As a science of life and the world's oldest health system, Ayurveda takes a holistic approach that focuses on preserving and promoting wellness through healthy lifestyle practices.
In the countries where it is practiced, including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Malaysia, Nepal and Sri Lanka, beneficial herbs are at the very center of Ayurveda, which means “knowledge of life.”
As one of the principal herbs used in this traditional Ayurvedic practice, tulsi holy basil is often referred to as “The Queen of Herbs,” “The Incomparable One” and “The Mother Medicine of Nature.”
Tulsi holds a supreme place in the ancient Vedic scriptures and is integrated into daily life by Hindus through religious worship. Hindu homes typically have a tulsi plant growing in an earthen pot in or around the home. The herb has been valued for centuries because of its potential benefits for the mind, body and spirit.
There’s even an ancient custom in India to worship the plant twice a day, water it and place lamps near it, once in the morning and then at night. Hindus believed, and many still do, that it brings good luck while protecting their family from evil and harm.
In Ayurveda, it is believed that one of the best ways to benefit from tulsi is to consume the herb in its raw, fresh and whole form as a hot-water infusion.
With all the fascinating history and tradition behind tulsi, how can you benefit from this herb today, even if you don’t enjoy or have convenient access to the raw form itself? We have the perfect solution coming up…
More Than Your Basic Basil Herb
As a very aromatic herb, tulsi holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum/Ocimum sanctum) is a perennial or annual plant that’s part of the Lamiaceae family as well as the mint family.
However, this herb isn’t like the sweet basil in your favorite marinara sauce or the Thai herb used to flavor a steaming bowl of rice or soup. It’s distinctively different from your typical basil herb used strictly as a cooking ingredient.
From a nutritional and potential health-supporting value standpoint, tulsi contains:
With all these valuable nutrients, there’s even more to tulsi holy basil than meets the eye – it’s more complex than just a single herb.
Even though there are about 108 types of holy basil, three of the most common varieties of tulsi cultivated for Ayurvedic practices are:
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Rama Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) – Also known as Green Leaf Tulsi, Sri or Lakshmi Tulasi, this tulsi is a broader holy basil leaf variety. Found in many parts of the world, including India and China, it tends to have a mild flavor, but its scent becomes stronger when the leaves are crushed.
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Krishna Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) – Also known as Purple Leaf or Shyama Tulsi, this tulsi grows throughout India, but remains harder to find than Rama. It’s well-known for its peppery, crisp taste.
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Vana Tulsi (Ocimum gratissimum) – Also known as Wild Forest Tulsi, or simply Forest Tulsi, this tulsi is very difficult to find because it grows close to the Himalayan foothills. It has light green leaves with a lemony aroma and flavor.
So, what are the known tulsi benefits you might be able to take advantage of?
The Benefits of Tulsi’s Adaptogenic Properties
Studies have shown that holy basil is high in antioxidant properties that can support your body from exposure to environmental toxins and may promote cellular health.*
But there’s an even more powerful natural component of holy basil that deserves your attention…
Stress is a normal and natural part of everyday life. It occurs when the demands placed upon you exceed your body's ability to cope. The body's response to stress, often referred to as the “flight-or-fight” response, occurs automatically at these times.
Some stress and your body’s response to it can be good for you. However, when your body is continually stressed and bombarded with high levels of cortisol and corticosterone, key bodily functions can become suppressed and even damaged.
This is where tulsi holy basil can help…
Tulsi’s most powerful beneficial property is that it functions as an adaptogen. An adaptogen is a natural substance that helps your body adapt to stress and promotes overall mental balance.
Adaptogenic herbs do not alter your mood, but rather, they help the body function optimally during times of stress.
So even though you don’t want to completely “turn-off” your stress response, you never want to remain in a risky state of continual stress. Tulsi can help reduce normal, everyday stress by relaxing and calming your mind.*
The question is: with three main varieties of tulsi holy basil, which one, or ones, should you take to benefit from its antioxidant and adaptogenic properties? Why not a blend of all three?
How This Tulsi Holy Basil Formula Offers You More
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Despite being grown in India for thousands of years, it’s only recently, in the last few decades, when tulsi has gained popularity in the U.S. However, with all the world-wide sources available, including a large variety in India itself, the challenge to find high-quality tulsi is often a confusing and difficult task.
How tulsi varieties are grown, cultivated and processed varies widely even in India. And not everyone enjoys or has convenient access to the raw forms of tulsi.
Setting the standard for high-quality tulsi holy basil, our Biodynamic® Organic Tulsi Holy Basil is:
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Demeter Certified Biodynamic® and Certified USDA Organic.
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Formulated using a unique complex blend of three active tulsi varieties: Biodynamic Rama, Biodynamic Krishna and Biodynamic Vana – Not many tulsi holy basil supplements, including organic ones, contain all three of these beneficial ingredients.
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The first-ever biodynamic tulsi supplement delivered in convenient, innovative tablet form – Tulsi holy basil supplements delivered in capsule form are not eligible or allowed to be certified biodynamic.
