8 Natural Healing Benefits of Rosemary

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It’s no secret that rosemary adds a wonderful flavor to many meals, not to mention fills the home with a pleasant aroma. At the same time, it also helps your physical and mental health, a notion that goes back to the ancient Greeks in addition to ceremonial use in Hungary and England.

So, what is it about this common herb?

Read more to discover 8 healing benefits of rosemary.

1. Keeps Food-Borne Illness Away

We’ve all heard stories about people who became very sick from food borne pathogens. Clearly, no one wants that to happen to them. It’s always a good idea to follow proper cooking methods and notice food handling practices when possible, but rosemary (surprise, surprise!) can help. Several studies suggest that rosemary helps inhibit food-borne pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes.

2. Improves Memory

If your memory has been foggy more often than not, turn to rosemary. Experts say that simply inhaling a little bit of it can boost memory. In fact, in ancient Greece, it was common for students to place sprigs of the herb in their hair while studying for exams. Today, it’s not much different. While we aren’t styling our hair with rosemary sprigs (that I’m aware of anyway), researchers have discovered that when participants sniff this herb, their memory and ability to concentrate improves.

3. May Help Reduce Cancer Risk

This fragrant, tasty herb has been found to play a role in keeping both breast and colon cancer cells from replicating. That’s promising news, and especially pleasing considering that it’s a natural means of fighting cancer. In particular, rosemary is most beneficial in this case when used with curcumin or as in extract form.

4. Combats Stress

I don’t know about you, but some days are certainly more stressful than others! Enter rosemary. It lowers cortisol levels, the hormone associated with the body’s stress response. Rosemary also produces a sense of calm in people. One study even found that nurses in extremely stressful, busy situations who smelled the herb were less stressed during test-taking than those who didn’t inhale the pleasant aroma.

5. Improves Digestion

If you suffer from intestinal cramping, frequent gas, or other signs of irritable bowel syndrome, rosemary oil may help to ease these symptoms.

6. Fights Hair Loss

Alopecia areata is the name for the disease that makes people’s hair fall out or become thin. However, it can improve through rosemary oil treatment. In one study, experts found that when people massaged their scalps with rosemary and other essential oils like cedarwood and thyme for seven months, they had more hair growth compared to people who didn’t engage in such massage.

7. Provides Cold and Flu Relief

Rosemary oil contains anti-inflammation properties. Therefore, it’s an ideal way to keep respiratory issues at bay. From issues caused by allergies to the flu, the oil has been found to be effective. It can even ease sore throat pain.

8. Fights Free Radicals

Free radicals are oxidative stress that spells trouble for cells. They can cause new health problems to surface or magnify existing ones. Furthermore, free radicals can accelerate the aging process. However, antioxidants like rosemary help fight free radicals. With more fresh rosemary in your life, the risk of everything from heart disease to eye health problems decreases.

Using more rosemary in your daily routine is a healthy, natural alternative to pills or other methods for improving physical and mental health.

Turn to the natural healing benefits of rosemary today!

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Sources for this article include:
https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=75
https://www.antioxidants-for-health-and-longevity.com/health-benefits-of-rosemary.html
https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/rosemary
https://news.discovery.com/human/life/sniffing-rosemary-improves-memory-130409.htm

Jennifer