Put This Italian Herb In Your Medicine Cabinet

For thousands of years, the Italian herb rosemary has been used around the world for an impressively wide range of medical issues.

Europeans have used it to treat digestive problems and as a heart tonic. In Turkey, it has been traditionally used for blood sugar problems. And, according to an ancient Roman medical guide, rosemary could be taken to treat cuts, toothaches, and soothe itchy rashes.

Today, research confirms that the phytochemicals in rosemary can provide help fending off infectious diseases, dealing with diabetes, supporting better brain function and even improving eye health and cardiovascular well-being.

So, let’s take a look at why this herb has been so popular in both cooking and traditional medicine for centuries.

If you’ve been following the health news for the past decade, you’ve undoubtedly noticed a widening recognition that chronic inflammation – misbehavior of the immune system that damages the body – is a serious problem that makes millions of us more prone to illness. In fact, studies have linked inflammation to just about every bodily ill that endangers our health, including Alzheimer’s disease, depression, cancer, heart difficulties and much more.

So, when studies of cellular processes confirmed that rosemary can hold back inflammation, the researchers investigating this herb concluded that their findings “validate” many of its traditional uses.¹

Turning down inflammation

For instance, one study that looked at how rosemary affects cellular proteins found that it blocks activation of a family of proteins that could otherwise lead to damage caused by immune cells.²

Other tests have found that carnosic acid, one of the important natural antioxidants in rosemary, can both protect joints from the damage caused by rheumatoid arthritis and help the eye defend itself from the oxidative damage that occurs during age-related macular degeneration – an eye disease that makes your central vision blurry.

In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, tests indicate carnosic acid may suppress oxidation and inflammation in joints that leads to pain and stiffness.³

As for its effects on vision, lab tests show that it helps eyes build up stronger nuclear layers, the part of the retina that contains the nuclei of the rod and cone photoreceptors. That reinforced layer is better equipped to prevent impairment of the structures in the eyes that react to light – and that protection keeps eyesight intact.⁴

Keeping blood sugar under control

Research into how rosemary can help with diabetes shows it can help with blood sugar in surprising ways.

Tests in Canada demonstrate that carnosic acid and other natural chemicals in rosemary possess “insulin-like effects” and aid in lowering blood sugar and helping the body’s cells take in blood glucose more effectively.⁵

Other studies of rosemary demonstrate that it can also stimulate the release of insulin – which also keeps blood sugar in check – while also activating the body’s own protective antioxidant enzymes and limiting cardiovascular damage due to diabetes.⁶

Helps virtually every system in the body

The complete list of all the other benefits of rosemary is way too extensive to list here. But a few of the important effects include rosemary’s power to:

·       Help heal pneumonia: Research in the Middle East that combined rosemary essential oil with ginger essential oil found that the combo had a potent effect against the kind of pneumonia that frequently infects hospital patients.⁷

·       Support recovery from COVID: A study at the Scripps Institute indicates that rosemary’s natural compounds can block the spike on the COVID virus and keep the pathogen from infecting cells. The scientists note that their tests show that carnosic acid makes the receptors on human cells impregnable to the virus and may stop the infection in its tracks.⁸

·       Improve brain function and brain health: A study in England of the effects of consuming a drink containing rosemary extract shows that it can boost working memory while increasing blood flow to the brain.⁹ And other tests show that rosemary’s compounds cross the blood-brain barrier and lower oxidation in the brain’s neurons.¹⁰

Our takeaway

My take on this extensive research into rosemary is that, at the very least, it shows why we should be using rosemary as a spice in the dishes we eat at dinner.

Rosemary is also available as a supplement. You can even get rosemary as an essential oil which you can diffuse into the air. It’s worth noting that if you like to diffuse essential oils in your home or office space then rosemary is a good one to try because tests show that having rosemary in the air can lift your mental alertness and improve your brain wave activity.¹¹

If you choose the essential oil remember never to swallow it and always dilute it before you apply it to your skin. Follow the package instructions and consult your healthcare practitioner on how best to use it.

Best Regards,
The Green Valley Team