Researchers Discover That This Popular Herb Can Help Mental Health

4 min readNew research suggests basil syrup may help support mental health.The findings are preliminary.It’s unclear whether regular, culinary, basil has the same effect. If you’re already working with a provider to manage anxiety and depression, new research suggests basil syrup may help reduce symptoms when used alongside an antidepressant.At least, that’s the major takeaway from a new study published in the journal Brain and Behavior. Of course, there are some caveats—including that the study was preliminary and relatively small, worth mentioning. The findings also shouldn’t replace treatments like talk therapy and medication...but if you already love a basil-forward dish, this new research could be very good news. Here’s what experts say about the latest research.Meet the experts: Jessica Cording, RD, author of The Little Book of Game-Changers; Sonya Angelone, RD, Ph.D., a former spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a San Francisco-based dietitian; Hillary Ammon, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at the Center for Anxiety and Women’s Emotional WellnessWhat did the study find?For the study, researchers recruited 60 adults between the ages of 18 and 65 with major depressive disorder who also had anxiety. All participants received a daily dose of the antidepressant sertraline (Zoloft), but one group was also asked to take a syrup each night before bed for four weeks that contained 1,100 milligrams of basil leaf extract. The other group took a placebo syrup with sugar, water, and food coloring nightly, designed to look like the basil syrup.The researchers assessed the participants’ mental health with standard questionnaires—the Beck Depression Inventory and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale—at the start of the study and again after four weeks.Both groups saw their symptoms improve during the study period. People in the placebo group had an average depression score that dropped by about 11 points to a score of about 30, while their anxiety dropped by about 10 points to a score of about 25.But people in the basil group had even better results, with a drop in depression score by 18 points (for a final score of about 21)—this moved them out of a severe depression category to a moderate level. Their average anxiety score also dropped into the mild range.The researchers were careful not to hype up the findings too much, though. “Basil syrup could reduce anxiety in patients with major depressive disorder,” they wrote in the study’s conclusion. “However, further studies with a larger sample size and longer follow-up period are necessary.”Why might basil help support mental health?Again, this was a small study, but dietitians and a psychologist say a few things could explain it.“Basil has several antioxidant and anti-inflammatory plant compounds,” says Sonya Angelone, RD, Ph.D., a former spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a San Francisco-based dietitian. “Chronic inflammation has been shown to affect brain function and might contribute to depression in some people.”Basil may also have an impact on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, Angelone says. “This may reduce feelings of anxiety and lead to feelings of calmness,” she says.What other herbs may help mental health?There’s no data to suggest that taking any herbs will replace first-line treatments for depression, like antidepressants and talk therapy. But certain herbs may help ease your mind on top of what you’re already doing.“Lavender is pretty well-studied for reducing mild anxiety symptoms in some people,” says Jessica Cording, RD, author of The Little Book of Game-Changers. Ashwagandha and lemon balm may also help, she says.Saffron—technically a spice—can also support mental health, Ammon says. “There are many research studies showing that these herbs can reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, nervousness, and depression,” Angelone says.But, of course, it’s crucial to rope in a healthcare professional before taking matters into your own hands. “If thinking of starting herbal supplements, discuss those supplements with your doctor, as some can interact with other medications or medical conditions,” Ammon says.How to put this to work for youAgain, the researchers used basil syrup—not regular basil leaves—in this study. (The syrup made it easier for the researchers to control how much participants actually got, Cording explains.)It’s unclear at this point if chomping on whole basil leaves will have the same impact as basil syrup. Ultimately, eating more basil is unlikely to be a problem, so it may be worth trying. “Basil could be part of a supportive eating pattern—you’re getting antioxidants and flavor,” Cording says.But experts stress that more work is needed before they can recommend you start eating basil in the name of mental health. “For the time being, there is no need to load up your dinner with endless basil leaves unless you enjoy the taste,” Ammon says.Carina Hsieh, MPH, is the deputy features editor of Women’s Health. She has more than a decade’s worth of experience working in media and has covered everything from beauty, fashion, travel, lifestyle, pets, to health. She began her career as an intern in the fashion closet at Cosmopolitan where she worked her way up to Senior Sex & Relationships Editor. While covering women’s health there, she discovered her passion for health service journalism and took a break to get her Masters in Public Health. Post-grad school, she worked as a freelance writer and as The Daily Beast’s first Beauty, Health, and Wellness Reporter. Carina is an alum of the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Yale School of Public Health. She and her French Bulldog, Bao Bao, split their time between Brooklyn and Connecticut. She enjoys reformer Pilates, (slow) running, and smelling the fancy toiletries in boutique fitness class locker rooms.