of Drinking Basil Tea Every Day
Basil tea is a light aromatic drink you can enjoy after a main meal or as part of a mid-afternoon snack.
You can easily make it with just a few basil leaves but could also use the sweetener of your choice as long as you consume them in moderation.
This tea has a very particular taste and aroma so not many people drink it regularly. In fact, most mainly use basil to enhance the flavors of various dishes such as spaghetti with tomato and basil.
Basil is a herb of the mint family that grows to be about a foot and a half high. The leaves and stems are green, and the flowers and buds have a violet hue. It’s characterized by a particularly strong, penetrating and attractive aroma.
The plant is native to Southeast Asia and Central Africa, where people have been cultivating it for thousands of years. It’s widely used in cooking as well as for medicinal purposes. People usually add it to salads, dressings, sauces, and pastas, among others.
Making and drinking basil tea
Basil tea isn’t as common but you can make it and drink it all the same. It’s actually very simple, let’s find out how.
Ingredients
- Basil leaves (fresh)
- 1 c. of boiled water
- Honey or sweetener to taste
How to make
- Pick 8 to 10 leaves of your homemade basil plant or purchase them at the market
- Rinse them well
- Bring water to a boil and then, remove it from the heat
- Add the leaves and let it steep for five minutes
How to consume
- Add honey or the sweetener of your choice and add a little more water if the flavor is too strong. You may drink it hot or cold.
Benefits of basil tea
This plant has been used in traditional medicine due to its various properties. Here are the benefits of drinking basil tea every day.
1. Maintaining respiratory health
Although it isn’t scientifically proven that drinking basil tea can make any specific (or significant) contribution to your health, there are those who have incorporated it into their lifestyle, as a refreshing drink.
According to popular belief, basil tea could help to promote respiratory health. More specifically, it’s thought that it could help to clear your airways and keep the mucus fluid.
It has an expectorant effect which helps to get rid of phlegm and alleviate problems such as bronchitis and asthma . It could also help to provide relief from colds and flues.
2. It protects your kidneys
Because it can have a diuretic effect, many believe that basil tea helps support renal function. Plus, it’s anti-inflammatory properties might help your kidneys do their job properly.
When consumed regularly, this drink could help to reduce the risk of kidney stones.
3. Fighting emotional tension and stress
Since hot drinks, such as herbal infusions, can help to relieve stress and emotional tension, many people believe that basil tea could potentially contribute to well-being in some way.
However, there’s no scientific evidence to support these beliefs. So, for now, it’s just another drink you can take as part of your normal diet, rather than a solution for stress.
4. Preventing oral infections
Because it’s thought to have antimicrobial compounds, many believe that drinking basil tea could create a sort of protective barrier in the mouth against germs that cause oral infections and disease.
By drinking it in moderation, and maintaining good oral hygiene, many say that it could prevent the spread of harmful bacteria. Plus, it could help you avoid additional problems such as bad breath.
5. Basil tea might relieve headaches
Because many believe it to have anti-inflammatory properties, they also say basil tea helps alleviate mild headaches. Many have also claimed that his drink could promote circulation, which supposedly helps provide relief in the case of a headache. However, this hasn’t yet been scientifically proven.
6. Maintaining skin health
Because it contains antioxidants, basil could help to maintain skin health, as well as:
- Prevent premature cell aging
- Protect tissues against the damage caused by free radicals, and avoiding premature wrinkles
Check out this article The Incredible Medicinal Properties of Basil
7. Improving digestion
Basil is a digestive plant which, according to popular belief, can help to:
- Eliminate excess gas
- Alleviate stomach pain
- Aid digestion
- Reduce abdominal inflammation
- Maintain the balance of the intestinal flora
- Stimulate urination and bowel movements
8. Basil tea is good for hydration and promotes urinary health
Basil tea is a drink that can help to maintain hydration and stimulate urination, which could help to eliminate retained fluids and associated discomfort.
Consume it in moderation, and remember to drink plenty of mineral water.
Things to consider about basil tea
You always want to make basil tea with the leaves of the plant rather than with its essential oil counterpart. This is because it contains estragole, a carcinogen that may pose a risk to your health.
