This aromatic herb has long been used in traditional medicine across China, India, Europe, and the Americas — mainly for mild pain, headaches, and anxiety. The herb is rosemary.
A Claim Worth a Caveat
There’s a widely circulated claim that sniffing rosemary essential oil improved participants’ ability to remember tasks by 60–70% over controls. However, no citation is given for this specific figure, so it should be treated as unverified rather than established fact.
What the Real Research Shows
That said, numerous legitimate studies have found that rosemary is genuinely useful for:
- Memory
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Epilepsy
- Parkinson’s disease
How It May Work
The active ingredients appear to be rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid, and ursolic acid. A likely mechanism of action is the inhibition of the breakdown of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter closely tied to memory and cognitive function.
To get healthy now, consider incorporating rosemary into your routine — whether in cooking, tea, or aromatherapy.
For more tips on natural health, download the free eBook Health Secrets at peacediet.org.
About Dr. Terry Shintani, MD, JD, MPH
Dr. Terry Shintani is a Harvard-trained physician and nutritionist, named a Living Treasure of Hawai’i and recipient of the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Award for Excellence. He is the creator of the Peace Diet and the landmark Waianae Diet — published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and cited over 137 times — and the author of 16 books on natural health and nutrition, drawing on more than 35 years of clinical practice in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Learn more about Dr. Shintani’s work and recognition: NLM Native Voices
Sources:
- NIH/PubMed — Rosmarinic Acid and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition
- NIH/PubMed — Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and Cognitive Function: A Review
- NIH/NCCIH — Aromatherapy: In Depth