5 Healthy Reasons You’ll Want to Add Basil to Every Meal

Whether you’re eating cheesy pizza, pesto pasta, or roasted chicken, basil is an ingredient that many at-home chefs consider essential. And for good reason: “Basil has a sweet, slightly peppery flavor that adds both delicious taste and a healthy touch to any meal,” says registered dietitian Michelle Routhenstein, MS, RD. “Fresh basil leaves are smooth and tender. I love using fresh basil in salads, as a garnish to a meal, in pesto, or chiffonade it into dressings and sauces for extra flavor.” Beyond its fun texture and delectable taste, basil is also a nutrient powerhouse. Here, we asked registered dietitians for five healthy reasons that will make you appreciate basil even more.

“Basil is rich in eugenol, an antioxidant that helps neutralize harmful free radicals in the body due to its high Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) score,” Routhenstein says. “A higher ORAC score reflects a greater ability to combat oxidative stress, which can lower the risk of chronic diseases, especially heart disease.” It all starts with adding these flavorful leaves to your lunches and dinners!

“Basil is a source of essential vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin K, vitamin A, and small amounts of iron and calcium,” says registered dietitian Avery Zenker, MAN, noting that “although basil is very dense in certain vitamins and minerals, we typically don’t consume it in large amounts.” Even so, it doesn’t take too many basil leaves to reap the benefits of their high vitamin and mineral content.

Basil’s rich antioxidant content also works to curb inflammation in the body. “Basil contains a number of phytonutrients, which are naturally occurring plant compounds that have health benefits,” Zenker says. “Many of these phytonutrients, like polyphenols, are antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory properties. Antioxidants help reduce inflammation by preventing oxidative stress caused by free radicals, which damage cells in ways that are linked to progression of diseases like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.”