Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is an evergreen shrub with needle-like leaves and a woody aroma
Though best known as a food seasoning, it is one of the most popular aromatic and medicinal plants worldwide
Rosemary’s essential oil — which holds the plant’s core components, or essence — is extracted and sold in small
bottles. Despite its name, it is not a true oil, as it doesn’t contain fat
Due to rosemary oil’s use in folk medicine, many scientists are now testing its potential health benefits
Though most of this research is just beginning, it supports some traditional uses of the oil and illustrates possible new uses.
Here are 14 potential benefits and uses of rosemary essential oil.
In ancient Greece and Rome, rosemary was thought to strengthen memory
Research indicates that inhaling rosemary oil helps prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, a brain chemical important for thinking,
concentration and memory
When 20 young adults were asked math questions in a small room diffused with rosemary oil, their speed and accuracy increased in
direct proportion to the duration the oil was diffused.
Additionally, their blood levels of certain rosemary compounds likewise increased — illustrating that rosemary can enter your body
through breathing alone
Similarly, nursing students who breathed rosemary oil while taking a test reported increased concentration and information recall
compared to breathing lavender oil or no essential oil at all
Other research suggests that breathing rosemary and other essential oils may improve brain function in older adults with dementia,
including those with Alzheimer’s disease
Keep in mind that more research is needed
One of the most common types of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, better known as male pattern baldness, though it can also
affect females
Rosemary oil treats androgenetic alopecia by preventing a byproduct of testosterone from attacking your hair follicles, which is the cause of this condition
When men with androgenetic alopecia massaged diluted rosemary oil into their scalp twice daily for six months, they experienced the same increase in
hair thickness as those who used minoxidil (Rogaine), a common hair regrowth remedy.
Additionally, those who used the rosemary oil reported less scalp itching compared to minoxidil, which suggests that rosemary may be more tolerable
Other research indicates that rosemary oil may fight patchy hair loss, or alopecia areata, which affects up to half the population below age 21 and about 2
0% of people above 40
When people with alopecia areata rubbed a rosemary essential oil blend into their scalp each day for seven months, 44% showed improvement in their
hair loss compared to only 15% in the control group, who used the neutral oils jojoba and grapeseed
Other Benefits
– May Help Relieve Pain
– Repels Certain Bugs
– May Eases Stress
Simply smelling rosemary oil may ease your stress levels in situations like exam taking. Rosemary may reduce levels of cortisol, a hormone that can have
harmful effects on your body.
May Increase Circulation
you experience cold fingers or toes, massaging with rosemary oil may help warm them. It may aid conditions like Raynaud’s disease, but more research
is needed.
– May Help Perk You Up
– May Joint Inflammation
rosemary oil may prove useful for:
- Cancer: Rosemary oil has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, which test-tube studies suggest may fight cancer cells
- Liver and digestive health: Animal studies indicate that rosemary oil may stimulate the release of bile, which is important in fat digestion, and activate
your own antioxidant defense mechanisms to protect your liver - Food poisoning: Rosemary oil can help inhibit the growth of certain strains of bacteria that cause food poisoning. This requires using precise, very small
amounts of food-grade oil. Don’t experiment with this at home - Antibiotic side effects: Rosemary and other essential oils may increase the effectiveness of certain antibiotics. This may allow for a lower dose
of these drugs, which could reduce side effects
Antibiotic resistance: Rosemary and other essential oils may weaken the cell walls of antibiotic-resistant bacteria — not only damaging them
but also enabling antibiotics to enter.
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