Rosemary

Other names: Garden rosemary

Scientific name: Rosemarinus officinalis

Common names: Garden rosemary, Mi-tieh-hsiang , Rosemary plant

Ayurvedic names:

Chinese names: Mi die xiang, Mi tieh hsiang

Bangladesh names: Rosemary

Arabic names:    إكليل الحبل (Ikleel al jabal)

Rain Forest names:

Family: Labiatae

Approximate number of species known:

Common parts used: Leaf, flower, oil

Collection: April and may

Annual/Perennial: Perennial

Height:

Actions:  Carminative, aromatic, antiseptic, antioxidant, anti-spasmodic, cholagogue, diaphoretic, cephalic, parasticide, antimocrobial, astrigent, emmenagogue, nervine, stimulant, stomachic, rubefacient

Known Constituents: Oil including borneol, linalol, camphene, cineole and camphor; tannins, resin

Constituents Explained:

Description: 

An evergrneen? Shrub with an ash colour with a large number of branches protruding out the side of the stem and scally bark.  The leaves are very small, opposite (picture), thick an dleathery feeling. They tend to be dark green on top, and whit eunderneath with a vein that runs down the middle.

When the flowers grow they are pale blue, or white, and they grow in short axillary racemes???.   A shrub believed to be native to the Mediterian it now grows worldwife.

Traditional Use:

A  common cooking additive.  Used to relieve headaches, Rosemary is also used to improve circulation.  It is sometimes used in cases of nervous exhaustion. An extract has sometimes been used on the hair to work in a similar manner to conditioner.

Used for headaches.1   The leaves are sometimes used for flavouring.1  Has been used for female complaints.1 A common ingredient in shampoo, and has been touted to prevent premature baldness.1

Externally it has been used for muscular pain.  Rosemary oil has been used on the scalp for premature baldness.

It has been used as a tonic in the elderly to invigorate the system.  It has also been usd in weight loss formulas to aid the digestino of fats in addition it’s been used for losing weight, headaches,b a mouth wash chrnoic fatigue, low blood pressure.

Clinical Studies:

A study assessed the olfactory impact of the essential oils of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and rosemary (Rosmarlnus officinalis) on cognitive performance and mood in healthy volunteers. 

One hundred and forty-four participants were randomly assigned to one of three independent groups, and subsequently performed the Cognitive Drug Research (CDR) computerized cognitive assessment battery in a cubicle containing either one of the two odors or no odor.

Visual analogue mood questionnaires were completed prior to exposure to the odor, and subsequently after completion of the test battery. The participants were deceived as to the genuine aim of the study until the completion of testing to prevent expectancy effects from possibly influencing the data. 

The outcome variables from the nine tasks that constitute the CDR core battery feed into six factors that represent different aspects of cognitive functioning. Analysis of performance revealed that lavender produced a significant decrement in performance of working memory, and impaired reaction times for both memory and attention based tasks compared to controls.

In contrast, rosemary produced a significant enhancement of performance for overall quality of memory and secondary memory factors, but also produced an impairment of speed of memory compared to controls. 

With regard to mood, comparisons of the change in ratings from baseline to post-test revealed that following the completion of the cognitive assessment battery, both the control and lavender groups were significantly less alert than the rosemary condition. However, the control group was significantly less content than both rosemary and lavender conditions.

Reference:

Moss M, Cook J, Wesnes K, Duckett P. “Aromas Of Rosemary And Lavender Oils Differentially Affect Cognition And Mood In Healthy Adults.” 2003 January http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12690999

Source:

                         Rosemary

Latin name:     Rosmarinus officinalis (LINN.)

Family:              N.O. Labiates

Other names:

Polar plant, compass-weed, compass plan, rosmarinus coronarium. (Old French) and incensier.

 

Rosemary is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves. It is native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which also includes many other herbs.

 The fresh and dried leaves are used frequently in traditional Mediterranean cuisine; they have a bitter, astringent taste, which complements a wide variety of foods. A tisane can also be made from them. When burned they give off a distinct mustard smell, as well as a smell similar to that of burning which can be used to flavor foods while barbecuing.

