Holy Basil 1000 mg, 60 Vegan Capsules

What Holy Basil Is
Holy basil, or tulsi, is Ocimum tenuiflorum, also listed as Ocimum sanctum. It is a peppery, clove-scented herb from the Indian subcontinent, sacred in Hindu homes and one of the most used plants in Ayurveda. Remedy's Holy Basil supplies 1,000 mg of dried leaf and stem per vegan capsule, with 60 capsules per bottle.
It is sold as an adaptogen for everyday stress. The human evidence for that is real and small, and this page gives you both halves.

1,000 mg per capsule: Whole leaf and stem, not a concentrated extract.

60 capsules: Two months at 1 daily.

The full evidence map is in what holy basil is and what the trials show.

Supplement Facts

Amount Per Serving
Amount
% Daily Value

Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum) leaf and stem
1000 mg
†

† Daily Value not established.
Made in the USA.

Holy Basil Is Not Kitchen Basil
The basil in pesto and the Thai basil in many takeaways are Ocimum basilicum, a different species with different chemistry. Every trial on this page used holy basil, and so does this capsule.

Even the holy basil name is not always one plant: a 2026 chemistry study compared Ocimum tenuiflorum with Ocimum gratissimum, both discussed under that name, and found clear differences.[1]Species-Specific Phytometabolite Composition of Ocimum (Holy Basil) Inflorescences Underlies Differential Biological Activities — Chemistry and Biodiversity (2026) View source
What the Evidence Actually Shows
Rather than print a benefits list, we would rather print the shape of the literature. These counts came off PubMed and anyone can rerun them.

What PubMed holds on holy basil (tulsi)
Count

Records mentioning holy basil or tulsi
1,069

Records tagged as human
238

Records on animals only
247

Records tagged as clinical trials
21

Of those, tulsi alone swallowed by people
4

Records on fertility, sperm or pregnancy
23

Human trials on fertility or pregnancy
0

Of the 21 records tagged as trials, only 4 gave people tulsi alone to swallow. The rest are multi-herb formulas, mouthwash, toothpaste, eye drops, skin cream, hens and cows. A 2017 systematic review found 24 human studies of ingested tulsi, all favourable and none reporting a significant adverse event, while asking for better evidence on dose and form.[2]The Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Tulsi in Humans: A Systematic Review of the Literature — Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2017) View source
The Stress Trials
Stress is why most people buy holy basil. Two placebo-controlled trials found an effect, and both used extracts rather than whole leaf.

2012: 150 people, 1,200 mg of extract daily for 6 weeks, 39% more improvement in self-rated stress symptoms than placebo.[3]Efficacy of an Extract of Ocimum tenuiflorum (OciBest) in the Management of General Stress: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study — Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2012) View source

2022: 100 adults, 125 mg of extract twice daily for 8 weeks, lower perceived stress and lower hair cortisol.[4]A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigating the effects of an Ocimum tenuiflorum (Holy Basil) extract on stress, mood, and sleep in adults experiencing stress — Frontiers in Nutrition (2022) View source

2015: 300 mg of extract daily for 30 days; no cortisol difference from placebo.

We do not sell holy basil as a cortisol treatment, because 1 trial found lower cortisol and another did not. The detail is in holy basil for stress and cortisol.
The Dose Gap
This is the fact most holy basil pages leave out. No trial used a 1,000 mg whole-leaf capsule, so no trial dose converts directly to this one.

Source
What people took
How long

2012 stress trial
1,200 mg a day of an extract
6 weeks

2022 stress trial
125 mg twice a day of an extract
8 weeks

2015 attention trial
300 mg a day of an extract
30 days

1996 blood sugar trial
Holy basil leaves
Crossover periods

This capsule
1,000 mg of whole leaf and stem
1 capsule a day

An extract concentrates some compounds and leaves others behind, and no published factor converts between extract and leaf. Follow the label, and give it the 8 weeks the longer trial ran. More in holy basil dosage and how to take it.
Blood Sugar
The oldest human trial of holy basil measured glucose, and it is the reason for the most important caution on this page.

