Herb & supplement monograph

Basil Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Basil interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Basil is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Basil is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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On this page

Basil Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant Basil drug interaction appears low for most people. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and every one rests on lab or animal research rather than studies in people.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The combinations that deserve the most care involve blood thinners and blood pressure medications. Lab and animal studies suggest basil may make platelets less sticky, which could in theory add to the bleeding risk of anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs, where even small changes matter. Animal research also shows basil extract can lower blood pressure, so it might add to the effect of antihypertensive drugs. Neither effect has been confirmed in humans, but these medicines are monitored closely enough that the possibility is worth knowing about.

What the rest of the list means

Although basil appears alongside a long list of medications, that number reflects two broad drug categories rather than hundreds of separate proven problems. Every interaction here is theoretical, predicted from how basil behaved in lab or animal studies, and none has been shown to cause meaningful changes in people so far.

Check your medications against Basil

Based on HelloPharmacist’s Basil interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Basil

289 medications have a known interaction with Basil, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.

Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against Basil using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Basil interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
Possible. Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Basil combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs Basil affects

Every type of medication (drug category) Basil is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 2 drug categories Basil interacts with

Anticoagulant/antiplatelet DrugsAntihypertensive Drugs

Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Drugs

Theoretically, basil might increase the risk of bleeding when taken with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
In vitro and animal studies suggest that basil oils and extracts inhibit platelet aggregation.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Antihypertensive Drugs

Theoretically, basil might increase the risk of hypotension when taken with antihypertensive drugs.
Animal research suggests that basil extract can reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Basil: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

Basil is a popular cooking herb that is generally safe in the amounts used in food. While it has a long history of traditional medicinal use and contains antioxidant compounds, strong human evidence for most health claims is limited. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements or essential oils.

Scientific name: Ocimum basilicum
Family: Lamiaceae
Part used: Leaves, flowering tops, seeds, and essential oil
Common forms: Fresh or dried leaves, culinary herb, tea, capsules, extracts, and essential oil

People commonly use it for

Digestive upset and gas
Stress and anxiety
Antimicrobial support
Cold and cough symptoms
Headache
General antioxidant support

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallLikely safe

Basil is generally safe when eaten as a food, but concentrated extracts and essential oils are less studied.

PregnancyLikely Safe

When the above ground parts are used in amounts commonly found in foods.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingLikely Safe

When the above ground parts are used in amounts commonly found in foods.

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

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Overview

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is a fragrant herb in the mint family. It is native to warm, tropical parts of Asia and Africa and is now grown around the world. Many people know it best as a cooking herb that adds a sweet, slightly spicy flavor to sauces, salads, and other dishes.

Beyond the kitchen, basil has a long history in traditional medicine. People have used its leaves, seeds, and essential oil for digestive complaints, colds, headaches, and many other reasons. It is sold fresh, dried, as a tea, in capsules or extracts, and as a concentrated essential oil.

It is worth noting that Ocimum basilicum (sweet basil) is different from holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum, also called tulsi), which is a related plant studied separately.

How it works

Basil contains many active plant compounds. Its essential oil is rich in substances such as linalool, eugenol, estragole (methyl chavicol), and citral. The leaves also contain antioxidants like rosmarinic acid, along with vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron.

In laboratory and animal research, these compounds have shown antioxidant effects (helping neutralize unstable molecules called free radicals), as well as possible antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity. Some essential oil components may also relax smooth muscle, which is one proposed reason for its traditional use in digestive complaints.

Keep in mind that effects seen in a test tube or in animals do not always carry over to people taking basil by mouth, and the amounts used in studies are often far higher than what you would get from food.

Effectiveness

Does Basil work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 13 uses evaluated

13 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

For Basil, current evidence isn’t strong enough to rate any specific use. The conditions it has been studied for are listed below.

Also studied for 13 conditions — evidence insufficient to rate

Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Acne