Tulsi (holy basil) tea experiences and use as a treatment of candida

[mango]

hi, does anyone here drink tulsi (holy basil) tea regularly?
I've been raw ZC for about 8 months and the day I started I cut out all herbal teas and stevia that I was drinking multiple times daily. I was thinking of reintroducing tulsi tea (with no sweetener) back into my diet as I've just come across research showing that tulsi tea can have beneficial effects in treating candida (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20378320) plus I really remember loving the taste.

on the other hand, I've been eating only beef,fat, and water for so long and having such great results with that, that I'm skeptical about changing anything. are there any experiences or drawbacks to me adding this into my diet that you can share? i wasn't sure if the mold content is a concern, like it is with black/green tea, but couldn't find much evidence of this if using a quality brand.

Thank you!

[TylerDurden]

 I have done herbal teas, including sometimes basil teas, and they were entirely useless, imo, at treating major illnesses. Sure, in the dark past, they did solve, temporarily, certain symptoms, but that was all.

[Spirit Bear]

There were a lot more species of herbs available in the past and the potency of wild herbs is greater.

I would have thought going ZC would take a good chunk out of your candida symptoms, I doubt the tea will hurt. Unless you're drinking gallons of it the carbs are minimal, the mold shouldn't feed the candida too much and if you're ZC that should be enough to hinder their food-supply. For food candida can always take sugar right out of your blood as it passes through your intestines anyway. There are other herbal teas that are said to be good for candida like Pau D'Arco, they're probably more effective if you cycle them.

[mango]

thank you both for the replies.
 
yes, switching to raw ZC has done wonders for the candida i've had for 20+ years that has plagued my body. i feel like i'm close to 90% healed, and getting 0.1% better each day, slowly moving towards 100%. raw beef has been a god-send

i will look into pau d'arco tea as well. looking forward to being able to enjoy a few cups of tea per day like i used to, especially with the weather getting much cooler. i might bring back ginger and peppermint tea if all goes well with the tulsi tea.

also going to experiment with the pure stevia extract (kal brand) which i used in the past, which has no additives whatsoever and tastes great. before going raw ZC i thought that stevia was causing my blood pressure to drop too much, but i was on so many different supplements and vitamins and using cannabis all the time in those days to help relieve my suffering that i'm not sure it was a fair conclusion that i came to.

[jessica]

i don't drink tulsi but I have in the past.  I drink plenty of herb teas daily though and definitely advocate drinking warm tea in the winter if you are in a colder climate, or nice cool fresh teas in the summer.  there are many benefits of certain herbs, roots, barks and berries, and I have found that taking them as simple teas are often the best way to have the be very gentle medicines. 

tulsi is known to be very calming and uplifting.  its definitely worth trying it again and seeing how you feel without the other influences. 

there are sources of stevia leaf that you can steep into your tea, its much less processed that way.

 I know that cannabis used to drop my blood pressure(and sugar) so low when I was less healthy that my lips would feel extremely cold and my lips would go blue!  so it is wise to consider that it might have been the cause of lower blood pressure   in the past.

[svrn]

i have done lots of experimentation with herbal medicine in various forms including tea and sun tea.

I have derived zero benefit from any of it and consider it a complete waste of time.

yes smoked cannabis does drop blood pressure and blood sugar (why its good for diabetes) what is the relevance of this? perhaps dropping blood sugar would help manage candida? I dont know.

[svrn]

