Basil is recommended for breast cancer

Basil contains numerous volatile compounds and other substances that have powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties. Basil may help alleviate type 2 diabetes by improving insulin activity in the body. Carnosol, a component of basil, has been shown to inhibit carcinogenesis of human prostate cancer cells. While the evidence is mixed as to whether basil can retard liver tumor formation in experimental mice, it has been shown to inhibit liver cancer metastasis. Basil leaf extract has been found to be highly effective in inhibiting carcinogen-induced lung tumor incidence in experimental mice. Basil oil and its components have been shown to have significant anti-proliferative activity in the mouse leukemia and kidney cells. In addition, basil oil has been found to significantly inhibit carcinogen-induced squamous cell carcinoma in the stomachs of experimental mice.

Breast cancer-related effects of eating basil

Despite the evidence that basil is chemopreventive with respect to quite a few other types of human, mouse and rat cancer cell lines, it has been found not to inhibit carcinogenesis in carcinogen-induced mammary gland cancer in female Sprague-Dawley rats. However, linalool, a component of basil, has been found to increase Adriamycin (doxorubicin) induced cytotoxicity and pro-apoptotic effects in chemotherapy-resistant breast cancer cell lines.

Additional comments

While they are closely related, basil (Ocimum basilicum), otherwise known as sweet basil, is not exactly the same plant as holy basil (Ocimum sanctum). Fresh or dried basil typically is used as a food ingredient, whereas holy basil normally is consumed as a herb in the U.S. When basil is used as a food ingredient, it is safe, but an essential oil from basil might cause cancer in extremely large quantities since it contains estragole. Estragole is an organic compound that acts as a rodent carcinogen in large doses. The percentage content of estragole in basil oil can be significant. Pesto sauce, which has basil as the primary ingredient, can also have a significant estragole component. Therefore, we recommend against consuming all but small amounts of basil essential oil or pesto.

Tags: antifungal, basil, chemotherapy, holyBasil, inflammation, proliferation, type2Diabetes

Selected breast cancer studies
+ Show study summaries

Dietary flavones and flavonones display differential effects on aromatase (CYP19) transcription in the breast cancer cells MCF-7 Identification and quantification of a major anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory phenolic compound found in basil, lemon thyme, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme Flavonoids, Proanthocyanidins, and Cancer Risk: A Network of Case-Control Studies From Italy Carotenoid Content of Commonly Consumed Herbs and Assessment of Their Bioaccessibility Using an In Vitro Digestion Model Linalool, a plant-derived monoterpene alcohol, reverses doxorubicin resistance in human breast adenocarcinoma cells Antioxidant capacity of herbs in dried, fresh and blended herb paste form Anti-proliferative activity of essential oil extracted from Thai medicinal plants on KB and P388 cell lines Experimental research on anti-tumor metastasis effect of basil polysaccharide in vivo Chemomodulatory efficacy of basil leaf (Ocimum basilicum) on drug metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes, and on carcinogen-induced skin and forestomach papillomagenesis Determination of estragole, safrole and eugenol methyl ether in food products Assessment of estrogenic activity in some common essential oil constituents Inhibitory effects of rosmarinic acid on the proliferation of cultured murine mesangial cells Anticarcinogenic Effects of the Essential Oils from Cumin, Poppy and Basil Antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic potentials of some Thai vegetables