Holy Basil

[terebol]

Hi I want to know, if anyone in this community uses tulsi/holy basil. I drink the tea & have considered using the extract, but read that holy basil will interfere w/levo. No where can I find that it interferes, if you take it w/in 4 hours of taking thyroid meds or that it is ok to use holy basil if it is 12 hours away from thyroid meds. I take DTE/NDT (NP thyroid) & currently drink a cup in the evening. I do like the health benefits it offers. Thank you

[humanbean]

I take Holy Basil in capsule form. I started taking it nearly 10 years ago.

I take the Holy Basil just before bed, and my thyroid hormones as soon as I wake up.

The reason I take it is that it has a slight suppressive effect on cortisol, and my cortisol is high when tested.

I've had a problem with intractable insomnia my entire life, and I struggled to get any help from doctors. If I got anything at all from them it was always something that quickly stopped working and was addictive. They would usually stop prescribing after a month.

When I found out that Holy Basil slightly reduced cortisol I decided to try it before bed, and it does help me to relax. I still have insomnia, but it isn't as bad as it used to be throughout large chunks of my life.

If you have low cortisol you should probably avoid Holy Basil.

This is the product I take :

dolphinfitness.co.uk/en/swa...

If it interests you, shop around for the best price. It tends to vary enormously from website to website.

[terebol in reply to humanbean]

Thanks so much for the info, I, too, am looking @using it via liquid drops for insomnia that appears out of no where, then moves on - sometimes I have it for a week, 10 days...... I feel much more comfortable, now ordering a tincture for nighttime use. thanks, again!

[Noelnoel in reply to terebol]

These have been recommended to me but I haven’t tried them

amazon.co.uk/Organic-Fermen...

triveda.co.uk/products/tuls...

[Noelnoel in reply to humanbean]

I've had a problem with intractable insomnia my entire life

Me too. Well, coming up 24 years but it feels as though it’s a lifetime!

I’ve had long periods lately when it’s been good but frustratingly I’ve not been able to identify why it improved. I strongly suspect it’s when my Adrenavive dose is right and at the moment I’m yet again experimenting with it because suddenly my sleep is a mess and as with when it’s good, I can’t identify why it’s bad again. Slowly increasing dose to see what happens

Someone once recommended these but not understanding what’s going on with my adrenals, I’ve been too scared to try them

healthunlocked.com/redirect...

healthunlocked.com/redirect...

[terebol in reply to Noelnoel]

Oh yes, I understand, completely as I am unable to identify why insomnia kicks in. Can;t relate it to diet, activity, or stress. my thyroid #s are good & I feel well. That is why I posted about use of holy basil. I willm, now, have it in my cache of supplements. Good luck to you!

[SteveT3]

I'm not on thyroid meds yet but I take holy basil. I take it as a supplement in the evening before bed intermittently. I find it helps improve hrv and I recover quicker.

Of interest also regarding hair mineral analysis it was the most effective in 15 years of periodic testing in improving my sodium to potassium ratio, which I think is probably imbalanced mostly due to stress (probably being hyperactive during the years. Maybe cortisol related).

Also I find it improves my circulation.

Just a note of caution, a lot of tulsi/holy basil is contaminated with lead. Check your brand is reliable. To be safe I checked mine with consumerlab. I just get it from vitacost.

[Banaras in reply to SteveT3]

What brand do you use then? Thank you

[terebol in reply to SteveT3]

Thanks for that heads up. Encouraging to read holy basil has been used by posters here w/o issue. I ordered Organic India. I did not know about consumerlab to check. Thank you

[arTistapple]

I took it for about two years. No noticeable ‘improvement’. I was not on thyroid medication at the time.

[Capan24]

There are so many good teas that have many benefits. I like the holy basil teas, but now am drinking Yerba Mate. This teas is loaded with antioxidants and strengthens the immune system. I think as long as you wait at least 60 minutes before taking your thyroid medication, you should be fine. I take my Synthroid at 10:00 pm. This way I don't have to worry about food interfering. If I have tea at night, it is still not too close to my medication.

[Banaras in reply to Capan24]

Doesn't Yerba mate give you energy? I know some people drink it in the afternoon for a pick me up in Argentina. Does it help you sleep? I'd like to try it if it does

[Capan24 in reply to Banaras]

It contains caffeine and theobromine, which can enhance energy levels and improve mental clarity. It doesn't seem to bother me with sleep if I drink it in the evening. But then I can drink coffee at night and that doesn't bother me either. I guess it depends on how sensitive you are. I really like the flavor of it. It has an earthy, grassy, floral like taste to me.

[terebol in reply to Capan24]

Yerba Mate is a no go for me. I cannot do any caffeine; dark chocolate, yes

[terebol]

I wish I could do my NP thyroid @night. I suppose I could try to see, if it keeps me awake. think I will post to see the amount of time it may take to transition to nighttime dosing & take it from there. Not willing to give up on sleep!

[Capan24 in reply to terebol]

I have been taking this medication at night since I started in 2006. It doesn't seem to disrupt my sleep. I guess my body has adjusted to this.

[Banaras in reply to terebol]

I take a small amount at night and still might wake up around 3 then I wait for as long as I can until 5 or 6 and take the bigger dose and boom. About half an hour later i go to a deep sleep. It helps me sleep more fully, quieys the brain a bit too. I don't have a thyroid and I need thyroid to function and that means sleep too