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HEALING NEWS Have Heart, You'll Heal SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATION When we suffer emotionally from painful losses, our hearts know it. "Broken heart syndrome," recognized by doctors as "stress cardiomyopathy," produces actual physical sensations that mimic a "The power of love to change bodies is legendary , built into folklore, common sense, and everyday experience… Throughout history 'tender loving , care' has uniformly been recognized as a valuable element in healing." —DR. LARRY DOSSEY, internist, author and integrative healthcare pioneer 38 DAYSPA | FEBRUARY 2013 Herb experts have christened holy basil the king of anti-stress supplements. The supplement: Holy basil (tulsi) The background: The holy basil plant (Ocimum sanctum) grows in India, southern China and throughout southeast Asia, and is characterized by its hairy stem and white, pink and/or lavender flowers. It has been called the "mother medicine" by ayurvedic practitioners in India, and has also been embraced by other ancient healing systems, including Greek and Roman. It has received GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status by the FDA. The scoop: Recent human clinical trials in India have shown supplementation with holy basil to significantly reduce stress-induced hypertension as well as symptoms of fatigue (including chronic fatigue). Buzz is growing in the U.S. about its reported ability to reduce cortisol levels, and thus help control a range of cortisol-related health problems. The benefits: In addition to lowered blood pressure and increased energy, holy basil is purported to help balance the immune system, lower blood sugar levels in diabetics, temper anxiety and boost weight-loss efforts. Natural medicine practitioners sometimes also recommend it to help counteract symptoms of digestive disorders, gastric ulcers, flu, headache, radiation exposure, arthritis, PMS, sinusitis, asthma and a range of viral infections. Contraindications: People who have hypoglycemia or bleeding disorders, or who take anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and fertility patients, should avoid taking holy basil. Sources: Integrative Wellness Rules by Dr. Jim Nicolai; Dr. Andrew Weil; National Network of Holistic Practitioner Communities © ISTOCKPHOTO.COM heart attack: chest pain and difficulty breathing. The symptoms, however, aren't caused by heart disease; they're triggered by hormonal surges brought on by extreme distress, which compromise blood flow to the heart. And, unlike a heart attack, broken heart syndrome doesn't necessarily leave scars—the heart does not have to suffer permanent damage from the experience. In fact, says Loyola University Health System cardiologist Dr. Binh An P. Phan, "Most people will get better in a few weeks without medical treatment." Of course, this doesn't mean that people in emotional distress who have heart symptoms shouldn't seek immediate medical attention—of course, they should—but it does remind us that our minds and hearts are intimately connected. And that, fortunately, one is very capable of healing the other.