Herbs
Rosemary - The Hidden Health Benefits Of This Well Known Herb
Date: 01/05/03
Rosmary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a well-known culinary herb. Dried rosemary leaves are a popular seasoning for food... adding flavour to soups, stews, meat and fish.
Applied to the skin, rosemary essential oil helps strengthen the capillaries and has a rejuvenating effect. For this reason, rosemary is a common ingredient used in many cosmetics, including skin toners, creams, soaps and hair products.
However, beyond being a flavouring-enhancer for certain foods and its use in cosmetics, you may not be aware that rosemary extract has a long history of medicinal uses too. It has been used to treat a wide range of ailments, including stomach upsets, digestive disorders and headaches.
Recent research is now revealing even more benefits attached to this remarkable herb, including its ability to help prevent cancer and age-related skin damage, boost the functioning of the liver and act as a mild diuretic to help reduce swelling.
Two of the most important ingredients in rosemary, which are thought to be largely responsible for many of these therapeutic actions, are caffeic acid and rosemarinic acid - both are potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents.1
These two natural acids are effective at reducing inflammation which may contribute to asthma, liver disease and heart disease.2
Rosemary is proving an important defence against cancer
The antioxidants contained in rosemary help to protect your body's cells from damage by free radicals. They include monoterpenes, phenolic diterpenes and flavonoids, which are renowned for their ability to slow down the production of free radicals.3, 4
It is also a rich source of vitamin E (alpha tocopherol), another potent antioxidant, which contributes to its free radical fighting powers further still.5
DNA is your genetic blueprint, and it is particularly prone to injury from free radicals. Left unchecked, this damage can eventually lead to cells proliferating out of control, which greatly increases the risk of cancer.
Scientists from the department of Mutagenesis and Carcinogenesis, Cancer Research Institute of Slovak Academy of Sciences, in the Slovak Republic, have found that rosemary extract can significantly help to protect DNA against free radical damage.6
By blocking oestrogen, rosemary helps prevent breast cancer
It is well known that an imbalance of oestrogen hormones in women can contribute to breast cancer. Several conventional drugs such as Tamoxifen are aimed at blocking the effects of oestrogen to help reduce this risk. However, Tamoxifen can cause a range of unpleasant side effects, including hot flushes, vaginal bleeding, headaches and nausea.
Fortunately, rosemary offers a safe and natural alternative treatment. Dr Zhu and colleagues from the Department of Chemical Biology,
State University of New Jersey in the US, found that a 2 per cent concentration of rosemary extract given for three weeks was able to significantly inactivate excess oestrogen. Researchers believe that it works by stimulating liver enzymes, which inactivate oestrogen hormones like oestrone and oestradiol.7
Rosemary helps minimise the effects of ageing on your skin
As mentioned earlier, one of the traditional uses of rosemary is as a cosmetic. Recent research findings have now confirmed the skin-protective benefits it possesses.
According to researchers working at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Catania, in Italy, rosemary extract helps protect the individual components of skin cells, which may prevent age-related skin damage such as wrinkles.8
In a follow-up study the Italian researchers found that rosemary extract is able to exert even greater benefits. In particular, it was shown to safeguard a protective protein called HSP70. The role of this protein is to reduce damage caused by stress, free radicals and other toxins on the skin.9
Disarms harmful toxins and flushes them from your body
Another benefit rosemary extract has been shown to possess is an ability to inactivate toxins and then eliminate them from your liver, before they can inflict any serious damage.
French scientists from the National Institute of Agronomic Research in Dijon, found that rosemary extract encouraged detoxifying enzymes - including cytochrome P450, glutathione transferase and quinone reductase - to flush harmful toxins from the liver.10
In effect, rosemary stimulates your liver to work more efficiently, which helps you feel more healthy and energetic.
Rosemary helps combat the effects of water retention
Rosemary also has therapeutic properties as a mild diuretic - making it effective in reducing swollen ankles and bloating. Dr M Halaoui from the department of Biology, University of Fez in Morocco, has studied the effects of rosemary extract's diuretic actions on the kidney.
He found that a daily dose of rosemary extract in liquid form can improve kidney function significantly, increase urine flow, and preserve the essential minerals sodium, potassium and chlorium.11
This is important because conventional diuretics (water tablets) may actually worsen kidney function by speeding up the elimination of these essential minerals from the body.
What to take for best results
The recommended dosage is two 400mg rosemary capsules up to three times a day.
Warning: Pregnant women should not take rosemary extract. In addition, you should not take rosemary supplements if you suffer from high blood pressure or epilepsy.
Read more articles on the benefits of rosemary here
1. Masuda T et al. J Agric Food Chem 2002;50(21):5863-5869
2. al-Sereiti MR et al. Indian J Exp Biol 1999; 37(2):124-130
3. Saen-Lopez R et al. J Chromatogr A 2002953(1-2):251-256
4. Lee KG, Shibamoto T. J Agric Food Chem 2002; 50(17):4947-4952
5. Torre J et al. J Chromatogr A 2001;919(2):305-311
6. Slamenova D et al. Cancer Lett 2002;177(2):145-153
7. Zhu BT et al. Carcinogenesis 1998:19(10):1821-1827
8. Calabrese V et al. Int J Tissue React 2000;22(1):5-13
9. Calabrese V et al. Int J Tissue React 2001;23(2):51-58
10. Debersac P et al. Food Chem Toxicol 2001:39(9):907-918
11. Halaoui M et al. J Ethnopharmacol 2000; 71(3):465-472
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