|  | Diet Nutrition | Nutrition

Vitamins in Basil

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is a low-growing plant of the Lamiaceae family. Used in cooking, fragrances and making essential oils, it has been an important herb for centuries. Like many herbs and spices, basil contains small, but measurable, levels of vitamins, including A, niacin (B3), folic acid (B9) and K. While all vitamins are important during pregnancy, folic acid and vitamin A play particularly critical roles during this time. Because herbs are flavorings, not main food ingredients, think of any vitamins that they provide as nutritional bonuses.

  1. Vitamin A

    • Vitamin A is important in developing and maintaining normal vision and immune system function. It also enhances reproduction, gene expression and embryonic development (the early stages of pregnancy). These three factors are involved in healthy reproduction and the normal expression of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), so it is especially important for pregnant women to take note of their Vitamin A intakes.

      Basil contains 16 mcg of Vitamin A per 1/4 cup of whole, fresh leaves. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends 900 mcg per day for men ages 19 to 30 years and 700 mcg for women in the same age bracket. Both groups have an upper limit (UL) of 3,000 mcg per day. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for pregnant women is 770 mcg, with an UL of 3,000 mcg.

    Niacin (B3)

    • Niacin, or B3, is important for many "biological reduction and oxidation reactions," according to the USDA, which provides nutritional information. In other words, niacin is required for processes involving energy metabolism.

      One-quarter cup of fresh, whole basil leaves contains 0.54 mg of niacin. The RDA of niacin for males ages 19 to 30 is 16 mg per day and for women in the same age bracket it's 14 mg per day. Both groups have an UL of 35 mg per day.

    Folic acid (B9)

    • Folic acid, also known as folate and B9, is involved in the proper metabolism of amino and nucleic acids. You may be the most familiar with amino acids as the building blocks of proteins and with nucleic acids as part of DNA and ribonucleic acids (RNA). As with Vitamin A, folic acid has been found to be extremely important during pregnancy. This vitamin helps prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord if taken prior to pregnancy and during its earlier stages. Folic acid also prevents a specific type of anemia, megaloblastic anemia.

      One-quarter cup of fresh, whole basil leaves contains 4 mcg of folic acid. The USDA recommends 400 mcg per day of folate for both men and women ages 19 to 30, with an UL of 1,000 mcg. Pregnant women's RDA is 600 mcg, also with an UL of 1,000 mcg.

    Vitamin K

    • Vitamin K is important for the processes involving blood clotting and bone metabolism, specifically during the synthesis of many proteins.

      One-quarter cup of fresh, whole basil leaves contains 24.9 mcg of Vitamin K. The RDA for men ages 19 to 30 is 120 mcg per day, while women's RDA in the same group is 90 mcg. Basil can be a significant source of Vitamin K. A quarter-cup serving can provide women with more than 25 percent of the RDA for Vitamin K and provide men with more than 20 percent.

Nutrition - Related Articles