Rosemary, an evergreen shrub in the mint family, is indigenous to the Mediterranean coast, Portugal and northeastern Spain, though it grows widely in the United States today. The ancient Greeks used the leaves and stems, both fresh and dried, in cooking, perfumes, incense and medicines. The alchemist Raymundus Lillus first distilled essential oil from rosemary around A.D. 1330.
Ease Muscle and Joint Pain
The German Commission E approves rosemary essential oil as a topical treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. No clinical studies support the use of rosemary oil to relieve muscle or joint pain, however, according to both the University of Maryland Medical Center and the University of Michigan Health System websites. UMMC does note, though, that massage with rosemary essential oil can help ease the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Stimulate Hair Growth
Rosemary frequently appears as an ingredient in hair care products. Both traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic traditions include rosemary as a treatment to thicken hair or stimulate hair growth. In one study, subjects with alopecia areata massaged their scalps with a mixture of thyme, rosemary, cedarwood and lavender essential oils every night for seven months. At the end of the study period, the subjects in the treatment group showed significantly more hair regrowth than those in a control group.
Improve Memory
The ancient Greeks associated the pungent pine scent with memory. Students in ancient Greece often wore sprigs of rosemary in their hair while they studied, says James Duke in "The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook." Duke notes that rosemary essential oil contains about two dozen antioxidants as well as substances that prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, which is associated with memory loss in Alzheimer's disease. Rosemary oil improved the performance of students on memory-based tasks, according to a 2001 study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience. The study compared the performance of students on a variety of tasks after they'd been exposed to either rosemary oil, lavender oil or no aromatherapy. The students who worked in a room scented with rosemary essential oil performed significantly better on tasks that measured quality of memory.
Decrease Anxiety
Rosemary essential oil used in aromatherapy may decrease anxiety, suggests a 2009 study that measured pre- and post-test anxiety in a group of nursing graduate students. In the study, an aromatherapy diffuser containing rosemary essential oil was used during a major exam. The students had previously taken an exam with no aromatherapy and one with lavender used in a diffuser. The researchers then measured students' anxiety levels using a text anxiety scale. They found that both rosemary and lavender reduced anxiety levels, but students preferred rosemary because they were more alert when using the rosemary inhaler.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Rosemary
- International Journal of Neuroscience; Aromas of Rosemary and Lavender Essential Oils; Mark Moss et al.; 2003
- University of Idaho Extension: Rosemary
- University of Michigan Health System: Rheumatoid Arthritis
- PubMed.gov: Randomized Trial of Aromatherapy. Successful Treatment of Alopecia Areata
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