What is Rosemary Herb?
Rosemary is a common garden herb in several kitchens throughout the world. The botanical name of the herb is Rosmarinus officinalis and it has long needle like leaves with a strong aroma. Hence, it is used in various cuisines for flavoring foods and beverages, especially in Italian cuisine. Rosemary herb has several health benefits and it has been used since ancient times.
It is popularly remembered as a herb of remembrance, symbolizing loyalty and friendship. It is generally associated with weddings as well as funerals. It is considered to be a gift from Aphrodite, the Goddess of beauty and love. Goddess of beauty and love, the brides adorn it as wreaths as they considered it to be a fidelity symbol.
Rosemary herb is rich in caffeic acid and its derivatives like rosmarinic acid. The latter chemical compound plays an important role in several biological activities as it contains various antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Rosemary oil can also be used in aromatherapy. These qualities of rosemary herb make it beneficial for health.
The herb can be consumed fresh or can be dried and sprinkled in the food. The best way to get maximum health benefits of rosemary herb is to use the whole sprig while cooking and then removing the sprig as the leaves are tough to cook and they do not get soften while cooking.
Health Benefits of Rosemary Herb
- Vitamin A: The herb is rich in Vitamin A content and if you can have a few leaves a day, your Vitamin A requirement for optimal vision can be met. The content of Vitamin A in this herb also helps in maintaining the health of skin and mucous membrane
- Vitamin C: It is an excellent source of Vitamin C to boost up the immune system and collagen synthesis. It provides 22mg of Vitamin C in 100 grams of herb
- Vitamin B: It contains Vitamin B like folic acid and pyrodixine. These Vitamins help in repair and synthesis of DNA and RNA. This Vitamin also helps prevent defects in baby’s brain which is a major birth defect. It also helps prevent spine defects in pregnant women
- Dietary Fiber: Rosemary herb is rich in dietary fiber and it contains zero cholesterol. The leaves of the herb provides 131 calories in just 100 grams
- Therapeutic Benefits: Rosemary herb has several therapeutic effects and it also helps manage several health disorders and diseases:
- Cures inflammation and relieves stress: Free radicals present in our body cause oxidative stress and thus, it leads to aging, inflammation and carcinogenesis. Our body possess mechanisms like anti-oxidative stress and our saliva help beat this stress. A team of Japanese researchers have proved that aromatherapy of rosemary and lavender help increase the production of saliva and reduce the level of cortisone hormone by a marked level. Thus, rosemary oil help in relieving stress and reducing inflammation
- Rosemarinic acid helps in production of prostaglandin E2 which helps relax the smooth muscle, also aid in contraction and relaxation of blood vessels and regulate blood pressure
- Ward off infections: Rosemary herb oil contains several antimicrobial properties and thus, inhibit the growth of food borne pathogens such as Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogens,Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, fungus and yeast as well
- Reduces the risk of cancer: Rosemary herb helps in reduction of life threatening disease which is cancer. The herb is rich in rosmarinic acid, ursolic acid, carnosic acid and carnosol. These chemicals help suppress the growth of several types of tumors in different organs including liver, stomach, breast, colon, leukemia and melanoma cells
- Cures intestinal and gastric problems: Rosemary herb contains rosmarinic acid which helps relax the muscles of intestine and trachea. The chemical also helps protect the liver and stimulate the production of bile. Researchers of Al-Fateh University of Libya conclude that this chemical in the herb has potential to cure liver toxicity and even peptic ulcers
- Improves concentration and enhances memory: Rosemary herb helped improve the performance and overall quality of memory as suggested by International Journal of Neuroscience. The journal also concludes that rosemary herb helped in improvement of speed of memory, mood and alertness in adults
- Restores hair growth: The most important traditional uses of rosemary herb oil is that it helps promote hair growth
In addition to these important health benefits of rosemary herb, it has also been proved to prevent the occurrence of spasmogenic disorders, bronchial asthma, ischaemic heart disease, atherosclerosis, poor sperm motility and cataract.
Precautions for Rosemary Herb
- The herb should not administered to children as the effects of this herb have not been studied in them. It should be taken in the range of 4 to 6 grams dried leaves per day
- Oral intake of rosemary oil should be avoided as it can be toxic
- High doses of this herb can lead to miscarriage in pregnant women, so doctor’s advice should be taken in this case
- The herb can interfere with aspirin or warfarin, blood thinners and can cause clotting in blood
- If a person is in diabetes medications, the use of this herb should be avoided as it can alter the sugar level in blood
