Rosemary: For Muscle Pain, Cancer Prevention and Hair Growth

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Rosemary is a perennial evergreen shrub that is native to the Mediterranean that now grows widely in some much parts of the world, particularly in sunny and warm climates. Its scientific name is Officially Rosmarinus officinalis.

The plant contains long, spiky needles that are silvery underneath and green on top, as well as small, blue flowers. In addition to being available as a fresh herb, rosemary is also available in dried whole herb, dried in capsules and as an oil.

Both the stems and leaves of the plant have been used for medicinal and cooking purposes for years. Here’s a look at some of the beneficial ways rosemary can help your health:

Health Benefits of Rosemary:

1. Cancer Prevention

Research that was published in Oncology Reports reported that “crude ethanolic rosemary extract (RO)” helped slow the spread of breast carcinoma cells and human leukemia .”

Another study, that was published in >Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry, reported that rosemary was found to be useful as an anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory agent.

Also, in aa report that was published in the Journal of Food Science revealed that adding rosemary extract to ground beef can help in reducing the formation of cancer-causing agents, which can develop during cooking.

2. Hair Loss

Rosemary has been asscoaited with hair growth in many cultures. Early study shows that applying a combination of rosemary oil, thyme, cedarwood, and lavender oil to your scalp can help improve hair growth, that is according to WebMD. In a study, individuals with a disease where hair falls out in patches or known as alopecia areata, experienced significant hair regrowth when they massaged their scalps using rosemary and other essential oils, as compared to those who just massaged their scalps with no oils. But, the study was poorly designed, UMM pointed out, therefore, researchers are not sure if the rosemary was responsible for the hair growth.

3. Helps in Improving Digestion

In Europe, rosemary is most often used to help in the treatment of indigestion. Germany’s Commission E has approved rosemary for in the treatment of indigestion. But, it is worth noting that there is currently no meaningful scientific evidence to support this claim.

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4. Muscle Pains and Aches

Early studies have shown that taking a combination of rosemary, oleanolic acid and hops, may help ease the pain that is associated with arthritis, that is according to WebMD. Also, rosemary oil has been approved by the German Commission E, as a topic treatment for muscle pain, arthritis-related pain and in improving circulation.

5. Protects Against Macular Degeneration

A study that was published in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, led by Dr. Stuart A. Lipton, Ph.D. and his colleagues at the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, reported that a carnosic acid, which is a known major component of rosemary, can help significantly in promoting eye health.

Rosemary could have clinical applications for diseases that are affecting the outer retina, including age-related macular degeneration, the most common eye disease in the USA.

6. Reduces Stress

A study that was conducted out of Meikai University, School of Dentistry in Japan, studies how 5 minutes of rosemary and lavender aromatherapy affected the salivary cortisol levels, or the “stress” hormone, of 22 healthy volunteers.

Upon observation that both essential oils can help in enhancing free radical scavenging activity, they also discovered that both can greatly reduced cortisol levels, which can help in protecting the body from chronic disease due to oxidative stress.

7. Skin Health

The anti-aging properties of rosemary are quite popular. Although most commonly known in its essential oil form, the leaves of rosemary can also affect your skin topically or internally, and has been reported to help in improving the quality of the skin, while also healing your blemishes and increasing the hydrated appearance and natural shine of your body’s largest organ.

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photo credit: pixabay

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