One of my favorite hobbies in the summer time is our vegetable garden. In the beginning of the season my husband plants all of the vegetables and then we both water and tend to it and hope the deer and rabbits stay far away!
This year the basil plant has taken a life of it’s own! We have a few varieties and it is one of my favorite herbs. Basil is considered one of the healthiest herbs. When fresh I find that it exudes a sweet, earthy aroma.
While I love making pesto (click here for a great easy recipe), basil comes with an impressive list of medicinal properties and vitamins and nutrients rather than just its culinary value, that extend the herb’s uses far beyond the humble pesto. Like other aromatic plants, basil contains essential oils and phytochemicals in the leaves, stem, flowers, roots and seeds that have biological activity in the body.
Throughout history, ancient cultures have used herbal remedies to prevent and treat illness and disease. Basil is just one example of the wide range of medicinal flora historically used in plant-based tinctures, compresses, syrups and ointments. It has been used for centuries in Ayurveda, a traditional Indian system of medicine, as a treatment for gastric, respiratory and inflammatory disorders as well as a remedy for headache, fever, anxiety, convulsions, nausea and hypertension. Basil provides vitamin K, essential for blood clotting and vitamin A, which contains beta-carotenes. Other vitamins and minerals in basil include iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium, vitamin C and potassium.
Who knew that all of these wonderful properties existed in such a small leafy plant!