Rosemary
ROSEMARY
Salvia rosmarinus (syn. Rosmarinus officinalis)
Common Name
Family
Actions
Anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antispasmodic, astringent, bitter, carminative, cholagogue, circulatory stimulant, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, nervine
Energetics
Warming and drying and stimulating
Edible Uses
Rosemary is edible and is used regularly in cooking as it adds flavor and digestibility to food. It also makes a wonderful tea.
Native To
Regions around the Mediterranean.
Geographic Distribution
Cultivated worldwide. Grows best in warm regions comparable to the Mediterranean but will grow in most regions during the warmer months.
Botanical Description & Identification
Rosemary is a fragrant herb with a fibrous root system. Its stems are woody and its needle shaped leaves are green in color with a bit of gloss on top and white on the underside, with whitish fuzzy-like hairs. As a shrub it can grow up to 6 feet tall and does well in times of drought, proof of its warm weather origins. Its cultivars can appear both erect and creeping and blooms with white, pink, purple, or blue flowers all year round in warmer regions and in spring and summer, or not at all, in the cooler climates.
Key Constituents
Volatile oils, flavonoids, diterpenes, triterpenes, rosmaricine, rosmarinic acid, vitamin A, vitamin C, and minerals including calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, caffein acid, carbonic acid, carnosol
Sustainability Issues
None known.
Harvesting Guidelines
Rosemary's leaves bloom continuously. Harvesting regularly promotes growth.
Uses
**BENEFITS OF ROSEMARY:
Rosemary is known to:
*Reduce general pain
*Increase blood flow
*Ease tense muscles
*Improve symptoms related to headaches and migraines
*Aid the body in easing symptoms of neuropathy
*Reduce anxiety
*Reduce depression
*Repel unwanted bacteria (antibacterial)
*Improve memory function
*Boost hair growth
*Boost liver health
*Repel tumor cells
*Improve digestion
*Improve prostate function
*Reduce insomnia
*Uplift the mood
*Reduce unwanted bacteria (antibacterial)
*Reduce fungus (anti-fungal)
*Reduce unwanted microbes (anti-microbial)
*Stimulate perspiration to aid in fever reduction
*Reduce hair loss
*Dispel lice
*Improve conditions of edema
Rosemary is useful in the following more common disorders and diseases:
It is most well known for its digestive stimulating effects, commonly used in cooking and in herbal bitter tinctures for this very reason, as well as its all around
Most common uses:
Indigestion, dementia, neurodegeneration, poor circulation, low blood pressure, headaches, migraines, swollen joints, inflamed arthritis, gut inflammation, fungal overgrowth including warts, staph infection, cancer, liver protection, hair loss, mouth ulcers, IBS, cough, sore throats, congestion, memory enhancement, gout and overall water retention and puffiness
Fun Facts:
Rosemary is:
* A plant that's been with humans since the beginning of recorded time.
* Its name means "dew of the sea" in Latin.
* It has a strong earthy mint type of aroma that stimulates the appetite even from
afar.
* Mimicked as an artificial scent and used in commercial hair and body products for
its pleasant smell, however, in products where the essential oil of rosemary is used
it can repel pests, including lice and mosquitoes, and help the body restore its hair
follicles and skin cells.
* A superb natural preservative.
* An herb that the Romans used to make wine more aromatic.
References
Apelian, N., & Davis, C. (2019). The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies: The Healing Power of Plant Medicine.
Culpeper, N., & Foster, S. (2019). Culpeper's complete herbal. Illustrated & annotated edition. New York, Sterling Publishing Company.
Hoffman, D. (1987). The Herbal Handbook: A User's Guide to Medical Herbalism.
Holmes P. Aromatica: a clinical guide to essential oil therapeutics – Vol. I. Singing Dragon, London, 2016.
Holmes P. Clary sage. The International Journal of Aromatherapy, 1993; 5(1): 15-17.
The Herbal Academy Herbarium and Materia Medica. Copyright: The Herbal Academy.
Tisserand R, Balacs T. Essential oil safety. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, 1995.
McIntyre, Anne. (1996). Flower Power. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, Inc.
McIntyre, A. (2019). The Complete Herbal Tutor: The Definitive Guide to the Principles and Practices of Herbal Medicine.
Wood, M. (2008). The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants.
Safety
Rosemary is contraindicated for women who are pregnant or nursing except as a culinary herb.