None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Tulsi or Holy Basil is an Indian herb used for centuries for coping with stress as well as for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and other cardiometabolic disorders. Tulsi tea is widely available throughout the world as a caffeine free herbal tea with no reported side effects in literature associated with regular consumption of tulsi tea. Considerable evidence in animal models shows that tulsi improves cognition, immunity, stress and cardiometabolic disorders. Also accumulating evidence from human trials indicate that long-term tulsi ingestion improves mood, cognition and cardiometabolic function. However, there are no published reports on short term effects of tulsi on these pathways in humans. In addition, only a few of the clinical trials have looked at the effect of tulsi consumption in healthy adults who are infact the majority of the tea drinker population. Potential outcomes of this clinical trial are not only to support traditional effectiveness and safety of tulsi but also to stimulate further research into the numerous healing potentials of this Ayurvedic sacred herb. This project aims to explore time course of mood, cognition and cardiovascular functional changes after the consumption of a single cup of tulsi tea in healthy people. In addition, since cortisol is a well-established biomarker of mental stress, known to control blood pressure (Kelly et al., 1998) and high cortisol levels found to be associated with reduced cognitive function such as memory (Shirbin et al., 2013), therefore acute change in cortisol activity was also assessed.
Interventions
This is a preliminary randomized placebo-controlled cross-over study comparing the time course of changes in mood,, stress, cognitive health and cardiovascular function after a single dose of 250ml tulsi tea (hot to warm) and 250ml filtered water (hot to warm).
The interventions will be either two tea bags of Tulsi herbal tea (1.8g each tea bag) standardized commercial grade tea bag steeped in 250ml filtered warm-hot water or Placebo decaff black tea 250ml.
Participants will receive the two
This is a preliminary randomized placebo-controlled cross-over study comparing the time course of changes in mood,, stress, cognitive health and cardiovascular function after a single dose of 250ml tulsi tea (hot to warm) and 250ml filtered water (hot to warm). The interventions will be either two tea bags of Tulsi herbal tea (1.8g each tea bag) standardized commercial grade tea bag steeped in 250ml filtered warm-hot water or Placebo decaff black tea 250ml. Participants will receive the two interventions as a beverage on two separate occasions in a randomized crossover sequence with a minimum of 48 hours washout. Doses will be administered by healthcare professionals at the study site.
Sponsors
Professor Marc Cohen
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Crossover
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 60 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
-aged between 18 and 60 years, English speaking and able to give written informed consent -non-smokers - willing to avoid caffeine-containing drinks, alcohol and prescription medications for 24 hours prior to the testing sessions
Exclusion criteria
The exclusion criteria are designed to exclude confounding factors that may impact on cognitive, physiological or metabolic function. People with be excluded if they are: - Smokers - Have known allergies to basil or herbal tea - Have diabetes or a severe chronic infection or illness that may impact on the outcome measures such as current or previous history of renal, cardiac, gastrointestinal, liver or psychiatric disorders or pulmonary (other than either asthma not requiring continuous medication or sleep apnoea-related disorders), or any other condition that in the opinion of the investigators would impede competence, compliance, or participation in the study. -Taking blood thinner medication -pregnant or expect to be pregnant - Unable to give informed consent
Outcome results
None listed