Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Basil essential oil benefits

Basil essential oil benefits may be not known by the public because traditionally, basil (Sundanese: surawung) are familiar to us as raw eaten vegetable. We often encounter it in the traditional market or displayed on supermarket shelves that are sold in a small bond. The price is relatively cheap. People usually buy it just for salad or as an aromatic spice in cooking. It is a member of the family Lamiaceae, which means the group of plants with lipped flowers. Its genus name is Ocimum that means scented plant. Its distinctive aroma comes from the leaves. It is closely related to ocimun sancium, mint (Mentha arvensis), and cumin leaves (Coleus amboinicus). Mint leaves in the Sunda tradition (society of West Java – Indonesia) is known as karesmen, commonly eaten raw.
In Jakarta, only its fresh leaves sold in supermarkets are packed in a small tube container. It is widely used as an aromatic spice blend for Italian cuisine, such as sphagetti sauce or pizza sauce. Its plants have many varieties. In Indonesia it has botanical name: Ocimum basillicum. It grows in groups (like bush). In Jakarta, it is commonly used in typical Betawi dish, side dish like rice or laksa. In West Java, it is used in a variety of delicious Sundanese dishes such as ulukutek oncom leunca (sauteed leunca), pais side dish (fish pepes), laksa bogor or Karedok. While in the area of East Java, its leaves served with krawu rice, botok, trancam, tempeh or. In Manado cuisine - tasty pasty food - spiked with the leaves as a complementary dish.
In India and parts of Africa, infusion of "basil tea" is commonly served to replace the original tea leaves drinks. The drinks are usually served during the change of seasons, when the person susceptible to coughs, colds, or fevers. In Europe, basil essential oil is distilled and sold. It is widely used as an ingredient for the manufacture of drugs or treatments such as soap, perfume essences, body lotion, ointment, candy lozenges, as well as aromatherapy.
According to the "List of Food Composition" from Nutrition Directorate of the Ministry of Health (Indonesia), it is grouped into vegetable which is rich in provitamin A. Each 100 g of its leaves contained 5000 of vitamin A. Another advantages, it is including vegetables that contain lots of minerals of calcium and phosphorus, which is about 45 and 75 mg per 100 g of leaves.
Indonesia people have long recognized it as a functional food which is delicious. Hereditary, it is used to overcome flatulence or colds. If your infants and toddlers suffer from bloating or fever, just apply the leaves and the squeeze of the red onion with coconut oil on the abdomen, chest, and backs (because babies can not eat.
If you encounter problems with body odor, bad breath, or milk jam, it can be overcome by familiarizing yourself to eat a salad of its fresh leaf. Alternatively, you may drink its leaf juice that have been mashed together with beluntas leaves and turmeric leaves. In the book of "A Dictionary of Practical Medical Materials", John Henry M. mention, basil leaves juice is efficacious to cure diarrhea, breast pain, kidney stones, disruption of the vagina, and also can overcome albuminaria, or the concentrated albumin in the urine.
According to the team of researchers from the Center for New Crops and Plant Products, Purdue University, USA, it is proven to cure headaches, colds, diarrhea, constipation, intestinal worms, and kidney disorders. They also suggested the efficacy of treatment with its leaves, which can cope with heartburn, flatulence, colds, convulsions, and lethargy. In addition, the basil aroma can repel the mosquito.
What are basil essential oil benefits ?
Since ancient time, it is distilled to take the basil essential oil. John Henry classified them as high volatile oil. That is, the scent of basil disappear soon after 24 hours application to the body. For comparison, the medium one will disappear after 3 days after its application, while the category of low volatile oil showed the lost after a week.
Essential oil of basil can be used for aromatherapy massage because it can relieve and refresh our body. However, pregnant women are prohibited from using it because it is possible to cause a miscarriage.
In addition, basil essential oil could overcome digestive disorders such as indigestion, vomiting, intestinal infections, stomach ulcers, and gas in the intestine. Also, disorders of the head (such as ear pain, fever, nasal pain, migraine), muscle disorders (spasms or cramps), and neurological disorders (anxiety, depression, hysteria, nervous weakness, insomnia).
For men, there are also basil essential oil benefits. Its 1-8 sineol compounds can overcome the problem of premature ejaculation. Its eugenol content may facilitate the occurrence of an erection. While its arginine substances can strengthen the vitality of the sperm and prevent infertility.
As for women, it is including healthy food which is very useful. It is rich in anetol and boron compounds that stimulate the hormone estrogen, whereas its eugenol compound can kill fungi that cause vaginal discharge. Its stigmaasterol substances stimulate the maturation of the egg (ovulation), and its zinc content reduces the secretion of vaginal fluids. Its tryptophan substances could delay monopause. So, it is not the usual vegetables because basil essential oil benefits should not be underestimated.

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