My diet:

Basil

No E-numberSpices & herbsOrigin: Plant
Get a personal answer

Pick your family’s diets in the bar above.

Every diet

VeganYes

A dried leaf of the basil plant.

Gluten-freeYes
HalalYes
KosherYes
KetoYes

No carbohydrate.

Low-FODMAPYes
The short answer
Basil is a dried herb leaf: vegan, gluten-free, keto, and one of the safest ingredients in the cupboard. Drying concentrates estragole, a compound EFSA has assessed closely, so a daily spoonful is not the same as a sprig in a sauce.
Generally safe

Fine for most people at normal amounts.

E-numberNone
Comes fromPlant
What it doesSpices & herbs
Glycemic index—
Daily limitNot set
Also calledBasil, Dried basil

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDANot evaluated as an additive
🇪🇺 European UnionNot evaluated as an additive
🇨🇦 Health CanadaNot evaluated as an additive
CaliforniaNo extra rules

Basil is sold as a food, not as an additive, so it carries no E-number and no regulator has assessed it under the additive rules. The general hygiene framework for dried herbs applies to it, and the ingredient has to appear on the label by name. The purified extracts and essential oils sold as flavorings are regulated separately.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

Fresh basil and dried basil are not the same ingredient in flavor terms. A fresh leaf is built on linalool and cineole, which give it the sweet, green, almost minty smell, while drying leaves estragole, a phenol, in charge instead. That is why a jar of dried basil tastes warm and peppery rather than green. A teaspoon of the dried leaves is about 1.4 grams.

Where it comes from: Basil is the dried leaf of Ocimum basilicum, a tender herb from the tropics of India that reached the Mediterranean long before the Middle Ages. The large-leaved sweet basil sold today is a different strain from the small, spicy one still grown in Asia.

Why it’s in food

  • Seasoning for Italian cooking
  • Color and flavor in pesto
  • Topping for pizza and pasta
  • Blend in Italian seasoning
  • Dried herb in soup mixes

Often found in

PestoPizzaTomato sauceLasagnaCaprese saladItalian sausageDried herb blends

Also listed as: Basil, Dried basil, Basil leaves, Sweet basil

Health & gut impact

Dried basil is a concentrated leafBenefit

A hundred grams of dried basil carries about 233 calories, 23 grams of protein and 37.7 grams of fiber, because drying a leaf takes out nearly all of its water. A teaspoon of the leaves is roughly 1.4 grams, so a normal pinch in a sauce is a small fraction of those numbers.

USDA FoodData Central, basil

Iron and calcium in a dried herbBenefit

The same 100 grams holds about 89.8 milligrams of iron and 2,240 milligrams of calcium, so a teaspoon of the leaves brings close to 1.3 milligrams of iron with it. That is a real amount rather than a trace, and it is one of the arguments for reaching for the jar instead of skipping the herb.

USDA FoodData Central, basil

Vitamin K against the daily intakeUnder study

Dried basil is one of the richest common herbs for vitamin K. The recommended intake for an adult is around 1 microgram per kilogram of body weight a day, which for a 70 kg adult is about 70 micrograms, and a teaspoon of the leaves supplies roughly 24 of them.

EFSA, dietary reference values for vitamin K

Estragole is what the drying leaves behindUnder study

Fresh basil is built on linalool and cineole, but drying shifts the balance and leaves estragole as the dominant compound. EFSA has concluded that a dose of estragole without a harmful effect cannot be established, because the substance is genotoxic and carcinogenic, and basil is one of the main foods that supply it.

EFSA Journal, scientific opinion on estragole

What can I use instead?

Oregano

Ratio: Use about half the amount

Best for: A sharper, more savory note in a tomato sauce

Thyme

Ratio: Use the same amount

Best for: A woodier herb for stews and roasts

Parsley

Ratio: Use the same amount, torn over the dish at the end

Best for: The fresh green note when basil is a garnish

Related

More spices & herbs:

Bay leafBay leaf is a dried herb that is safe at cooking amounts and fits every diet, including gluten-free and keto. The one thing to know is that the leaf itself is not edible, so pull the whole leaf out before serving the dish.Generally safeBlack pepperBlack pepper is a dried fruit and a genuinely powerful ingredient, because piperine blocks several of the enzymes that metabolize drugs. It is safe in ordinary amounts, and the interaction with medication is the thing worth knowing about.Generally safeCardamomCardamom is a seed pod used as a spice, and at cooking amounts it suits everyone, including gluten-free and keto eaters. Buy green cardamom for baking and chai, and black cardamom for the smoky note of South Asian curries.Generally safeChili powderChili powder is a ground blend of dried chillies and spices, safe in ordinary amounts and free of gluten, animal products and carbs. What matters is which one you buy: a cayenne-based American blend is several times hotter than a single ground ancho.Generally safe

Common questions

Is dried basil the same as fresh basil?

No, and the difference is bigger than it sounds. A fresh leaf is built on linalool and cineole, while drying leaves estragole in charge, so the dried herb tastes warmer and more peppery. A recipe written for fresh basil wants a smaller quantity of the dried one.

Is basil safe to eat every day?

In cooking amounts, yes. Basil has been part of Mediterranean and South Asian cooking for centuries and is one of the herbs most often listed as safe in culinary quantities. The concentrated products, basil essential oil and basil supplements, are a different question and a different conversation with a doctor.

Can you eat basil if you take warfarin?

There is no need to avoid it. Vitamin K works against warfarin, so the practical advice is to keep how much you eat steady from week to week. If a jar of dried basil has just started appearing in your cooking, that is worth mentioning to your pharmacist.

Why does my basil plant taste different from the jar?

Because the fresh plant and the dried leaf are chemically different, not just different in texture. The fresh leaf is greener and more aromatic, and drying pushes the balance toward the peppery phenol that dominates the jar. Neither is the other with the water taken out.

Is Basil safe?

Generally safe (95/100). Basil is sold as a food, not as an additive, so it carries no E-number and no regulator has assessed it under the additive rules. The general hygiene framework for dried herbs applies to it, and the ingredient has to appear on the label by name. The purified extracts and essential oils sold as flavorings are regulated separately.

Is Basil vegan?

Yes. A dried leaf of the basil plant.

Spotted a mistake on this page? Report it ›

Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • USDA FoodData Central, basil
  • EFSA, dietary reference values for vitamin K
  • EFSA Journal, scientific opinion on estragole