Rosemary: Believe the Hype

Rosemary, that staple of cooking, is now found to be more than just great tasting and easy to grow. Studies show it can boost your brainpower as well!

Ah, Rosemary! That most Mediterranean of herbs. The thought alone conjures memories of the heady aroma of lamb and rosemary grilling on the BBQ on a warm spring Sunday. What would our kitchens be without it?

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Rosemary has been touted for centuries as a sort of medical wonder plant. Claims of its powers range from preventing baldness and improving digestion to protecting against macular degeneration and staving off certain cancers, but the most long-standing assertion is that rosemary improves memory. Recent and compelling studies say this may be true.

In one test, volunteers were put in three different rooms with variously scented air; one with lavender, one with no aroma and one with rosemary. The participants were then asked to perform word puzzles and other demands on the memory. They were also asked to remember the location of objects hidden before sitting down to the tests. The room with no aroma gave a neutral result and the one with lavender caused a decrease in performance (Not a huge surprise, lavender typically being recommended as a sleep aide). The room with rosemary-infused air, though, showed a marked increase in performance.

Turns out, there is actual chemical science behind the result. There are compounds in rosemary oil that may be responsible. One of them, 1,8-cineole, may act to increase the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. It works the same way as inhalation-type drugs used in the treatment of dementia work, by preventing the breakdown of the neurotransmitter by an enzyme.

This makes sense. When you ingest a drug, it gets broken down by the liver. When you inhale it, the liver is bypassed, and the drug is delivered directly to the bloodstream. So in this way, the effects of the rosemary wouldn’t be diluted, and the result is a near immediate boost in cognitive memory ability.

Pretty cool, huh?

So the next time you chuck a sprig of rosemary on your John Dory, remember… this herb could very well be helping you remember to remember!

Turns out, there is actual chemical science behind the result. There are compounds in rosemary oil that may be responsible. One of them, 1,8-cineole, may act to increase the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. It works the same way as inhalation-type drugs used in the treatment of dementia work, by preventing the breakdown of the neurotransmitter by an enzyme.

This makes sense. When you ingest a drug, it gets broken down by the liver. When you inhale it, the liver is bypassed, and the drug is delivered directly to the bloodstream. So in this way, the effects of the rosemary wouldn’t be diluted, and the result is a near immediate boost in cognitive memory ability.

Pretty cool, huh?

So the next time you chuck a sprig of rosemary on your John Dory, remember… this herb could very well be helping you remember to remember!