Cohen Marc Maurice
School of Health Sciences, RMIT University, Victoria, Australia.
J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2014 Oct-Dec;5(4):251-9. doi: 10.4103/0975-9476.146554.
The predominant cause of global morbidity and mortality is lifestyle-related chronic diseases, many of which can be addressed through Ayurveda with its focus on healthy lifestyle practices and regular consumption of adaptogenic herbs. Of all the herbs used within Ayurveda, tulsi (Ocimum sanctum Linn) is preeminent, and scientific research is now confirming its beneficial effects. There is mounting evidence that tulsi can address physical, chemical, metabolic and psychological stress through a unique combination of pharmacological actions. Tulsi has been found to protect organs and tissues against chemical stress from industrial pollutants and heavy metals, and physical stress from prolonged physical exertion, ischemia, physical restraint and exposure to cold and excessive noise. Tulsi has also been shown to counter metabolic stress through normalization of blood glucose, blood pressure and lipid levels, and psychological stress through positive effects on memory and cognitive function and through its anxiolytic and anti-depressant properties. Tulsi's broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, which includes activity against a range of human and animal pathogens, suggests it can be used as a hand sanitizer, mouthwash and water purifier as well as in animal rearing, wound healing, the preservation of food stuffs and herbal raw materials and traveler's health. Cultivation of tulsi plants has both spiritual and practical significance that connects the grower to the creative powers of nature, and organic cultivation offers solutions for food security, rural poverty, hunger, environmental degradation and climate change. The use of tulsi in daily rituals is a testament to Ayurvedic wisdom and provides an example of ancient knowledge offering solutions to modern problems.
全球发病率和死亡率的主要原因是与生活方式相关的慢性病，其中许多疾病可以通过阿育吠陀医学来解决，该医学注重健康的生活方式和定期食用适应原草药。在阿育吠陀医学所使用的所有草药中，罗勒（神圣罗勒）最为突出，目前科学研究正在证实其有益效果。越来越多的证据表明，罗勒可以通过独特的药理作用组合来应对身体、化学、代谢和心理压力。已发现罗勒能保护器官和组织免受工业污染物和重金属造成的化学压力，以及长期体力消耗、局部缺血、身体束缚和暴露于寒冷及过度噪音所带来的身体压力。罗勒还被证明可通过使血糖、血压和血脂水平正常化来对抗代谢压力，并通过对记忆和认知功能产生积极影响以及其抗焦虑和抗抑郁特性来缓解心理压力。罗勒的广谱抗菌活性，包括对一系列人类和动物病原体的活性，表明它可用作洗手液、漱口水和水净化器，也可用于动物饲养、伤口愈合、食品和草药原料的保存以及旅行者健康。种植罗勒植物具有精神和实际意义，能将种植者与大自然的创造力联系起来，而有机种植为粮食安全、农村贫困、饥饿、环境退化和气候变化提供了解决方案。在日常仪式中使用罗勒证明了阿育吠陀医学的智慧，并提供了古代知识为现代问题提供解决方案的范例。
