Add one more herb that can go from garden to medicine cabinet: basil! This potent herb is now reaching super herb status as its health benefits are clinically revealed.

Basil was recently shown to reduce swelling and inflammation in arthritic patients by about 73 percent, similar to the success of drugs commonly used to treat arthritis. The researcher who presented the findings at the British Pharmacology Conference now plans to study basil for its active compounds that could be used in more effective drugs. This is in contrast to encouraging people to simply eat more fresh organic basil, but most people can see the logic in eating basil rather than ingesting the harsher chemical counterpart in a drug.

Basil actively inhibits the same enzyme that anti-inflammatory drugs do, including ibuprofen and Tylenol. However, basil won’t make you fall over dead, as Tylenol has been publicized for contributing to recently. Taking Tylenol over the recommended dose can cause liver damage and possibly kill you, so it seems that basil may be the safer and smarter choice.

Basil is naturally anti-bacterial and protects against pathogens, even those resistant to antibiotics. Basil is also an antioxidant that guards against free radical damage, while protecting your cells and chromosomes from radiation damage. This is needed for anyone who uses a cell phone or computer, as they are regularly exposed to radiation.

Basil is easy to add to your diet, it adds flavor! Shred some basil leaves for a flavorful, fresh salad in seconds. Making your own fresh tomato basil soup or pasta sauce is easy and can be done in minutes.  The versatile recipe below can work for tomato basil soup, or add over pasta to make it a marinara sauce. This recipe is a serving for one, but can easily be doubled or quadrupled.

In a stainless steel or glass pot, add a teaspoon of coconut or olive oil (coconut is preferred). Cut up and add 2 large tomatoes, a medium red onion and a couple of cloves of garlic (or minced from the jar). Sauté for a minute: then, add a quarter cup of water and let simmer over medium heat for about nine minutes, while occasionally mashing the tomatoes in the pan. When it is finished, toss in a medium-sized handful of fresh basil leaves (add fresh parsley too, if you would like) and stir. Then add a grind of sea salt for flavor, a little more oil, and squeeze in the juice of a lime. It’s simple, nutritious, delicious, and is definitely tastier than anything from the can or the jar.

An easy basil salad hails from Capri, Italy called the “Caprese Salad”, which starts with fresh mozzarella, beef steak or other large tomatoes, and whole fresh basil leaves. Start by cutting medium thick slices of the fresh mozzarella, placed spread out on a platter. Top with equally thick slices of fresh tomatoes, grind sea salt and black pepper over the dish, drizzle lightly with olive oil, and red wine or balsamic vinegar (if desired), then place a fresh basil leave on top of each round. Chill up to three hours, or serve immediately! Enjoy the benefits of this super herb in your healthy life.