basil

The basil is a plant that belongs to the family of labiates, also known as Lamiaceae. It is an aromatic herb that is used as seasoning.

Small in size, capable of reaching a height of up to 1.30 approximately meters, the basil has greenish leaves and spikes with white flowers. Due to its characteristics, it is usually cultivated in gardens and even in houses since it can grow in small pots, although it is important to take care of the plant from frost.

In the gastronomy, basil is used in a lot of recipes. It is often consumed fresh, in salads or sauces. The Caprese salad, originally from the Italian island of Capri, is one of the most popular preparations with basil: in addition to fresh leaves of this plant, it has cheese mozzarella, tomato and olive oil.

The pesto It is also based on the use of basil. Is sauce which is used as an accompaniment to various pasta is made from the processing of basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and olive oil, although it may also include other ingredients.

It is important to note that common basil is the plant whose scientific name is Ocimum basilicum. However, there are other plants that are also known, in colloquial language, as basil. The Acinos alpinus, for example, is usually named as wild basil. To Clinopodium acinos and the Clinopodium vulgare, on the other hand, they are called wild basil. Refering to Nepeta cataria, it is called cat basil.

Healing properties of basil

As with most plants, humans can not only use basil for culinary purposes, but it can also be used to treat a large number of diseases and health problems of varying severity. Broadly speaking, we can say that its leaves are used to sharpen memory, combat nervous states, clean the bronchial tubes of phlegm and optimize the functioning of the stomach.

One of the conditions that can improve with the consumption of basil is the fever, an abnormal increase in body temperature that can occur for multiple reasons, and often affects other aspects of the body. organism, such as breathing and heart rate.

To ingest the basil and take advantage of its properties Medicinally, one of the recommended ways is to cook it with tea; On the other hand, it is also possible to prepare a decoction with powdered cardamom (an aromatic kind of perennial herb) and with sugar. Although it is not a chemical product and therefore it is not so necessary to take care of the dose, it is enough with two or three cups per day, to give the body the opportunity to assimilate it.

The cough and the throat pain are two other problems of Health that can be treated with the help of basil. In the first case, it should be mentioned that this plant is one of the fundamental components of various syrups, since it promotes expectorant action and the release of the bronchi. With regard to inflammation in the throat, it is recommended to boil some basil leaves and then drink the water or use it to gargle.

The stress It is one of the most common evils of today, given the dizzying pace of life in society, full of demands on a personal and professional level that few can meet without spending all their energy on it. Basil also offers us Benefits against this series of mental and physical disorders, as it is a natural anti-stress agent, as many studies have shown. It is enough to chew several leaves a day to have a good protection against stress.