Top 12 scientifically proven health benefits of Rosemary oil

A Rosemary essential oil is a very popular perennial herb in the Mediterranean region. Its scientific name is Rosmarinus officinalis. Rosemary plant grows 4 to 5 feet in height, and its flower is blue. It was the central part of the Italian cultural recipes.  The traditional system of medicine such as Ayurveda, homeopathy and Chinese medicine used it in various illness. Now, its extract we cab repair its extract using steam distillation process. What it makes beneficial for multiple diseases is its three active compound found in it: Camphor oil, pinene, and cineole. Although it is bitter, it adds taste and aroma to the food. It is very abundant in vitamins, minerals, fibres, and antioxidant properties.

Health benefits of the rosemary oil:

It has a high potential for its use in the health industry. Here are some scientifically proven health benefits of the Rosemary oil:

1. Hair growth:

If you have hair loss problem, it occurs when your body starts producing too much DHT. To combat it we need to try herbal products which lower body DHT response and one of the best ways to do it is by taking Rosemary oil.

In a study published in 1998, 86 patients were taken having hair loss problem and divided them into two groups. One group massage their scalp with thyme, rosemary, vetiver, lavender, and cedarwood daily along with the carrier oil. While other group oiled their scalp with only carrier oils. The result shows that essential oils are a safe and effective treatment for hair loss.

The other benefits of it are that it supports the thyroid, the adrenal and other organs in the body, it naturally thicken your hairs. As the many studies prove that thinning of the hair occurs as a result of the emotional stress, it can be a nutritional deficiency, or it can be due to your adrenal and thyroid health, rosemary helps you in all these conditions.

2. It reduces stress, anxiety and Improves memory:

In the past, it often associated with good memory and popular medicine for brain-related diseases. Nowadays, some studies even show that rosemary can strengthen our mind and increase their learning ability. Further, rosemary can improve the flow of blood towards the head and stimulates our central nervous system.

A 2003 study published in the international journal of neuroscience also highlights the memory-boosting properties of rosemary.

Rosemary can help anyone who has dealt with everyday stress and adrenal fatigue. This is because oil can regulate the blood cortisol level. Thus, it relaxes our body.

In a study published in 2018, 68 university student were taken who were given 500 mg of placebo or rosemary oil randomly twice a day for one month. After one month, there was a significant improvement in memory performance was noted who has taken rosemary. It was also pointed out in the rosemary group that rosemary helps in reducing anxiety and stress and also improved sleep quality significantly [1].

The plants prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter that protects our memory and prevents diseases such as Alzheimer’s as we all know that beyond certain age limit like 60 years, everyone starts declining in mind, cognitive ability and also brain structure changes. Rosemary oil is a good fit for them as it helps in improving memory and help prevent and cure Alzheimer’s and dementia as per the study conducted in 2015.

It may be helpful for children with ADHD having the problem of forgetting things. But more research is needed.

Some researches confirm that it prevents the clotting of the blood in the brain which prevents the chances of the stroke. Taken it as a spice or rosemary tea helps in increasing concentration and memory. You may also like to read: Beauty Tips for Teenage Girls.

3. Anti-inflammatory and pain killer:

The compound found in the rosemary oil, i.e. pinene makes it a good anti-inflammatory and pain-killing agent. The two other compounds found in it, i.e., camphor and cineole are also anti-inflammatory. So, if you are struggling with arthritis or you have got pain in joints or muscle pain, you can do a mixture of rosemary oil with a little bit of coconut oil and rub it directly on the skin.

Studies confirm that it helps to cure warts or boil on the skin because of its anti-inflammatory properties.

A study published in Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry, concluded that rosemary has excellent anti-inflammatory properties due to various chemicals found in it.

It is excellent for your heart health because of its ability to help fight inflammation. It can eve naturally balance out cholesterol level and even be effective at fighting diabetes.

A study published in the Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery research confirms its application for musculoskeletal pain in hemodialysis patients.

4. Helps in detoxification of body:

Intake of rosemary as in the tea form or spice, act as antioxidants and also reduce the plasma enzymes of the liver which causes diabetes. As the liver is the only organ which has a prolonged healing process, rosemary increases the healing process of the organ. You can merely diffuse rosemary oil and smelling it, rubbing it on your neck and right over the liver-gallbladder area.

A study conducted on the rats confirms that rosemary essential oil increases the detoxification process by increasing the rate of flow of water which leaves the body [2].

5. Supports adrenal gland:

It is one of the top two essential oil which helps the adrenal glands. If you suffer from adrenal fatigue, chronic fatigue and low energy level of any type or high cortisol level, medical studies have proven rosemary oil can support the adrenal gland and help balance out cortisol level. As we know cortisol levels, if it is too high, it’s known as an aging hormone. So by using rosemary oil, you can slow down the aging process.

