Rosemary is a Mediterranean plant widely used in cooking for its aroma and its rough and pungent flavor. Not only is it used in culinary ways, but for hundreds of years it has been an important product in traditional medicine as a natural remedy for headaches, vertigo, and to aid in sleep.
Recently, Harvard University nutritional psychiatrist Uma Naidoo has conducted a study in which she claims that it can regulate mood and enhance brain cognitive abilities, making it good for protecting this organ and improving memory.
The expert points out that there are recent researches “that support the numerous antioxidant and brain protective properties of rosemary”. In addition, Naiddo adds: “The use of the herb and its extracts can help alleviate pain while acting as a tonic for the nervous system, as it relieves symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety.”
The properties of this plant, such as carnosic acid, which protects the brain, prevent age-related cognitive disorders such as dementia or Alzheimer’s. In antiquity, the Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks used rosemary to improve understanding and memory.
Inhaling rosemary can help improve memory and concentration, and reduce cortisol levels, thus reducing stress.
Rosemary also improves prospective memory
In another study conducted by the University of Northumbria in Newcastle, United Kingdom, it was found that rosemary essential oil increased the chances of remembering various things from day to day by 60% to 75%, such as going to an appointment or remembering a special date, because it promotes prospective memory. This type of memory is the ability to remember events that will happen in the future and to remember to complete tasks at specific times.
