What is Rosemary?

Rosemary is a fragrant, evergreen herb, part of the mint family Lamiaceae, that produces leaves that look like hemlock needles. Originating from Asia and the Mediterranean, rosemary can survive prolonged droughts. It is most often used as a culinary condiment and can be found in several beauty products. Rosemary can be tiring to tend initially because of its slow growth rate, however, it can live up to 30 years in a lifespan. Rosemary is known for several health benefits and has two forms which are either trailing or upright. Rosemary produces flowers that are either pink, deep blue, white, or purple.

Uses of Rosemary

Rosemary can be used in many ways to give the optimum benefit to the body. Some of the uses of rosemary are listed below.

1. Rosemary can be used as a flavoring agent in preparing food substances to add a better taste and aroma to the food.

2. Rosemary can be processed into tea consumed to aid digestion and enhance good health.

3. Rosemary is also used to manufacture body care products such as shampoo, soap, perfume, hair conditioner, and oils.

4. Rosemary can be applied to the skin as a lightening agent to lighten dark blemishes and spots.

Traditional uses of Rosemary

Rosemary has been used in traditional medicine as a herb that helps promote mental functionality and memory. The oil extract of rosemary is used to enhance menstrual flow in women. Furthermore, rosemary oil extract is commonly used to make cosmetics products since the oil extract enhances hair growth, thereby preventing baldness.

Surprising facts about Rosemary

The name “Rosemary” is derived from Latin words "ros" and "Marinus," which indicate "dew of the sea." It represents the coastal region that occupies the plant.

Rosemary produces evergreen and needle-like leaves, with the upper part dark green in color and the lower part grayish in color.

Rosemary produces flowers of different colors depending on the climate; the colors of the flowers can be blue, purple, white, or pink.

Rosemary can be used in fresh or dried form as a spice and is popularly used while preparing dishes. 

Rosemary possesses an intense aroma, for which it is used in aromatherapy and for producing several lotions in the cosmetics industry.

The consumption of a high dose of rosemary oil extract can lead to poisoning.

Rosemary is used in traditional medicine to treat rheumatism, sores, and enhance memory.

In some parts of the world, the groom, bride, and guests wear rosemary branches as a sign of love and loyalty.

Rosemary can be cultivated through its seeds or part cuttings.

Rosemary can survive a long period of drought but is very susceptible to overwatering as it leads to the root rotting.

Health benefits of Rosemary and why myAir bars contain it 

Rosemary can provide the body with a lot of health benefits; some of the benefits of rosemary are considered below:

1. Rosemary can help to relieve pain

In traditional medicine, rosemary is used to relieve mild pain. In a study carried out for two weeks, stroke survivors with shoulder pain experienced about a 30% decrease in pain after taking rosemary oil blend with acupressure 20 minutes two times daily. The models who received acupressure only experienced a 15% decrease in their pain.

An animal study also confirmed that rosemary oil was more potent for pain relief than acetaminophen, the familiar pain medication used by people.

Rosemary oil is popular in traditional medicine because of its use as a pain reliever. Studies also prove its ability to relieve pain, suggesting that it may be more potent than acetaminophen.

2. Rosemary can help to improve brain functionality

Rosemary was thought to improve and strengthen memory in ancient Rome and Greece.

Research studies of 20 young adults in a room discovered that acetylcholine is prevented from breaking down through the inhalation of rosemary oil. Acetylcholine is a chemical in the brain responsible for memory, thinking, and concentration. A group of 20 young adults in a small room diffused with rosemary oil was tested in Mathematics. It was observed that there was an increase in their accuracy and speed concerning the period oil was diffused.

In addition, rosemary is able to enter the body through breathing it alone because the blood levels of certain rosemary compound also increase. Some nursing students who breathed the rosemary oil while taking a test also experienced increased concentration and recall information compared to living lavender oil or no essential oil.

Other research also declares that breathing rosemary oil can improve brain function in older adults with dementia or Alzheimer's disease. 

Breathing rosemary oil can aid one to focus and recall information easily. It can also improve memory even as one increases in age. 

