Full profile
| Also known as | Tulsi, Ocimum sanctum, Ocimum tenuiflorum |
|---|---|
| Best for | Healthy stress response support · Cortisol balance under everyday stress |
| Evidence grade | Grade B · Moderate: several human trials, some mixed results |
| Studied dose range | 125 mg twice daily, up to roughly 1200 mg/day of standardized extract. |
| Time to effect | Stress/cortisol studies generally run 6–8 weeks of daily use. |
| Best form | Standardized leaf/stem extract; Holixer or OciBest are the best-studied branded forms. |
Evidence, honestly graded
Multiple double-blind, placebo-controlled stress/cortisol RCTs exist across more than one manufacturer's standardized extract (including Holixer and OciBest), which is the specific reason this clears B rather than the single-sponsor C ceiling that applies to many adaptogens: independent replication across sponsors, not just repeated trials from one.
See the full grading rubric (study type, replication, population match, and dose adequacy) in The Evidence Standard.
430 natural health products with an active licence in Health Canada's LNHPD list Holy Basil as a medicinal ingredient.
That makes Holy Basil a recognized, licensable medicinal ingredient in Canada, regulated by Health Canada's Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate, which issues each licensed natural health product a Natural Product Number (NPN). Search the LNHPD to verify.
Side effects
- Generally well tolerated
- Mild GI upset in some users
Who should avoid it or check first
- Pregnant or breastfeeding without clinician guidance
- Scheduled for surgery (theoretical bleeding/glucose effects)
Interactions
- Theoretical antiplatelet effect; caution with anticoagulants
- Theoretical hypoglycemic effect; caution with diabetes medication; discuss with a clinician
Stacks well with
What to look for on a label
- Specify the branded standardized extract (e.g. Holixer, OciBest), not generic "holy basil leaf."
- Use structure/function language: cortisol balance and stress response, not disease treatment.
References
- Saxena RC, Singh R, Kumar P, Negi MPS, Saxena VS, Geetharani P, Allan JJ, Venkateshwarlu K (2012). Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012:894509Significant reduction in general-stress symptom scores versus placebo.
- Holixer (Ocimum tenuiflorum) stress/cortisol RCT. A separate randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the Holixer extract (a different manufacturer than OciBest) in stressed adults reported lower hair cortisol and improved perceived-stress and sleep scores. PMC9524226. The two distinct manufacturers' extracts each with a placebo-controlled trial (genuine cross-sponsor replication, not repeated single-sponsor trials) is the specific basis for the B grade. Educational, not a product claim.
Grades and studied doses are our conservative reading of the human research, shown for education. They are not product claims, and a studied dose is not a recommended dose.
Revision history
Every change to this ingredient's evidence status, dated and explained. The full cross-library log lives at Evidence Updates.
- 2026-07-07New profile
Initial profile published at Grade B: stress and cortisol RCTs replicate across more than one manufacturer's standardized extract — cross-sponsor replication rather than repeated single-sponsor trials.
See how Holy Basil compares on grade, dose, and goal in the Evidence Explorer.
