Herb Profile

Ocimum Basilicum

Ocimum basilicum

Ocimum Basilicum (Ocimum basilicum) carries a Grade C rating — limited evidence.

Last reviewed: June 6, 2026•3 sources citedReport a correctionProfile-wide ·C Limited

Use extra caution — Culinary basil is low risk, but essential oils/extracts differ; caution with anticoagulants/antiplatelets, pregnancy, children, liver disease, and high methyleugenol concentrated products. Details

Evidence: Limited Evidence
Typical onset: Varies by prep
Safety rating: High caution
Best for: Sleep, Stress, Cognitive function, Inflammatory signaling
Avoid / review if: Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Without Clinician Supervision, Known Allergy To The Plant/Family, Bleeding Disorder Or Upcoming Surgery

Generated profile category visual

At a glance

From this profile's structured data

Evidence: Grade C
Safety: Culinary basil is low risk, but essential oils/extracts differ; caution with anticoagulants/antiplatelets, pregnancy, children, liver disease, and high-methyleugenol concentrated products.
Profile context: sleep, stress

Next stepsWhere to go next — guides & comparisons

If you want help sleeping → Sleep guides
If you want help with anxiety or stress → Anxiety & stress guides
If you want to browse more herbs → All herbs

Safety

Safety & Cautions

Culinary basil is low risk, but essential oils/extracts differ; caution with anticoagulants/antiplatelets, pregnancy, children, liver disease, and high methyleugenol concentrated products.

High caution

Caution level: High. Multiple caution categories apply, or the record uses avoid/contraindication language.

Interaction-AwareMedication or interaction context is explicitly noted.
Liver-SensitiveLiver-related caution language appears in the profile.
Anticoagulant CautionBleeding or anticoagulant-adjacent caution language is present.
Pregnancy/Breastfeeding CautionPregnancy or breastfeeding caution language is present.

Detailed safety fields

Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and contraindications

Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Without Clinician Supervision
Known Allergy To The Plant/Family
Bleeding Disorder Or Upcoming Surgery
Seizure Disorder Or Sedative/Alcohol Use
Potential Interaction Concern With Antidiabetic Medicines
Anticoagulants/Antiplatelets
Sedatives/CNS Depressants
Immunosuppressants
Use Clinician Review For High Dose Extracts Or Chronic Use.

Safety classifications

Interaction-Aware: Medication or interaction context is explicitly noted.
Liver-Sensitive: Liver-related caution language appears in the profile.
Anticoagulant Caution: Bleeding or anticoagulant-adjacent caution language is present.
Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Caution: Pregnancy or breastfeeding caution language is present.

Full safety note

Culinary basil is low risk, but essential oils/extracts differ; caution with anticoagulants/antiplatelets, pregnancy, children, liver disease, and high methyleugenol concentrated products.

Safety labels

Interaction-Aware
Liver-Sensitive
Anticoagulant Caution
Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Caution

Evidence-based safety

Caution when combined

Severity and certainty are shown separately. A high-priority caution can still be theoretical: these pairings are screened from shared contraindication mechanisms and are not automatically documented clinical interactions. Provenance identifies the source fields that produced each flag; it does not upgrade the certainty of the pairwise claim.

High-Priority Caution

147 flagged pairings

Bleeding / anticoagulant risk

Representative pairings are shown below. Large mechanism groups are intentionally summarized to keep profiles focused and crawl-efficient.

Bleeding / anticoagulant riskCertainty: Theoretical

Data provenance recorded for 147 of 147 pairings in this mechanism group.

+135 more pairings share this mechanism. Use the Safety Checker to review a specific combination.

Moderate Caution

178 flagged pairings

Blood-sugar lowering · Sedation / CNS depression

Representative pairings are shown below. Large mechanism groups are intentionally summarized to keep profiles focused and crawl-efficient.

Blood-sugar loweringCertainty: Theoretical

Data provenance recorded for 110 of 110 pairings in this mechanism group.

+98 more pairings share this mechanism. Use the Safety Checker to review a specific combination.

Sedation / CNS depressionCertainty: Theoretical

Data provenance recorded for 68 of 68 pairings in this mechanism group.

+56 more pairings share this mechanism. Use the Safety Checker to review a specific combination.

Evidence

Evidence Summary

Evidence lens

Read as directional context, not settled clinical proof.

LimitedLimited Evidence

Human clinical evidence: Present in source signals

Mechanistic / preclinical: Mechanism mapped — Inflammatory Signaling Modulation · Oxidative Stress Modulation · Metabolic Regulation

Research maturity: Emerging research — Long Term Human Evidence May Be Limited.