Caution: Could add to insulin, sulfonylureas or metformin.

The authors proposed the leaves only as an adjunct to diet and drug treatment.[5]Randomized placebo-controlled, single blind trial of holy basil leaves in patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus — International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1996) View source If you take glucose-lowering medicine, speak to your prescriber before starting. More in holy basil and blood sugar.
Safety and Who Should Be Careful
In short human studies holy basil has been well tolerated. The cautions come from medicines and from animal studies nobody has repeated in people.

Situation
Position

Pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive

Insulin, sulfonylureas, metformin
Speak to your prescriber first

Thyroid medication
Tell your clinician (mouse data only)

Surgery within 2 weeks
Stop beforehand

Already taking a blend with holy basil
Count it, and pick 1 source

In rats, a leaf extract lowered sperm counts, which recovered 2 weeks after stopping.[6]Reversible anti-fertility effect of benzene extract of Ocimum sanctum leaves on sperm parameters and fructose content in rats — Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology (2002) View source In rabbits, 2 g of fresh leaves a day for 30 days also lowered sperm counts.[7]Effect of tulsi (Ocimum Sanctum Linn.) on sperm count and reproductive hormones in male albino rabbits — International Journal of Ayurveda Research (2010) View source In mice, 1 study found lower thyroxine after 15 days.[8]Ocimum sanctum leaf extract in the regulation of thyroid function in the male mouse — Pharmacological Research (1998) View source None has been tested in people. The full list is in holy basil side effects and who should avoid it.
Tea, Capsule or Tincture
Holy basil is the same plant whichever way you take it. The difference is how precisely you know the amount.

Tincture: Our 2 fl oz liquid, for people who prefer drops to capsules.

Only 1 trial tested tea made from holy basil alone: 44 hospital patients drank it for 4 days. How to brew it is in tulsi tea benefits and how to make it.
Why Choose Remedy's Holy Basil
No trial makes one whole-leaf holy basil better than another, so the honest differentiators are the plant, the amount and what the page is willing to say.

If you are choosing between adaptogens, read holy basil vs ashwagandha.
Frequently Asked Questions

What is holy basil? +
Ocimum tenuiflorum, also called tulsi. It is a different species from kitchen sweet basil and 1 of the central herbs of Ayurveda.

How much holy basil is in a capsule? +
1,000 mg of whole leaf and stem per vegan capsule, with 60 capsules per bottle.

Is holy basil the same as regular basil? +
No. Sweet and Thai basil are Ocimum basilicum. Holy basil is Ocimum tenuiflorum, a different species with 2 different leaf-colour types.

Does holy basil help with stress? +
2 placebo-controlled trials of extracts found less self-rated stress, after 6 and 8 weeks. The evidence is real but small.

Does holy basil lower cortisol? +
1 trial in 2022 found lower hair cortisol; a 2015 trial found no difference from placebo. It is possible, not established.

Does holy basil lower blood sugar? +
In 1 trial from 1996, holy basil leaves lowered fasting glucose by 17.6%. That is why people on diabetes medicine should ask first.

Is holy basil safe in pregnancy? +
Avoid it. 0 human trials exist, and rat and rabbit studies found effects on fertility.

Does holy basil affect the thyroid? +
1 mouse study in 1998 found lower thyroxine. It has not been tested in people; tell your clinician if you take thyroid medicine.

When should I take it? +
Morning or evening, with or without food, 1 capsule daily as on the label. 0 trials compared timings.

How long before I notice anything? +
The stress trials judged results at 6 and 8 weeks. Give it about 8 weeks before deciding.

How long does 1 bottle last? +
Sixty capsules is 2 months at 1 capsule daily.

Can I take it with ashwagandha? +
No trial has tested the 2 together on their own. Start 1 at a time so you can tell what each does.

You May Also Like

Holy Basil Tincture 2 fl oz — the same herb as a liquid

Ashwagandha 1000 mg — the adaptogen with the larger trial base

Rhodiola Root 1000 mg — another single herb sold for everyday stress