Day 9: Basil Linalool (a.k.a. Sweet Basil)
Right off the bat, the first thing that comes to mind is the fact that this oil also contains eugenol and methyl eugenol, similar to holy basil; although, the percentage of eugenol is much lower in this one. Not surprisingly, basil linalool is higher in linalool than any other constituent; hence the name. And just as I mentioned in the video, the linalool is higher in sweet basil than it is in lavender. I won’t deny that I find this amusing given the fact that so many people swear by lavender; yet, that’s not a cool way to be. Honestly, I am just as catty when it comes to people suggesting ‘we’ legalize cannabis. The fact is all plants have the ability to help as well as hurt us. Sometimes they support improvement; although, not in everyone. And, while some may help me, they may not be a good idea for someone else which has everything to do with having our own unique ‘chemistry lab’. A chemical that works in ‘this experiment’ may be damaging in another.
Said another way, no two bodies are the same and while lavender is touted as being super supportive of nervous energy and sleep, it’s not our best option given the world that we live in. At the same time, cannabis is not the ‘be all, end all’ In many respects, smoking or eating pot dampens the body’s ability to produce endocannabinoids (yup, we’re wired for that) and if ‘you’ say well, the body must not have been making what it needed, I’d say you were right. At the same time, I would point out that this is a sign that the body is stressed and the system has been altered as a result. While using these types of plants for calming and soothing in the moment may be beneficial, they do nothing to help improve the body’s natural function.
Truthfully, basil linalool does IF you’re not taking medications; specifically blood thinners. Oddly, you won’t find this word of caution anywhere else, and that’s ok. The idea is to keep essential oils available and if we start to make too much of a fuss over their potential safety issues, we could lose access. Keep in mind, they are prescribed by physicians in France.
Nevertheless, the synergy of the constituents in this oil makes it quite restorative when used appropriately. I realize I mentioned medications; however, given the fact that there is methyl eugenol; although, small amounts, using this oil several times a month or with acute concerns, helps the body immensely.
That said, I’ve used this oil specifically for:
improving mental clarity
vascular congestion, including prostate
sluggish digestion
bladder infections
headaches, especially migraines
Again, because of its chemical make-up, basil linalool has a direct influence on the nitric oxide synthase and SAMe cycles as well as transsulfuration. The SAMe cycle is of great significance and one I haven’t mentioned until now. That said, SAMe is used in at least 40 methyl transfers supporting the production a number of signaling molecules promoting mental, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive and immune health. In all honesty, I wouldn’t focus on the specific ‘complaint’ and seek to use this oil a number of times throughout the month for supporting systemic stability.
The truth is as an adult, your system has already endured years of environmental ‘abuse’; therefore, to use basil linalool all the time would wreak havoc, triggering significant detox which would make you feel far worse, long before you ever started feeling better. And in the case of a young body, well, the occasional use is perfect because their body hasn’t been ‘stressed to the max’ and they will respond quite nicely to a little prompting, making sweet basil a great preventive essential oil
Please let me know if you have any questions about this or would like to hear more about another oil. In the meantime, I appreciate being on this journey with you and don’t forget to visit my YouTube channel for thoughts I don’t necessarily share here ….