Basil Leaves - For Giving Ease To Cancer And Digestive Gas

Pizza-lovers from Boise to Brooklyn dust their slices with dried basil. Pasta mavens inhale plates of pasta al pesto, redolent with garlic and basil. Gardeners live for the first tomato of the season, drizzled with olive oil and garnished with homegrown, fresh-snipped basil. Whether it's used dried or fresh, basil's sharp aroma and spicy flavor pleasures the nose as well as the palate. When you treat yourself to basil, you may also be treating yourself to important health benefits. There arc substances in this herb that can help calm your stomach and even, researchers believe, play a role in preventing cancer.

Keeping Cells Healthy Against Cancer

• The research is still preliminary, but laboratory studies suggest that compounds found in basil may help disrupt the dangerous chain of events that can lead to the development of cancer.

• In one study, researchers in India spiked the food of a group of laboratory animals with basil extract, while animals in a second group were given only their usual diet. After 15 days, animals given the extract had higher levels of enzymes that are known to deactivate cancer-causing substances in the body.

• Basil's ability to prevent cancerous changes was linked not to one particular compound in the herb but instead to several compounds working together, the researchers speculate. While it's too soon to say whether basil will have the same beneficial effects in humans, it's certainly not too soon to put more of this flavorful herb on your menu.

A Digestive Aid

• The next time your stomach sends out a postprandial SOS, try sipping a cup of basil tea. This herb has a reputation for easing a variety of digestive disorders, especially gas.

• No one is sure exactly why basil appears to soothe stomach upsets. One possible explanation is a compound called eugenol. This compound, which is found in basil, has been shown to help ease muscle spasms. This could explain why basil appears to help ease gas and stomach cramps.

• To make a soothing basil tea, pour 4 cup of boiling water over 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried basil. Let the brew steep for 15 minutes, then strain and serve. People who frequently have gas may benefit by drinking 2 to 3 cups a day between meals.

• Exposing dried basil to heat, light, or air for long periods will cause many of the protective compounds to break down. To extract the most healing power, it's important to store basil in a cool, dark place, preferably in a glass or metal container.