Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Dec 15, 2025 2 hours, 12 minutes ago
Medical News: Researchers from Brazil have uncovered compelling new evidence that American basil, a common culinary herb also known as Ocimum americanum, may help protect the brain from age-related damage. The study explored how extracts from this plant affect brain cells involved in memory and learning, offering fresh hope that everyday foods could one day support healthier brain aging.
.jpg)
Common American basil may help shield aging brain cells by reducing inflammation and oxidative damage
according to new research
Why Brain Aging Matters
As people grow older, the brain becomes more vulnerable to oxidative stress and inflammation. These processes damage brain cells and are strongly linked to memory loss and neurodegenerative conditions. Scientists have been searching for natural substances that can reduce this damage safely over the long term. Herbs from the basil family have long been used in traditional medicine, but American basil has received very little scientific attention until now.
Who Conducted the Study
The research was led by scientists from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre Brazil along with collaborators from its Institutes of Biochemistry, Neurosciences, Physiology and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The team investigated whether an ethanol extract of American basil could protect the hippocampus, a brain region essential for memory.
What the Researchers Did
Using laboratory rats, the scientists tested the basil extract in several ways. Brain tissue slices were exposed to oxidative stress similar to what occurs during aging. In other experiments, rats were fed diets supplemented with the basil extract for four weeks. The researchers then measured brain cell survival, oxidative damage, inflammatory markers and memory related behavior. According to this
Medical News report, the goal was to understand both immediate and long-term effects of the herb on the aging brain.
Key Findings Explained Simply
The results were striking. The basil extract protected brain cell membranes from damage caused by oxidative stress in both young and older rats. Long-term dietary supplementation reduced harmful reactive molecules in the hippocampus of older rats and lowered levels of inflammatory substances such as TNF alpha and IL 1 beta. These changes are important because chronic inflammation and oxidative damage are major drivers of cognitive decline. While the extract did not directly boost memory performance, it clearly improved the biological environment needed to keep brain cells healthy.
Why This Matters for Everyday People
American basil is already widely used in cooking across many cultures. The study suggests that compounds within this herb act as antioxidants and anti- inflammatory agents in the brain. Over time, these effects may help slow processes that contribute to age related brain decline, supporting the idea that certain foods can function as brain friendly nutraceuticals.
<
;br />
What Comes Next
The researchers stress that more studies are needed, especially in humans, to identify the exact active compounds and determine effective doses. Still, this work provides an important scientific foundation for exploring American basil as a functional food for brain health.
Final Thoughts
This study adds to growing evidence that everyday herbs may play a meaningful role in protecting the brain during aging. By reducing oxidative stress and calming harmful inflammation in key memory centers, American basil shows potential as a simple dietary ally for long term brain health. While not a cure or treatment, it highlights how nutrition and neuroscience are increasingly intersecting in the fight against age related cognitive decline.
The study findings were published on a preprint server and are currently being peer reviewed.
https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202505.0526
For the latest antiaging news, keep on logging to Thailand
Medical News
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/anti-aging
Share
Tweet
Share
