It has long been known that rosemary has healing properties. The Mediterranean spice not only has a calming effect on the nerves and at the same time invigorates when you are exhausted, but also influences blood pressure and theDigestion positive. Due to its strong and pleasant scent, rosemary is used not only in the kitchen, but also in cosmetics (e.g. in soaps and perfumes), as well as in alcoholic drinks. Various studies are now supposed to prove that rosemary spice also improves memory. What is true about this claim? Can such a rosemary effect really be determined and confirmed by studies?
There are several theories about rosemary's effect on the brain. According to them, the aromatic spice should not only do thatImprove memory, but also help you think more clearly. And for this it should be enough to consume it in dishes or in rosemary tea or water.
According to studies, simply inhaling the scent of rosemary oil has an effect on the brain by giving the scent a boost. Below we will discuss the different types of intake and explain the respective study results.
Danger:Rosemary interferes with some medications, including blood thinners, medicationsfor diabeticsand others, and should not be combined with them. Therefore, check with your doctor before you start consuming the spice or undergoing therapy with it.
Dried rosemary powder
A study by the Herbal Medicine Department of the Thai Sofia Institute tested the effects of rosemary in powder form on 28 older study participants. Dried powder was used in small quantities. The researchers found that this improved the speed of memory.
The effect of rosemary aroma
The cognitive ability has also been tested in various studies. The participants in the study performed various visual evaluation and subtraction tasks. The smell of the spice was emitted. The researchers found not only that the stronger the scent became, the better their thinking speed and correctness of answers, but also that the smell had a positive effect on the participants' mood. This also shows that rosemary has an effect on the psyche.
The benefits of rosemary scent from another study were also presented at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference. This study tested the effects of scent on schoolchildren - one group was in an aromaless room, while the other performed memory tasks in a room that smelled of rosemary. The latter showed better results in terms of memory than the other.
Rosemary fragrance oil effect
53 students between the ages of 13 and 15 underwent a similar test. Students' memory was tested in a room where rosemary oil was sprayed. The result was that the young people were able to remember pictures and numbers better thanks to the oil.
Rosemary flavored water
The effect of rosemary water was also tested in a study. The researchers compared the difference between thisWater with tasteand regular mineral water. 80 adults each drank 250 milliliters of one or the other drink. Participants who consumed rosemary water demonstrated improved cognitive function.
Benefits also found in mice and rats
Various tests regarding the effect of rosemary were also carried out on mice and rats - all with the same result: Consuming the Mediterranean spice has a positive effect on their memory. However, this is not necessarily transferable to humans. This means that results may vary between animals and humans.
Rosemary and health effects on the brain – where do the benefits come from?
Although there is no evidence, there are theories as to why rosemary might have this type of effect on the brain. One of them is that the antioxidants it contains are the reason for its benefits. These help the body, and therefore also the brain, to more quickly eliminate the damage that free radicals cause every day.
We have already mentioned that rosemary also has a certain effect on our psyche. Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center stated that the spice appears to be able to reduce anxiety, which in turn can lead to anxietyimproved concentrationand can contribute to the results mentioned above.
Study by the Herbal Medicine Department of the Thai Sofia Institute, published onJournal of Medicinal Food; Test with school children from theBritish Psychological Society; Study with rosemary waterhere; Study of thePenn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