6. Boost immunity system:

It has antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties and this can help to defend against diseases and pathogens that can pose a threat to the immune system. Antioxidants can help to boost your immune system overall due to its contents of caffeic acid, carnosol, and betulinic acid.

Rosemary is well known for its antibacterial properties which fight against various bacterial infections especially those occurring in the stomach. Studies confirm that Rosemary helps to prevent the growth of H. pylori bacteria that is linked to stomach ulcers and bacteria causing staph infections.  Thus, it indirectly helps the immune system to fight off diseases.

In a study published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, it was confirmed that rosemary oil has Immunomodulatory effects.

7. Stimulates blood flow:

Rosemary is an excellent herb for improving blood circulation which helps vital organs getting more nutrients. It makes this happen by increasing the division of cells and expanding the blood vessels. It also boosts the production of RBC cells.

If we are experiencing cold even in the warm temperature, the chances are high that blood doesn’t reach that part where you experience coldness.

In a study, women with Raynaud disease applied rosemary oil topically, and it was found that her finger experience warmness after topically applying rosemary oil.

When you have Raynaud disease, blood vessels contracts were causing less blood flow in some parts of the blood especially fingers. Rosemary oil by boosting cell division expands the vessels resulting in more blood flow. Thus, it warms your cold body parts by increasing more blood flow.

8. Repels  certain bugs:

Use rosemary oil in place of chemical repellents for deterring harmful insects as it has no side effects as other chemical repellants we uses do. It is the most effective repellant for the blood-sucking insects which spreads toxic to our bloodstream through their bites.

Rosemary oil pesticide, EcoTrol, when sprayed in a greenhouse, tomatoes reduced the two-spotted spider mite by 52%. It also confirms that it has no harmful effects on the plants even if we use to double its recommended quantity.

9. Cures a cough, Cold and flu:

As an excellent anti-bacterial agent, essential oil like rosemary oil, vetiver oil, etc. helps you fight infection and get relief from the cold, cough and flu. This is because viral or bacterial infection causes all these problems.

10. Respiratory disorders treatment:

Asthma is a respiratory disease that inflames and narrow your airways. Usually, when we inhale, air moves freely through your windpipe then through large tubes called bronchioles. After it enters into tiny sacs called alveoli. Small blood vessels called capillary surrounds your alveoli. If you have asthma, inflammation and swelling occur in your airways. The specific substance causes your inflamed airways to overact even more resulting in an asthma attack.

Rosemary oil gives us better breathing instantly due to their expectorant properties. It helps to get rid of asthma by clearing inflammation and infections in the airways.

In a major study published in 2018 proves that carnosic acid present in the rosemary oil showed antiviral activity against the respiratory syncytial virus. In the same study, significant improvement shows in respiratory inflammatory diseases, such as bronchial asthma. Thus, it may be a future remedy for the treatment against asthma.

11. Fight against Cancer:

Rosemary oil has antioxidant properties helping us to fight against free radicals attacks which damage cell membrane, tamper with DNA. It is due to these free radical, cancer cells forms. By getting rid of these free radical from the body, it prevents the formation and growth of cancer cells.

According to many scientific studies, it is best to take it because it initiates apoptosis process in the cancer cells. And it is so selective between cancer and healthy cells that it does not harm healthy cells.

A recent study done in 2018 shows that rosemary oil has powerful anti-tumor properties in several areas of the body including colon, breast, skin, and blood.

One study found that rosemary oil at a concentration of 1 percent was able to deactivate the more than 90 percent of ovarian and liver cancer cells.

12. Anti-depressant properties:

In a study performed on the rats, the researcher checked rosemary oil’s anti-depression properties. The study result shows that compounds like carnosol and betulinic acid found in the rosemary oil produced anti-depressant effects in the rats [4].

In another human study, the subject using rosemary oil by aromatherapy shows a significant reduction in the depressive mood. A study published in 2016 confirms the stimulating effects of inhaling rosemary oil. After inhalation subject was found to have less mental fatigue and stress and become more active [5].

Potential side effects of the rosemary oil:

Although rosemary oil is safe to use, some person may notice some of its side effects like:

• Sun sensitivity
• Reddish skin
• Sometimes taking it orally may cause vomiting, uterine bleeding, and kidney irritation.
• Excess fluid in the lungs
• Avoid it during pregnancy as it may cause miscarriage.
• It may cause allergy to some people if applied it topically. So we need to perform allergen test before its use.

All the side effects that we mentioned above vary person by person. Hence, if you have any medical history or going through any sort of medication, always contact your doctor before using it for any purpose. The information provided above is only for the education purpose, not medical advice.