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As I was researching herbal remedies for sore throat, I came across this article on South Asian home remedies which recommends a tea made of holy basil, black peppercorns, crushed cloves and a bit of crushed ginger, to relieve symptoms of common colds and flu.
Basil? Apparently, aside from its antibacterial and other health benefits, basil contain volatile oils that has anti-inflammatory properties, which basically act the same way as your over the counter aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen (source). Want more scientific proof? Check out this animal trial published in Fitoterapia.
I strongly believe in the nutritional power of basil. Whenever my children have sore throats or colds, I always add a significant amount more basil into their food and it does seem to increase their healing time and symptoms. I produce news segments called Living Well with Leisa and one of my recent segments was on the antibacterial property of basil. I had my girls planting basil in our yard!!! It is an easy herb to add to a wide variety of foods such as pasta, eggs and vegetable rice dishes!!