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Sourced and produced by small, family farms in India that are under the umbrella of an exclusive research foundation committed to ensuring the self-sustainability of the farms.
With the many differentiators that help our Biodynamic® Tulsi Holy Basil formula stand apart, we cannot emphasize enough the way that the tulsi is grown, harvested and processed.
Pushing the Envelope for Higher Quality, Nutrient-Rich Ingredients
The world’s oldest ecological certification, Demeter Certified Biodynamic® is the soil-first approach to farming that naturally draws carbon from the atmosphere and stores it into the ground, where it belongs, to create richer, more nutrient-dense farmlands and harvests for better food and raw ingredients the way nature intended.
Viewing the farm as a living organism that’s self-sustaining, this unique practice follows the cycles of nature to create a diverse and balanced ecosystem, promoting the overall health of our crops and animals while also healing the planet during the process.
Striving for a higher standard, we worked exclusively with our Demeter Certified partner to offer you Biodynamic® Tulsi Holy Basil, certified by the highest standard for cleaner harvests and a healthier world – people and animals included.
Here’s a closer look at how Demeter Certified Biodynamic® compares to the National Organic Program’s (NOP’s) Certified Organic standards:
| Allows imported organic fertilizers |
Reduces imported materials by utilizing nutrient-rich humus created within the farming system |
| Allows imported organic pesticides |
Creates a biologically diverse habitat that encourages balanced predator-prey relationships |
| Does not require the use of livestock |
Integrates livestock to improve soils |
| Does not address the rotation of crops |
Promotes crop rotation and intensive use of cover crops (green manure) to add nutrients to the soil |
| Organic feed for livestock can come from anywhere in the world |
50% of livestock feed must be grown on the farm |
| Does not require biodiversity |
10% of total farm acreage must be set aside for biodiversity |
| Focuses on crops and allows for only one section of a farm to be certified |
Focuses on farms as a whole and requires that the entire farm be certified |
| Product certification focuses mainly on ingredients used |
Product certification uses 12 Biodynamic® processing standards so the agricultural ingredients used define the product |
How This Foundation Ensures a Premium Tulsi
How tulsi varieties are grown, cultivated and processed varies widely around the world, even in India. And as world demand for tulsi appears to be on the rise, many inexperienced “players” are jumping in, often without regard to ecological or sustainability concern.
While certified biodynamic tulsi farmers are rare, we worked with an experienced partner located in the heart of tulsi holy basil “country” in India, who is backed by a research foundation.
This provider demonstrates their commitment to producing and delivering the highest-quality tulsi holy basil formula from the farm to the laboratory:
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Farm Self-Sustainability – At the core of tulsi cultivation and harvesting are 1400 small family farms. Each farm usually spans less than four acres, reducing dependence on expensive chemicals for soil conditioning, nutritional management and pest control.
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Foundation Experience – Founded in 1999, an exclusive research foundation oversees these small farms under an umbrella covering about 10,000 certified acres across India. This allows for more efficient organic and biodynamic group land certifications.
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Inter-Cropping Support – As part of the foundation’s holistic approach to organic and biodynamic farming, farmers are encouraged to take up inter-cropping in their fields. In large often barren gaps between plantations, farmers grow herbs and other crops which require minimum space. This system ensures the farmer gets more income from the same piece of land and also helps in soil conditioning.
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Social Responsibility – The foundation supports the individual farmers by providing a ready, premium market for their produce, like tulsi, that helps ensure the farmers’ economic stability.
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Quality Control – Quality control checks start at the farm-level right from the time of harvest. Farmers are trained on GACP (Good Agricultural and Collection Practices) harvesting sustainable guidelines. These technical guidelines are crucial to follow when growing, collecting and processing herbal substances, like tulsi holy basil.
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Qualified In-House Laboratory – An experienced, dedicated team of microbiologists conduct extensive tests on each herbal batch that leaves the processing facility to ensure the highest-quality.
All these provider’s commitments to sustainability and premium quality go into producing Biodynamic® Tulsi Holy Basil, a tulsi formula with a unique blend of three main tulsi varieties: Biodynamic® Rama, Krishna and Vana.
Balance Your Stress with the Antioxidant and Adaptogenic Powers of Tulsi*
![Biodynamic Tulsi Holy Basil]()
As one of the principal herbs used in Ayurveda, tulsi holy basil has been valued for thousands of years because of its potential benefits for the mind, body and spirit.
Now, you can reap the antioxidant and adaptogenic benefits of this “Queen of Herbs” with all the convenience of a tablet with our Biodynamic® Tulsi Holy Basil formula.*
Unlike other tulsi supplements, Biodynamic® Tulsi Holy Basil provides a unique complex blend of the three main holy basil varieties, all wrapped up in the first-ever Demeter Certified Biodynamic® tulsi supplement.
You’ll also have peace of mind knowing this biodynamic formula is produced by an experienced herbal research foundation from small farms in the heart of India’s fertile tulsi cultivation area.
Experience the clear difference in adaptogens, and order Biodynamic® Tulsi Holy Basil today.