I was using rosemary in a recipe and decided to read up on the health benefits of rosemary. I almost had to pick myself up off the floor I was so amazed. Just the one about rosemary preventing hair loss alone made me wish I had learned about this herb many years ago!
Needless to say, I immediately brewed myself a cup of Rosemary Tea and I’ll tell you how to do so at the end of this post. I’m drinking it now!
In addition to the typical anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals found in other spices, it seems to have a set of compounds unique to itself that have powerful healing benefits.
Some of the benefits covered may have more to do with using Rosemary as an essential oil, or in skin care products and such. For me I’m focusing on more ways to include it in my diet.
A quick overview of the benefits of rosemary include: its ability to boost memory, improve mood, treat Alzheimer’s, heal cancer, reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and protect the immune system. Rosemary stimulates circulation, detoxifies the body and the liver, protects against bacterial infections, slows aging and heals skin conditions.
Rosemary is quite high in your standard vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, thiamin, folate, as well as minerals like magnesium, calcium, copper, iron, and manganese. It’s loaded with antioxidants in its phenolic compounds such as diterpene, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid, as well as in its essential oils such as cineol, camphene, borneol, bornyl acetate, α-terpineol, and α-pinene.
Used as oil of rosemary it slows greying of hair, prevents dandruff and baldness and promotes hair growth.
The aroma of rosemary is said to improve mood and clear the mind. It’s been found to improve memory performance, boost alertness, intelligence, and focus.
Rosemary has been linked to lower levels of cirrhosis of the liver and a faster liver healing time. Through its effects on the liver, it may help prevent type 2 diabetes.
The ingredient carnosol in rosemary balances androgen and estrogen hormones in the body. It also helps improve prostate health and enhance hair growth.
Rosemary could also be a powerful cancer prevention tool. Compounds in rosemary selectively kill cancer cells. These include manganese, carnosol, rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid and other rosemary extracts. They have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti proliferative properties in addition to their anticancer properties. It has shown promising results in the treatment of various cancers including colon, blood, breast, prostate, ovarian, cervical, liver, lung, bladder, and pancreatic cancer.
Are you ready to start drinking some rosemary tea yet?
Rosemary clears the respiratory system, providing relief from colds, flu, coughs and asthma. The rosmarinic acid prevents any fluid accumulation in the lungs. It also promotes weight loss and helps prevent blood clots.
In recent years, superbugs that are resistant to antibiotics have become a concern. Rosemary can come to your aid here. It’s powerful against bacterial infections, and is linked to preventing staff infections. It also eradicates gram negative and gram positive bacteria completely.
In simple terms, most if not all bacteria fall under one of these two main categories. This means rosemary offers protection against some of the most deadly infections known to man (as well as the not so deadly).
In closing, rosemary is also useful in skin care, boosting immunity, and maintaining gut health.
How to Make Rosemary Tea
Rosemary tea can be made with either fresh or dried rosemary. If you are using fresh, put a sprig in your teapot and steep about five minutes. You can steep it longer and draw more of the flavor and nutrients out but it starts to get a bitter taste.
I made mine using dried rosemary. I filled a tea ball strainer half way up and dropped it in a cup of boiling water and let it steep. Use about one heaping teaspoon per cup of tea.
You can also mix it with other herbal teas for a more unique taste and increased health benefits.