from aajonus, we want to live

CANDIDA is a yeast-like condition (detoxification) that eats little
stagnant pools of blood that result from internal lesions caused by
dryness and cracking of the tissues within the body. Candida fungus
cleans the system by eating degenerated tissue damaged by
accumulated cooked carbohydrate-based, adrenaline- or insulin-related
chemicals. Candida is helpful and should have its cycle. The worst
thing anyone can do if he or she wants to improve his or her health is to
destroy Candida. Smoking puts a person at higher risk of developing
Candida. If a person has a high adrenaline level and drinks alcohol, he
or she is putting herself at great risk of developing Candida.
 Symptoms: a somewhat pallid complexion, sensitive and swollen
extremities, dry skin, extreme lethargy, critical attitude, a general
dislike for people, and a tendency toward isolation.
 Soft drinks with caffeine, salt, alcohol, smoke, coffee, teas, and
aspirin are all poisonous because they overstimulate the adrenals and
pancreas, causing excess adrenaline and insulin that spends fat, creating
the dryness that causes lesions, the storage of volatile toxins in tissues,
and disturbing blood sugar levels.
 When experiencing extreme symptoms, eating half of a Nut Formula
once daily in the afternoon for 3 days helps remove toxic adrenalin and
insulin.
 Eating a raw diet with cooked starch in combination with plenty of
raw fat eliminates high adrenaline and insulin levels. Eating raw
tomatoes, fresh or nonsteamed unsulfured sun-dried figs, fresh raw
green vegetable juices, raw unpasteurized apple cider vinegar and fresh
unripe pineapple neutralizes and soothes the condition over a period of
years. Eating raw fish or organic raw chicken or turkey helps heal and
restore damaged and dead nerve tissue and skin. Raw beef and other
red meat may be eaten when the condition is neutralized enough. A
sign that a person is too toxic to eat beef is severe itching and
irritability, accompanied with nausea after eating beef.
 Drinking the freshest raw juice of 1 yam once every 4 days helps
produce hormones that reduce the swelling and soreness in the joints as
a result of Candida. Yam juice should be consumed within 10 minutes
after juicing. To re-lubricate the joints and body, I suggest daily
consuming the Drink for Moisturizing and Lubrication, page 210, but
made with only 1-3 teaspoons of fresh raw lemon juice.
 To temporarily reduce rampant Candida, I suggest that you blend 4
tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1-2 tablespoons unheated honey and 1-2
tablespoons raw unpasteurized apple cider vinegar together, add that to
4 ounces of naturally sparkling water, and drink 2 ounces every 4 hours
for no more than 3 consecutive days. In some individuals, that may
cause increased symptoms for the several days but ultimately it reduces
Candida proliferation.
 

DRINK FOR MOISTURIZING AND LUBRICATING DRY
AND/-OR HARDENED INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL TISSUE
(e.g., dry skin and hair, arthritis, sclerosis, and cirrhosis of the liver): 
Blend 1-2 raw eggs, 3-6 tablespoons unsalted raw butter (or other raw
fat, but butter is best), 1-1½ tablespoons fresh raw lemon juice and 2-6
teaspoons unheated honey. That drink has a lemon-meringue taste that
appeals to most people, and works quickest to relieve dryness, stiffness
and hardening.
 

[mango]

thanks jessica, i must say that your insights on cannabis and experiences that you've mentioned in previous postings really resonated with me and helped me to decide to quit using and growing close to a year ago.
probably the best decision i've made in my life, besides going raw ZC.

i was the biggest advocate of cannabis that you could imagine for the last 15 years. preaching to anyone that would listen that it was the best cure for everything from headaches to stomach aches to insomnia, etc..
little did i know how misinformed i was.

can I ask what kinds of herbal tea you drink regularly? i plan to drink tulsi, peppermint, ginger, and roobios, with the majority probably being tulsi tea.

i've had several cups of tulsi tea over the last 2 days with stevia and had no negative
reaction at all, and in fact its so relaxing and enjoyable that i really feel great.

i've also seen more elimination of candida/yeast looking substances, but won't gross you all out with the details, but a definite increase in elimination and "work/cleasing" going on in my stomach as compared to the last 9 months.

tulsi definitely makes me relaxed in a way that I haven't experienced since eliminating cannabis close to a year ago, without the mental fog and lack of motivation, low blood pressure, excess appetite, etc..

svrn, thanks for sharing that information, but it seems to be way too over the top. given my experiences i couldnt' disagree more with saying that herbal teas are "poisonous because they overstimulate the adrenals and pancreas" - that is quite a generalization.

[jessica]

srvn just because something does not suite you does not mean the entire population should abstain.  how can you deny that other herbs, cousins and brothers to cannabis, may have medicinal properties that treat conditions just as cannabis does?  that seems like a pretty ignorant thing to do.    you can even derive benefits from cannabis teas, and other forms such as oils and salves, why would cannabis be the only plant who has this ability to be healing?  its not.  throwing herbs and berries and roots in a pot and drinking the infusion is medicine older than dirt, I don't care if its not "paleo" I don't even care what "paleo" means. the goal of healthy diet is not to prove that you are right or wrong, its just to have authentic health and healing

mango, I drink something different every day, every time!  some things I have grown, some collected, some sourced from local farms, some sourced from far away farms.  I notice I want different things the time of year they are in season, like right now I really love Oregon grape root, dandelion toot, rose hips, hawthorn anything that tastes like tart dried berries really!  its funny cause I am also leaning towards pine tasting things, and pine needles are high in vitamin c, great for this time of year in the northern hemisphere.  glad you are finding healing after abstaining from cannabis.  sometimes abstinence is the best medicine, I am pretty sure the goal of most herbal medicines is not dependence either, just to help heal and adjust and put you on the right path.