3. Rosemary oil can repel harmful insects

Rosemary oil can be a realistic option to replace chemical products to eliminate dangerous insects that can infest the garden or bite one. Erotcol, made of rosemary oil, was sprayed on greenhouse tomato plants. It led to a 52% reduction in the population of two-spotted spider mites without causing any harm to the plants. Rosemary oil can also serve as a repellant for certain blood-sucking insects capable of spreading dangerous viruses and bacteria through their bites. 

Some people compared rosemary oil with 11 essential oils and found that rosemary oil had a long-lasting repelling effect on Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that spread the Zika virus. For 90 minutes, 100% of the mosquitoes were repelled by 12.5% rosemary oil dilution.  Furthermore, a spray containing 10% of rosemary oil was potent for controlling the spread of black-legged ticks, which harbor Lyme disease in areas densely infested by ticks in the northeastern United States. 

Rosemary oil can serve as a natural pesticide to inhibit harmful insects. The oil can also be used as a repellent against mosquitoes and ticks.

4. Rosemary oil can enhance hair growth and prevent baldness

Rosemary oil can help treat androgenetic alopecia, a hair loss common in males but sometimes affects females. Rosemary works by preventing a byproduct of testosterone which is the cause of hair loss due to attacking the hair follicles.

Some men with this hair loss condition rubbed diluted rosemary oil twice daily into their scalp for six months; there was an increase in their thickness like those that used a common hair regrowth remedy known as minoxidil (Rogaine). In addition, a report was made by some people who used rosemary oil which resulted in them experiencing minor scalp itching in contrast to those who used minoxidil. The report, therefore, suggests that rosemary may be more tolerable than minoxidil. Other research also shows that rosemary oil may combat alopecia areata or patchy hair loss, dominant in up to half the population of about 20% of people above 40 years and people below 21 years in age.

Several people massaged rosemary oil blend into their scalp for seven months daily; 44% of the people had improvement in their hair loss in contrast to only 15% in the control group that used grapeseed and jojoba neutral oils.

Rosemary oil may fight against some types of hair loss in both males and females who are affected.

5. Rosemary can aid an increase in blood circulation

Rosemary can serve as a remedy for cold fingers and toes. In a study of a woman with Raynaud's disease (a disease that can impair circulation), the study shows that her fingers became warm after rubbing her hands with a rosemary oil blend in contrast to a neutral oil used. These effects were confirmed by thermal imaging. Raynaud's disease causes constriction of the blood vessels in the hands and toes when a patient is tired or cold. Rosemary may help to expand the blood vessels, thereby warming up the blood so much that it circulates through the toes and fingers with ease.

Using rosemary oil may be a good remedy for warmth in anyone who experiences cold toes or fingers. It may also help conditions such as Raynaud's disease; however, more research is needed to determine this.

6. Rosemary can help to minimize stress

Many factors, such as anxiety or sleep deprivation, can cause stress. Breathing rosemary oil can help to minimize test anxiety.

Some nursing students breathed rosemary oil in an inhaler before and during their test time. They experienced a 9% decrease in their pulse, while there was no significant difference in those that did not consume rosemary oil.  In addition, 22 young adults inhaled rosemary oil, and after 5 minutes, their saliva had 23% lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol than those who did not inhale the compound. High cortisol levels can subdue the immune system, thereby leading to sleeplessness and mood swings, among many other problems.

Just inhaling rosemary oil can cause stress levels to drop.  Rosemary oil can also help to reduce cortisol levels, thereby reducing harmful activities in the body.

7. Rosemary can help to increase alertness

In traditional medicine, rosemary oil is usually used for fatigue and mental strain.

Twenty healthy young adults inhaled rosemary oil and reported that they felt about 30% more mental refreshment and around 25% less tired than inhaling placebo oil. This alertness results from the changes in the brain waves, increase in heart rate and blood pressure. When diluted rosemary oil is applied to the skin, it can get to the brain through the skin and also cause similar effects.

A study of 35 healthy people discovered that rubbing diluted rosemary oil on the skin made them more alert, energetic, cheerful, and attentive after 20 minutes compared to when they used placebo oil.

