The Amazing Health Benefits of Basil (With A Cold Pasta Salad Recipe)

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Just like peppermint, the basil plant is also belonging to the mint family. It’s popular used to sauces, soups and salads. It’s not only with versatile flavor, also offers many medicinal health benefits with its healing properties:

  1. Basil leaves are widely used to treat cuts and wounds thanks to their antiseptic properties. Simply mixed basil leaves juice with coconut oil can be used to relieve cuts and wounds.
  2. Another primary medicinal uses for basil is for its anti-inflammatory properties, making basil an ideal treatment for people with arthritis. For therapeutic purposes, you need a higher dose to use basil for arthritis relief. You can take Holy Basil, the supplement which contains extract from the leaves of the Ocimum tenuiflorum variety (also called Ocimum sanctum). It’s available in 500 mg capsules and it’s recommended to take one to two capsules twice daily.
  3. Basil is known to have powerful antioxidant properties that can protect the body from premature aging, age-related problems and basil leaves offer lots of benefits for your skin:1)-To prevent acne and pimples, you can apply a paste of basil leaves mixed with sandalwood paste, neem paste or rose water to prevent inflammation.2)-Dried basil leaves improve your facial skin and give your face a younger appearance. Simply applied a paste of basil leaves on your face to improve your skin tone.3)-Wet the top side of the basil and place one leaf on each side of your nose for 5 minutes, then wash your face with warm water. This simple remedy helps prevet the appearance of blackhead.

    4)- Mix basil leaves with lemon juice and apply the mixture on the skin to treat ringworm.

  4. Basil oil is effective to treat constipation and digestion problems as well as the cold, flu, asthma and cough.
  5. Basil is a great source of magnesium which helps the body’s blood vessels relax, thus improving blood flow.

Basil is an easy addition to any diet. Here is a popular basil recipe that is great for summer days, a cold pasta salad:

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked fusilli or spiral pasta
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup basil, fresh, chopped
• 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, diced
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Cook pasta according to the package directions, then drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add vinegar, olive oil and oregano, toss to coat. Fold in tomatoes, basil and mozzarella. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or chilled.

Resources:

qualityhealth.com

stylecraze.com

motherearthliving.com

Beverly Entin