Rosemary is extremely high in iron, calcium, and Vitamin B6. The plant contains some tannic acid, together with a resin and a bitter principle and a volatile oil. The chief constituents of the oil are Borneol, bornyl acetate and other esters, special camphor similar to that possessed by the myrtle, cineol, pinene and camphene. It is colourless, with the odor of Rosemary and a warm camphoraceous taste. The chief adulterants of oil of Rosemary are oil of turpentine and petroleum. Rosemary yields its virtues partly to water and entirely to rectified spirits of wine.

Rosemary Wine when taken in small quantities acts as a quieting cordial to a weak heart subject to palpitation, and relieves accompanying dropsy by stimulating the kidneys. It is made by chopping up sprigs of green Rosemary and pouring on them white wine, which is strained off after a few days and is then ready for use. By stimulating the brain and nervous system, it is a good remedy for headaches caused by feeble circulation.

The young tops, leaves and flowers can be made into an infusion, called Rosemary Tea, which, taken warm, is a good remedy for removing headache, colic, colds and nervous diseases, care being taken to prevent the escape of steam during its preparation. It will relieve nervous depression. A conserve, made by beating up the freshly gathered tops with three times their weight of sugar, is said to have the same effect.

Rosemary

Herb Name: Rosemary


Other names: 

Rosemarine, 

Incensier,

Garden rosemary


Latin name: rosmarinus officinalis


Family: Lamiaceae

Common part used: 

The leaves and flowers as well as the essential oil are used.

Rosemary is a hardy bushy perennial shrub with aromatic, evergreen leaves and pale-blue flowers around the stem.

Rosemary is a tonic, astringent, restorative herb that relaxes spasm and increases the rate of perspiration, while stimulating the liver and gall bladder. It improves digestion and circulation and controls pathogenic organisms.

It has antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, spasmolytic, antioxidant, smooth muscle modulating, analgesic, venotonic, as well as anti-inflammatory properties.

It contains phenolic acids (rosmarinic acid), bitter diterpenes (carnosol, rosmanol) triterpenes (oleanic and ursolic acid), triterpene alcohols and flavonoids. The essential oil contained in the plant contains 1,8-cineole, a-pinene, camphor, b-pinene, borneol, iso-bornyl acetate, limonene, linalool, 3-octanone, terpineol and verbinol.

Medicinal Uses:

  • Internal use 
    • It is used with great success for dyspeptic complaints, flatulence and to stimulate appetite and the secretion of gastric juices. 
    • It is also used as supportive therapy for rheumatism and circulatory problems. 
    • In herbal preparations it can be included to ensure proper circulation to the penis. 
    • Furthermore it is used for headaches, as well as for nervous complaints. 
    • Rosemary is used widely in Mediterranean cooking and the fresh or dried leaves are used to flavor meat (especially lamb and kid), sausages, stuffing, soups, stews and to make tea. The flowers can also be added to salads.
  • External use 
    • Externally, rosemary helps to increase circulation and is very often used in hair care products and lotions as it stimulates the hair follicles to renewed activity and prevents premature baldness. 
    • It has two important properties – it is an outstanding free radical scavenger and therefore has amazing antioxidant properties, and secondly has an remarkable stimulating effect on the skin. 
    • Apart from this, it has good antiseptic properties and is traditionally used for hair and scalp stimulation, as well as anti-aging products. 
    • It has rubefacient properties and therefore is most useful when an increase of blood flow is required or when below-par circulation needs to be rectified. 
    • Rosemary is an effective treatment against scurf and dandruff. 
    • It can also be used in mouth rinses and gargles; and is applied topically to stimulate circulation. 
    • It has analgesic as well as antibacterial, antifungal and anti-parasitic properties.
  • Aromatherapy and essential oil use 
    • This essential oil helps to clear the mind, sharpen the memory and boost the central nervous system. In the body it helps to clear respiratory congestion, including sinuses and relieving catarrh and asthma. 
    • Its analgesic properties are useful for treating rheumatism, arthritis and sore stiff muscles. 
    • Furthermore, it stimulates the liver and gall bladder and helps to lower high blood sugar. 
    • On the skin, it has a tightening effect and reduces bloating and puffiness. In hair care, it stimulates hair growth and fights scalp problems. 
    • It has analgesic, antidepressant, astringent, carminative, cephalic, cholagogue, cordial, digestive, diuretic, emmenagogue, hepatic, hypertensive, nervine, rubefacient, stimulant, sudorific and tonic properties.