How To Protect Your Body From Stress

Do you ever feel stressed out?

Kids, jobs, traffic, bills, relationship issues, parents aging, siblings fighting, not to mention the overwhelming amount of everyday responsibilities you need to keep track of…stress is more like a daily experience than an occasional event.

Usually, people think of stress as bad…but really, stress is both good AND bad. Stress can motivate us (to study for an exam or pay our bills on time), it can protect us (we buy alarm systems for our homes, businesses or cars), and it can feed us (we go to work to put food on the table).

However, too much stress is very bad for your brain and body, and unfortunately, too much of it can also kill you. By some estimates, as much as 80% of all disease and illness is initiated and aggravated by stress.

In fact, left unchecked, chronic stress can have serious personal and social consequences, including:

Health problems
Low self-esteem
Disability
Family conflict
Withdrawal from social activities
Alcohol and substance abuse
Legal and criminal problems
Suicide

So, what do you do if you are dealing with too much stress?

Countless articles seem to offer the same advice: count to twenty, take deep breaths, envision yourself on a beach, and take some yoga. While these strategies can indeed help, for many, adding a supplement that supports a healthy response to the inevitable stress we all face can mean the difference between feeling overwhelmed and having peace of mind.

That’s where basil comes in. That’s right – basil. But not the kind that makes food taste so wonderful…we’re talking holy basil. Never heard of it? You’re not alone, at least in the Western world. Holy basil (Ocimum sanctum), also known as Tulsi, is an Eastern herb, revered in Ayurvedic medicine as “The Queen of Herbs” for over 3,000 years.

Known as an adaptogenic herb, holy basil enhances the body’s natural protective response to physical and emotional stress. Adaptogenic herbs do not alter mood, but they help the body function at its optimal level during times of stress. Research demonstrates that they do this by modulating the production of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.

Long revered as a powerful antioxidant with demonstrated antibacterial, analgesic, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties, the most compelling research data suggests that holy basil possesses its greatest potential in the areas of stress relief and relaxation. Considering the fast-paced world in which we live, these findings prove to be extremely significant.

In a recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, holy basil improved adaptation to problems associated with stress, including:

Occasional anxiety
Forgetfulness
Decreased attention
Feelings of exhaustion
Sleep problems

Holy basil is just one of the powerful and effective ingredients in BrainMD’s Everyday Stress Relief. This safe, non-sedating, and non-habit forming formula combines holy basil with other well-studied herbs and nutrients that help support your body’s response to stress on multiple levels.

While it’s perfectly natural to feel stress if you need a little-added support to find some relief and peace of mind, give holy basil a try.