Safety boundary: Safety note available — Culinary basil is low risk, but essential oils/extracts differ; caution with anticoagulants/antiplatelets, pregnancy, children, liver disease, and high methyleugenol concentrated products.

This profile cites 3 human studies.

Study design details

Evidence Grade

Grade C: Limited Evidence

Evaluation of methodological rigor, population reach, and evidence alignment.

Design Match: Randomized controlled trial
Risk of Bias: Low
Consistency: Not assessed

Strongest recorded design is a randomized controlled trial, drawn from 4 recorded studies, 2 in people.

How evidence grades work

Each grade reflects the strength and consistency of published human evidence — not marketing claims. Grades are based on study count, design quality, effect size, consistency, and recency.

Strong: Multiple RCTs, consistent direction, adequate effect size
Moderate: Some RCTs or consistent observational data in humans
Preliminary / Mixed: Animal or in-vitro only, or conflicting human data
Traditional / Theoretical: Traditional use only; no controlled human trials

Clinical Study Summaries (5)2 human evidence sources · 2 human trials · Participant totals not consistently reported · Consistency not yet classifiable

Filter by study class

Showing 5 of 5 studies.

What the evidence actually shows

This table contains 5 structured sources, including 2 human evidence sources; 2 are human trials.

Study	Design	N	Dose	Duration	Population	Outcome	Result & magnitude	Source
A 2025 randomized postpartum study found no clear prevention benefit for depressive symptoms or sleep outcomes with basil leaf. This is useful null evidence beside the positive MDD/anxiety trial. Background	Randomized controlled trial Randomly assigns participants to interventions or controls, reducing many sources of bias when the trial is conducted well.	—	—	—	—	—	A 2025 randomized postpartum study found no clear prevention benefit for depressive symptoms or sleep outcomes with basil leaf. This is useful null evidence beside the positive MDD/anxiety trial.	PubMed →
A 2025 randomized trial in 60 people with major depressive disorder and anxiety reported reductions in anxiety/depression scale scores over 4 weeks with a basil preparation. The study is small and short. Background	Randomized controlled trial Randomly assigns participants to interventions or controls, reducing many sources of bias when the trial is conducted well.	—	—	—	—	—	A 2025 randomized trial in 60 people with major depressive disorder and anxiety reported reductions in anxiety/depression scale scores over 4 weeks with a basil preparation. The study is small and short.	PubMed →
Basil PubMed indexed authors · 2006 Background	Narrative review Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review.	—	—	—	—	—	—	PubMed →
Antimicrobial and Other Pharmacological Properties of Ocimum basilicum, Lamiaceae Zhakipbekov K et al. · Molecules · 2024 Background	Narrative review Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review.	—	—	—	—	—	—	PubMed →
Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) leaf and seed extracts alleviate neuronal dysfunction in aluminum chloride-induced neurotoxicity in Drosophila melanogaster Meigen model Oyeniran OH et al. · Drug Chem Toxicol · 2024 Background	Other / unclear The study design is not yet classified clearly enough to infer its place in the evidence hierarchy.	—	—	—	—	—	—	PubMed →

Dosing & Timing

No standardized dose: Preparation specific; use standardized product label for Preparation varies by tradition and product form and require source backed dosage review before therapeutic claims.

How Ocimum Basilicum works

Simplified mechanism pathway based on preclinical and pharmacological evidence. Does not confirm clinical efficacy.

Mechanism Pathway — How Ocimum Basilicum Works

CompoundTarget / ReceptorMechanismEffect / Outcome

Mechanisms & biological pathways (preclinical)

Inflammatory Signaling Modulation
Oxidative Stress Modulation
Metabolic Regulation
Neurotransmitter Modulation
Stress Response Modulation
NF KB Modulation

Active Compounds

Key constituents studied in Ocimum Basilicum, with full pharmacology and safety profiles.

Methyleugenol — active compound in Ocimum Basilicum

Compare related active botanicals

Explore botanicals with similar chemistry, effects, or safety considerations in the Botanical Activity Atlas.

Guides that use Ocimum Basilicum

Condition guides

Compare & Sourcing

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Review available sources for Ocimum Basilicum

Independent database mapping — evaluated separately from safety and efficacy scores.

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Safety first · Harm reduction

This information is educational and not medical advice. Start low, avoid risky combinations, and consult a licensed clinician before making health decisions—especially if you use medications, have diagnosed conditions, or are pregnant/breastfeeding.

Learn how we evaluate confidence, safety, and intensity on the methodology page.

Editorial Review

Checked against primary sources, cited evidence, and contraindication language before publication. Evidence claims, safety language, and affiliate modules are reviewed independently. Not personal medical advice.

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