Kitchen Herbs and Medicinal Uses - Rosemary

Rosemary is a familiar, fragrant evergreen herb which is native to the Mediterranean. It is well known for its use as a culinary herb, also to make body perfumes, plus many know it for its health benefits. Rosemary is a member of the mint family as well as many others like oregano, thyme, basil, and lavender. Rosemary not only tastes good in cooking, but it is a good source of iron, calcium, and vitamin B-6. Typically Rosemary is prepared as a whole dried herb or a dried powdered extract, and it is used in teas and liquid extracts which are made from the fresh or dried leaves. Rosemary has a long history for its medicinal properties. Traditionally, Rosemary has been used to help with muscle  pain, improving memory, boosting the immune and circulatory systems, and to promote hair growth.

Other identified medicinal uses for Rosemary include: A rich source of antioxidants properties which have a role in neutralizing harmful free radical particles. Anti-inflammatory compounds, improved blood circulation and boosting the immune system are also characteristics of Rosemary usages. In Germany, they have approved Rosemary for use for treatment of indigestion. According to research in psychology, Rosemary’s aroma improves a person’s concentration, performance, speed and accuracy, and mood. Because of the positive effects on the brain, Rosemary is recognized to fight free radicals in the brain, thus improving recovery and protection against brain damage and aging. Oncology reports identify Rosemary extract’s ability to slow the spread of human leukemia and breast carcinoma cells. Additional research is showing Rosemary extract is useful for anti-inflammation and anti-tumor agents. Lastly, Rosemary used topically improves circulation thus helping pain in muscles and from arthritis.