Ocimum Tenuiflorum (Tulsi Patta)

The plant has many medicinal properties. The leaves are a nervine tonic and also sharpen memory. The leaves strengthen the stomach and induce copious perspiration. Basil leaves are regarded as an adaptogen or anti-stress agent. During the rainy season, when malaria and dengue fever are widely prevalent, tender leaves, boiled with tea, act as preventive against these diseases. In case of acute fevers, a decoction of the leaves boiled with powdered cardamom in half a liter of water and mixed with sugar and milk brings down the temperature.