Rosemary oil may enhance energy, alertness, attention, and mood when rubbed on the skin.

8. Rosemary can help to reduce joint inflammation

A piece of preliminary evidence suggests that rosemary oil may help reduce tissue inflammation, leading to pain, stiffness, and swelling. This reduction occurs through the migration of white blood cells to injured tissues to release inflammatory chemicals.

Some people who had rheumatoid arthritis were given knee massage with rosemary oil blend for 15 minutes thrice a week. Results show a 50% decrease in inflammatory knee pain in two weeks compared to a 12% decrease experienced by those not given the oil.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition in the body that fights against the immune system. The immune system attacks tissues such as the knee, causing injury to the joint lining, leading to inflammation. 

Rubbing a diluted rosemary oil on the skin may help to reduce inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis and injuries. 

Conclusion

Rosemary is used in many ways to enhance good health. Rubbing rosemary oil extract on the skin and inhaling it can help heal many ailments in the body. myAir bars are packed with rosemary.

Footnotes

Efficacy and persistence of rosemary oil as an acaricide against two-spotted spider mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) on greenhouse tomato

Saber Miresmailli et al. J Econ Entomol. 2006 Dec.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17195668/

Mosquito repellent activity of essential oils of aromatic plants growing in Argentina

Y G Gillij et al. Bioresour Technol. 2008 May.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17583499/

Trial of a minimal-risk botanical compound to control the vector tick of Lyme disease

Peter W Rand et al. J Med Entomol. 2010 Jul

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20695287/

The effects of lavender and rosemary essential oils on test-taking anxiety among graduate nursing students

Ruth McCaffrey et al. Holist Nurs Pract. Mar-Apr 2009.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19258850/

Smelling lavender and rosemary increases free radical scavenging activity and decreases cortisol level in saliva

Toshiko Atsumi et al. Psychiatry Res. 2007

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17291597/ 

Effect of topical rosemary essential oil on Raynaud phenomenon in systemic sclerosis

Tido von Schoen-Angerer et al. Complement Ther Med. 2018 Oct.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30219447/

Cardiovascular effects of 1,8-cineole, a terpenoid oxide present in many plant essential oils, in normotensive rats

Saad Lahlou et al. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2002 Dec.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12564637/ 

Effects of inhaled rosemary oil on subjective feelings and activities of the nervous system

Winai Sayorwan et al. Sci Pharm. Apr-Jun 2013.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23833718/

Rosmarinus officinalis L.: an updated review of its phytochemistry and biological activity

Joana M Andrade et al. Future Sci OA. 2018

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29682318/

The Effects of Aromatherapy Massage and Reflexology on Pain and Fatigue in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Zehra Gok Metin et al. Pain Manag Nurs. 2016 Apr.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27091583/

Plasma 1,8-cineole correlates with cognitive performance following exposure to rosemary essential oil aroma.

Mark Moss et al. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2012 Jun.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23983963/

The effects of lavender and rosemary essential oils on test-taking anxiety among graduate nursing students

Ruth McCaffrey et al. Holist Nurs Pract. Mar-Apr 2009.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19258850/ 

Effect of aromatherapy on patients with Alzheimer's disease

Daiki Jimbo et al. Psychogeriatrics. 2009 Dec.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20377818/

Promotion of hair growth by Rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract

Kazuya Murata et al. Phytother Res. 2013 Feb.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22517595/

Rosemary oil vs minoxidil 2% for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia: a randomized comparative trial

Yunes Panahi et al. Skinmed. Jan-Feb 2015.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25842469/

Management of alopecia areata

M J Harries et al. BMJ. 2010.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20656774/

Randomized trial of aromatherapy. Successful treatment for alopecia areata

JiI C Hay et al. Arch Dermatol. 1998 Nov

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9828867/

Effects of aromatherapy acupressure on hemiplegic shoulder pain and motor power in stroke patients: a pilot study

Byung-Cheul Shin et al. J Altern Complement Med. 2007 Mar.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17388768/