[svrn]

i never promoted cannabis as anything other than an immediate treatment for symptoms and a substitute for more dangerous intoxicants.
I never said cannabis cured me of anything only helped treat my symptoms in a time of very serious illness.

cannabis juiced in its raw form is very beneficial just like juiced celery is.

the consumption heated herbs or teas made from heated herbs or tinctures or oils or salves is quite dangerous in my experience.

if you can get the herbs you need fresh and juice them that would be highly recommended although very few people have such access. Other forms are very harmful at worst and useless at best.

many people do fairly well as chronic cannabis smokers depending on their lifestyle. While I believe smoking it isnt bad and dont feel very much physical benefit when I go on breaks my thinking becomes a lot better in many ways.

i dont recommend anyone smoke cannabis either way. The fact that I do it doesnt mean I think its part of a healthy lifestyle.

I do recommend everyone juice cannabis however or simply take the oil for their cancer if they are not willing to chang their diet.

changing diet is always preferable as even if you cure your cancer with cannabis oil it will probably return if you dont make the change and 60 grams of cannabis oil is highly dangerous and highly illegal.

I believe that the reommendations I posted above are far more effective than any herbal remedy.

[mango]

jessica, that's really cool that you grow and collect different herbs for teas and go for what is in season.

makes me want to consider growing a few different herbs on my porch when the weather gets a little better

i'm also going to check out the stevia leaf to steep in my tea that you mentioned at some point in the future too.

[mango]

i had to update this posting to say that pau d'arco tea is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. i've been drinking 3-4 strong cups over the last 4-5 days and i am amazed at how much it has cleansed out my colon and killed off remaining candida in my system.. i've tried so many herbs and antifungals in the past with minor success, but WOW, this is one incredible tree where the bark is from.
on researching it more online it's pretty amazing how many reports there are of this healing people of various forms of cancer.

Pau d’arco has a long and well documented history of use by the indigenous people of the rainforest.  Indications imply that its use may actually predate the Incas.  Throughout South America, tribes living thousands of miles apart have employed it for the same medicinal purposes for hundreds of years.  Several Indian tribes of the rainforest have used pau d'arco wood for centuries to make their hunting bows; their common names for the tree mean "bow stick" and "bow stem." The Guarani and Tupi Indians call the tree tajy, which means "to have strength and vigor." They use the bark to treat many different conditions and as a tonic for the same strength and vigor it puts into their bows. Pau d'arco is recorded to be used by forest inhabitants throughout the Amazon for malaria, anemia, colitis, respiratory problems, colds, cough, flu, fungal infections, fever, arthritis and rheumatism, snakebite, poor circulation, boils, syphilis, and cancer.
 
Pau d'arco also has a long history in herbal medicine around the world. In South American herbal medicine, it is considered to be astringent, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and laxative; it is used to treat ulcers, syphilis, urinary tract infections, gastrointestinal problems, candida and yeast infections, cancer, diabetes, prostatitis, constipation, and allergies. It is used in Brazilian herbal medicine for many conditions including cancer, leukemia, ulcers, diabetes, candida, rheumatism, arthritis, prostatitis, dysentery, stomatitis, and boils. In North American herbal medicine, pau d'arco is considered to be analgesic, antioxidant, antiparasitic, antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and laxative, as well as to have anticancerous properties. It is used for fevers, infections, colds, flu, syphilis, urinary tract infections, cancer, respiratory problems, skin ulcerations, boils, dysentery, gastrointestinal problems of all kinds, arthritis, prostatitis, and circulation disturbances. Pau d'arco also is employed in herbal medicine systems in the United States for lupus, diabetes, ulcers, leukemia, allergies, liver disease, Hodgkin's disease, osteomyelitis, Parkinson's disease, and psoriasis, and is a popular natural remedy for candida and yeast infections. The recorded uses in European herbal medicine systems reveal that it is used in much the same way as in the United States, and for the same conditions.

Pau d' Arco has been revered by the Rainforest Indians for centuries. It is one of the most useful Brazilian herbs. It is called the "divine tree." It is helpful in rheumatism and arthritic inflammation, prostatitis, cystitis, and beneficial for controlling fungus and yeast overgrowth in the body. This multi-purpose herb helps prevent tumor formation and is thought to eliminate toxins and purify the blood. Pau d' Arco became very popular in 1967 after Dr. Walter Accorsi of the Municipal Hospital in Santo Andre talked to a magazine reporter who printed his story. He said:- "From my first experiments with Ipe Roxo (Pau d'Arco), I learned two important things which, greatly encouraged me in regards to cancer: First, that it eliminates the pain caused by the disease; and second, that it multiplies the number of red blood cells." This bark is used to treat stomatitis (swelling of the mucus membranes in the mouth), ulcers in the throat, gastric ulcers, syphilitic chancres, itchiness, wounds, eczema, and boils."
 
"Brazilians call pau d'arco the "divine tree." It helps to increase red blood cell production and helps respiratory disorders, ulcers, candida excess, and athlete's foot.

http://www.herballegacy.com/Maiden_Medicinal.html

[jessica]

glad to hear!  how do you make your tea?

