Table of contents:
- The nutritional content of the rosemary plant
- Benefits of rosemary, a super versatile plant
- 1. Prevent hair loss
- 2. Reduce stress
- 3. Improve memory
- 4. Improve liver function
- 5. Potential against cancer
- What you need to pay attention to when using rosemary or processed products from rosemary
For those of you who often cook western or style food menus western may often use rosemary as a flavor and aroma enhancer. Apart from being a spice, this plant is also known as aromatherapy when it is packaged as an essential oil. However, that's not the only benefit of rosemary. Curious? Check out the following reviews.
The nutritional content of the rosemary plant
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) or better known in Indonesia as rosmarin comes from the Mediterranean, Europe. This plant is shaped like a small spruce that smells very good and is easy to grow anywhere, as long as the air is not too cold or too hot.
Apart from being used directly, rosemary oil is also often packaged as a tea, dried, or essential oil. Rosemary contains no cholesterol, sugar, or sodium, but is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances that are good for blood circulation and the immune system. In 2 grams of finely chopped fresh rosemary, there are:
- Energy as much as 2 calories
- Dietary fiber as much as 0.2 grams
- Vitamin C, B vitamins, and iron
Benefits of rosemary, a super versatile plant
Rosemary is known as a versatile plant because it can be used as a spice, essential oil, or made into tea because it has properties that are beneficial to the health of the body. Here are the benefits of rosemary that you rarely know.
1. Prevent hair loss
One of the most common problems with hair is hair loss. Without treatment, this condition can lead to thinning hair and even baldness. Chronic loss usually occurs in people with androgenetic alopecia, which is a genetic disorder in a person's sex hormones that attacks the hair follicles, making it easy to fall out.
A study examined the efficacy of rosemary essential oil in 100 women and men who had androgenetic alopecia for 6 months. The results show that rosemary oil can help grow new hair and thus prevent baldness.
Then, other studies conducted on animals showed that rosemary was able to inhibit the production of DHT, a naturally occurring substance produced to stimulate hair loss.
2. Reduce stress
Reporting from Dr. Ax, a study conducted by Meikai University, School of Dentistry in Japan states that aromatherapy with lavender and rosemary for five minutes can reduce cortisol levels in the body which can cause stress.
3. Improve memory
The International Journal of Nueroscience published a study on the effect of lavender oil and inhaled rosemary oil on brain performance. In fact, rosemary has a calming effect on the mind, improves mood, improves concentration, and sharpens memory.
Rosemary is also known to contain substances carnosic which can fight damage to brain cells due to free radicals.
4. Improve liver function
Rosemary turns out to have heaptoprotective properties, namely maintaining normal liver function and preventing damage to these organs, such as cirrhosis. This plant can protect the liver by increasing the amount of bile production and making the digestive system smoother.
5. Potential against cancer
Apart from being rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, rosemary also has an active component called carnosol. A study published in Cancer Letters, carnosol has been shown to be an anticancer agent that can fight cancer cells, but not damage other healthy cells.
The journal Nutritiens in 2016 notes that rosemary extract has been shown to exhibit anticancer properties in vitro to:
- Breast cancer
- Skin cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Blood cancer
- Colon cancer
What you need to pay attention to when using rosemary or processed products from rosemary
Despite its abundant benefits, rosemary is still safe to use in low doses. Too much consumption of rosemary or processed products from rosemary can cause serious side effects, although they are rare, such as:
- Vomiting and nausea
- Seizures
- Coma
- Pulmonary edema (buildup of fluid in the lungs)
- Miscarriage
In addition, the use of rosemary can affect the activity of several drugs, such as blood thinners (warfarin, aspirin, clopidogrel), hypertension drugs (lisinopril, fosinopril, captropil, enalapril), diuretic drugs (furosemide), and lithium. So, it's best to consult your doctor first before you use rosemary essential oil or other rosemary-based products if you have certain conditions.
