Tuesday 16 October 2012

Holy Basil An Alternative to Medical Marijuana

id You Know...that there's an aromatic plant which offers an alternative that rival those of medical marijuana treatment—without the side effects or the necessity for a prescription? 


This same medicinal plant also protects against inflammation, stress, and even radiation poisoning. In Asia, holy basil(Ocimum sanctum, O. tenuiflorum) has been cultivated for medicinal use for over 5,000 years.

Today, Western scientists have caught on to the herb's natural anti-inflammatory properties. Chemically speaking, basil (in numerous tested varieties) contains compounds similar to those found in cannabis (also known as marijuana) and oregano. 

This has led some doctors to suggest basil as an alternative to medical marijuana, since it offers the same pain relief without the addictive "high". 

Currently, tens of thousands of seriously ill Americans (especially those with cancer and AIDS) are now physician-certified users of medical marijuana because it provides effective pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation ... as well as an amazing number of other medicinal uses.

However, the use of medical marijuana does come with potentially permanent mental or neurological side effects, such as ... • Impaired attention • Difficulty learning • Decreased computing speed • Changes to brain structure • Decreased motor skills 

Holy basil carries none of those risks as an alternative to medical marijuana. That's because basil's anti-inflammatory action comes from a compound called BCP, or (E)-beta-caryophyllene. BCP combats inflammation in a manner similar to cannabis, but without the side effects.

Basil's aromatic extracts have also proven to eliminate swelling and pain from arthritis. In fact, research has demonstrated that basil works just as well as anti-inflammatory drugs. The study—presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester—showed that concentrated extracts of two types of basil taken orally reduced joint swelling by up to 73% in just 24 hours. 


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