[mango]

i started off buying the tea bags and steeping them in water as mentioned by most tea companies. i learned however this was not efficient and not how the tea is traditionally made. since it is an inner bark of a tree it needs to be lightly boiled for ~20mins to release all the essential oils.

i change the strength depending on whether i'm making a hot cup to drink now, or a batch of iced tea to drink later, but use somewhere between 4-5 tablespoons per quart. after letting it boil for 20 minutes it's recommended to let it sit for another 20-30 mins but i sometimes skip out on this step.

recently switched over to using a pure cut and sifted form of pau d'arco after realizing that it is about 1/15th the cost compared to buying tea bags. just read yesterday that the bark can be boiled again in another batch and still provide quite a strong brew on the second round. i will be trying that out soon.

i'm really loving consuming potent antifungals like pau d'arco, tulsi, chamomile, and peppermint and getting the major healing effects + wonderful taste and enjoyment from all these teas!

[jessica]

Thanks for explaining your infusion method, Mango.  Each plant and each part of each plant has specific methods, so thanks for sharing what you have learned! 

That sounds like some seriously strong brew.

A few days ago, after your post piqued my curiosity, I picked up some wildcrafted Pau d'Arco in bulk.  I used a few tbsp. per half quart and lightly boiled for about 10 minutes and let set for half an hour.  This was just my intuition but I guess I was pretty close.  It has a nice light, almost sweet aroma and taste. 

I was surprised to be attracted to it because I have had bulk PdA tea in the past that was totally different and not appealing, I have read that sometimes it's not legit and possible shavings from mahogany trees. 

I had a few cups during the day and as I was falling asleep that night, I had the weirdest sensation of being able to feel my whole circulatory system buzzing and visualize it throughout my body.  It was kind of trippy and also I thought the sensations might keep me awake, but I just re-membered the feeling and then fell asleep!  Good stuff!

I will continue to drink it until I don't.  I had serious systemic candida or something issues in the past, like something was in my blood that was reacting to carbs/sugars/seed oils and making me ill.  Whatever that was is at a manageable level, but I know there is still quite a journey left on my healing path.  Ill take all the herbal allies I can, thanks again

[mango]

glad you enjoyed the tea jessica

and thank you for all your postings on the healing effects of herbs, they are what ultimately convinced me to bring back herbs in tea form to my diet. after going beef/fat/water 10 months ago i convinced myself that i had nothing to gain from herbs (aside from cannabis at that time), due to my previous experiences taking so many herbal supplements in tablet/capsule form and never finding any relief.

that sounds like quite an interesting experience you had when falling asleep! very cool. i haven't experienced anything like that, but i do notice an increase in energy and mental clarity, and just a general feeling of "goodness" in my stomach. and it has done wonders for the remaining candida in my system.

i definitely definitely enjoy the taste of it now too, has a nice and strong caramel type flavor.

[cherimoya_kid]

You guys are making me want to try it, even though I'm pretty sure I don't even have Candida problems.

[jessica]

You guys are making me want to try it, even though I'm pretty sure I don't even have Candida problems.

It's probably my convincing use of proper punctuation and grammar that is enticing you to try this wonderful herb.

[Dr. D]

Jessica- Where did you get the PdA tea that was good? I think I want to try it as it seems like it's worth a shot and I don't want bunk stuff that'd give me a bad experience.

Seems exciting and healing!

[cherimoya_kid]

It's probably my convincing use of proper punctuation and grammar that is enticing you to try this wonderful herb.

heh.

[mango]

Jessica- Where did you get the PdA tea that was good? I think I want to try it as it seems like it's worth a shot and I don't want bunk stuff that'd give me a bad experience.

i've been using Frontier brand bulk PDA - cut & sifted, and its been great so far. prior to this i used the traditional medicinals tea bags and find this bulk pda to taste much better. and considering you can buy it for <$10/lb its a complete bargain imo. most other brands are $30-$40/lb and i couldn't find any reason as to why they would be any better. frontiers website states it is imported from argentina, where all the best pda is found.
in the past i purchased many organic teas and herbs for cooking and frontier brand has always been top notch.

i'd be interested in any opinions others had on this or other brands of pda.

[jessica]

I can't remember exactly who the Pau D'Arco is from.  We have a lot of really good herb companies here in the Southern Oregon!  Herb Pharm, who makes tinctures(i am not a big fan of tinctures) and also grows most of their own herbs(which I am a huge fan of!) and also "ethically" sources what they cant grow, is the huge one, also Pacific Botanicals, those are the biggies anyway.  Not that they could grow pDa, but I am sure they would source it properly, they are legit herbal companies and HerbPharm runs an awesome herbalist school/farm/internship program.