It’s best to maintain healthy lifestyle habits and discuss any concerns with your doctor to take better care of your health. This kind of professional should be able to advise you on the best ways to maintain a good quality of life in a safe healthy manner.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Abd El-Ghffar, E. A., Al-Sayed, E., Shehata, S. M., Eldahshan, O. A., & Efferth, T. (2018). The protective role of Ocimum basilicum L.(Basil) against aspirin-induced gastric ulcer in mice: Impact on oxidative stress, inflammation, motor deficits and anxiety-like behavior. Food & function, 9(8), 4457-4468. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2018/fo/c8fo00538a/unauth
- Aminian, A. R., Mohebbati, R., & Boskabady, M. H. (2022). The Effect of Ocimum basilicum L. and Its Main Ingredients on Respiratory Disorders: An Experimental, Preclinical, and Clinical Review. Frontiers in pharmacology, 12, 805391. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8762307/
- Ayuob, N. N., Balgoon, M. J., Ali, S., Alnoury, I. S., ALmohaimeed, H. M., & AbdElfattah, A. A. (2020). Ocimum basilicum (basil) modulates apoptosis and neurogenesis in olfactory pulp of mice exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress. Frontiers in psychiatry, 11, 569711. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.569711/full
- Ayuob, N. N., Firgany, A. E. L., El-Mansy, A. A., & Ali, S. (2017). Can Ocimum basilicum relieve chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depression in mice?. Experimental and molecular pathology, 103(2), 153–161. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28823898/
- Bensaid, A., Boudard, F., Servent, A., Morel, S., Portet, K., Guzman, C., Vitou, M., Bichon, F., & Poucheret, P. (2022). Differential Nutrition-Health Properties of Ocimum basilicum Leaf and Stem Extracts. Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 11(12), 1699. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9222536/
- Calderón Bravo, H., Vera Céspedes, N., Zura-Bravo, L., & Muñoz, L. A. (2021). Basil Seeds as a Novel Food, Source of Nutrients and Functional Ingredients with Beneficial Properties: A Review. Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 10(7), 1467. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8303141/
- Janbaz, K. H., Hamid, I., Gilani, A. U. H., & Qadir, M. I. (2014). Spasmolytic, Bronchodilator and Vasodilator Activities of Aqueous-methanolic Extract of Ocimum basilicum. International Journal of Agriculture & Biology, 16(2). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260594708_Spasmolytic_Bronchodilator_and_Vasodilator_Activities_of_Aqueous-methanolic_Extract_of_Ocimum_basilicum
- Mora, E., Moschella, F., Navarro, D., Reyes, E., & Vargas, M. (2014). Dieta, estado nutricional y riesgo de cáncer. Archivos venezolanos de puericultura y pediatría, 77(4), 202-209. http://ve.scielo.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-06492014000400007
- Murillo, E., Fernandez, K., Sierra, D., & Viña, A. (2004). Caracterización físico-química del aceite esencial de albahaca. ii. Revista Colombiana de Química, 33(2), 139-148. https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/rcolquim/article/view/774
- Neamati, A., Talebi, S., Hosseini, M., Hossein Boskabady, M., & Beheshti, F. (2016). Administration of Ethanolic Extract of Ocimum Basilicum leaves attenuates depression like behavior in the rats sensitized by ovalbumin. Current Nutrition & Food Science, 12(1), 72-78. http://www.eurekaselect.com/article/71479
- Perna, S., Alawadhi, H., Riva, A., Allegrini, P., Petrangolini, G., Gasparri, C., … & Rondanelli, M. (2022). In Vitro and In Vivo Anticancer Activity of Basil (Ocimum spp.): Current Insights and Future Prospects. Cancers, 14(10), 2375. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/14/10/2375
- Othman, M. S., Khaled, A. M., Al-Bagawi, A. H., Fareid, M. A., Ghany, R. A., Habotta, O. A., & Abdel Moneim, A. E. (2021). Hepatorenal protective efficacy of flavonoids from Ocimum basilicum extract in diabetic albino rats: A focus on hypoglycemic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie, 144, 112287. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34649220/
- Singletary, K. W. (2018). Basil: A brief summary of potential health benefits. Nutrition Today, 53(2), 92-97. https://journals.lww.com/nutritiontodayonline/Fulltext/2018/03000/Basil__A_Brief_Summary_of_Potential_Health.9.aspx
- Takeuchi, H., Takahashi-Muto, C., Nagase, M., Kassai, M., Tanaka-Yachi, R., & Kiyose, C. (2020). Anti-inflammatory Effects of Extracts of Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) on a Co-culture of 3T3-L1 Adipocytes and RAW264.7 Macrophages. Journal of oleo science, 69(5), 487–493. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32281564/
