Boost Brainpower and (Lots!) More with Homegrown Rosemary
You’re an unabashed herb and spice enthusiast. When you go to the market, you first peruse the seasonings and hope to find a new or unique herb. This week, instead of searching for a new, hidden gem, try revisiting a common, yet underrepresented, herb – rosemary. Rosemary is enchanting aromatically and a lovely addition to any meal.
Rosemary plants enjoy plots that are high and dry, surrounded by organic compost that drains easily. Rosemary can undergo extreme stress and duress, and bounce back (just like you after a 40-plus hour work week!). Full-grown rosemary bushes grow up to three to five feet in height and width. As with most plants, rosemary doesn’t typically fair well in frigid temperatures.
The luscious herb is an impressive therapeutic aide. You’ll often find it as an ingredient in hygiene products, and can be used to repel fleas and lice. Rosemary also can be combined with other herbs to ease headaches, help fight gene mutations and save blood vessels that help keep your ticker strong, and keep your skin toned and vitalized.
Recently, rosemary proponents have been boasting that the herb can boost brainpower. A study recently released in the journal Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology showed that blood levels of a rosemary oil component (1,8-cineole) correlated with improved cognitive performance. The one tiny downside the study found: “While it may help boost brainpower, rosemary was also found to have an inverse relationship with contentedness: the higher the concentration of 1,8-cineole, the less content the subject became.”
Okay. We can take a little discontent every now and then.
Find out how to make your own, homemade rosemary vinegar, rosemary oil or myriad of other rosemary infused delights, courtesy of our awesome Organic Authority writers!
Resources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/dining/01mini.html
http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/mvv1-00.htm
http://www.herbcompanion.com/herbal-living/in-the-news-new-rosemary-health-benefits-found.aspx
Image: Veganbaking.net
