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History and Folklore
Native to India, basil was held in great reverence and was used by Indians to swear their oaths in court upon.
In Italy, on the other hand, it symbolises love.. Italian suitors signalled their love by courting with a sprig of basil in their hair. In Mexico it is carried around in the hope of returning a lover's roving eye.
Basil was found growing around Christ's tomb after the resurrection, and it has been used in the preparation of holy water in the Greek Orthodox church. Pots of basil are kept around the church alters. In some cultures it symbolises hatred; in some it is associated with scorpions.
It was feared that scorpions would grow under pots of basil and that smelling the aroma would cause scorpions to grow in the brain! There are many varieties of basil.
Bush basil is native to South America.
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Current uses
Basil is a wonderful culinary herb and we have a collection of great recipes listed here.
It also provides health benefits, being a natural source of beta-carotene, an anti-oxidant which combats free radicals in the body, preventing damage to blood vessels and the build up of cholesterol in the blood stream. Only the oxidised cholesterol adheres to vessel walls restricting blood flow.
Free radical action is the main factor in conditions such as asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritisAn array of unique flavonoids is also found in basil which protect cell structures and chromosomes from oxygen-based and radiation damage.
The oil extract from basil has been found to provide protection against growth of many pathogenic bacteria which are posing a major health problem through their resistance to commonly used antibiotics.
Another component of basil's volatile oils, eugenol, is found to be effective in blocking action of an enzyme causing inflammatory health problems such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel conditions.
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