In the wake of a recent NYT article suggesting that cooking with Rosemary, a daily ritual in the Italian city of Acciaroli, contributes to healthy longevity (living to 90 and older with excellent brain and heart function), let’s review 7 surprising health benefits of Rosemary and why it should also be part of your everyday diet!
- Improves Mood and Concentration: The aroma of rosemary oil can improve mood and concentration (http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00207450390161903). Not only does rosemary increase alertness in healthy men and women but studies found cognitive improvement in patients Alzheimer’s disease when Rosemary was used as part of aromatherapy over 1 month (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20377818).
- Restores Hair: A recent study comparing rosemary oil to minoxidil (Rogaine), in bald men and women found significant increases in hair counts after 6 months in both groups. However, there were fewer side effects following daily application of rosemary oil to the scalp (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25842469).
- Reduces Anxiety & Stress: As with lavender oil, the use of rosemary oil as aromatherapy also reduces anxiety. This was especially pleasing to nursing students where this treatment reduced stress levels and improved their overall final test scores (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19258850).
- Regulates Blood Glucose: Recent studies have found that rosemary extract improves glucose uptake in muscle suggesting that rosemary may be useful in the fight against insulin resistance and diabetes (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25794239).
- Improves Blood Flow. In a group of young healthy volunteers, rosemary extract dilated blood vessels, improved blood flow and reduced susceptibility to blood clot formation (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20734322).
- Has Anti-Cancer Properties: Rosemary extract contains powerful antioxidant chemicals (polyphenols) that inhibit the growth and accelerate death of cancer cells (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27470574).
- Prevents Wrinkles: Rosemary also possesses anti-inflammatory properties and studies have found that rosemary extract accelerates wound healing and may reduce wrinkles and skin aging (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4931025/).
For more information, see Dr. Miller’s website: http://www.drmichaelmiller.org
His latest book “Heal Your Heart: The Positive Emotions Prescription to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease” is Amazon’s top rated book in Heart Disease. Proceeds from Dr. Miller’s book are donated to the American Heart Association.