Introduction
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.; family Labiatae) is an aromatic, evergreen shrub. It is a popular spice used worldwide for culinary, medicinal, and commercial uses, including the fragrance and food industries. Both fresh and dried leaves have an aromatic flavor and camphoraceous taste when crushed which is consumed in small amounts as herbal tea, flavoring food such as meat dishes, marinades, bouquet garni, with baked fish, vegetable dishes, soups, salads, sausages, sauces, a beverage drink, as well as in cosmetics. The health benefits of rosemary are good for skin, hair, and weight loss. It improves memory and treats depression.
Geographical distribution
Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean region and widely spread in European, American, and Asian countries.
Nutritional value of Rosemary
The health benefits of rosemary are mainly because of essential oils, terpenoids, flavonoids, and alkaloids including rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid, carnosol, tannic acid, and gallic acid. It shows biological activities such as antibacterial, anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antioxidant, antithrombotic, improving cognitive deficits, antidiuretic, and hepatoprotective effects. According to the USDA nutrient value of thyme per 100 g is as follows (1).
Compound |
Amounts per 100 g. |
| Water | 67.77 g |
| Energy | 131 Kcal |
| Protein | 3.31 g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 5.86 g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 20.7 g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 14.1 g |
| Calcium | 317 mg |
| Iron, Fe | 6.65 mg |
| Magnesium | 91 mg |
| Phosphorus | 66 mg |
| Potassium | 668 mg |
| Sodium | 26 mg |
| Zinc | 0.93 mg |
| Copper | 0.30 mg |
| Manganese | 0.96 mg |
| Vitamin C | 21.8 mg |
| Thiamin | 0.036 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.152 mg |
| Niacin | 0.912 mg |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.80 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.336 mg |
| Folate, DFE | 109 µg |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 146 µg |
| Vitamin A | 2924 IU |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 2.84 g |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 1.16 g |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 0.90 g |
Health benefits of rosemary
1. Improves memory
One of the important health benefits of rosemary is that 500 mg twice daily for one month intake boosts memory, reduces anxiety and depression, and improves sleep quality in students (2).
2. Regulate blood glucose levels
Carnosic acid obtained from rosemary increases muscle cell glucose uptake thus preventing and/or managing insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (3). Moreover, rosemary reduces inflammation, tissue damage, and microbiota imbalance in the abdominal aorta by increasing the population of diabetes-resistant bacteria and decreasing the amounts of diabetes-sensitive bacteria (4).
3. Anticancer properties
The presence of rosmarinic acid in rosemary tea, oil, medicine, and leaves inhibits cell proliferation, cell survival, colony formation, and tumor spheroid formation and induces cell apoptosis thus treating prostate cancer, gastric cancer human leukemia, and breast carcinoma cells (5, 6).
Moreover, Carnosic acid found in rosemary acts as an antiangiogenic agent that stops tumors from reducing unwanted growth of blood vessels (7).
4. Antimicrobial properties
Rosemary is a rich source of carnosic acid which fights against different bacteria such as Escherichia Coli, Lysteria monocytogenes,Staphylcoccus aureus, Staphylococcus albus, Vibrio cholerae, Escherichia coli, and Corynebacterium (8).
Dried leaves of rosemary also help inhibit fungal growth and alterations in their hyphae, therefore, they may use to fight against dermatophytes like Trichophyton rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, and Microsporum gypseum (9).
5. Antioxidant properties
Carnosic Acid and Carnosol found in rosemary protect lipids from oxidation, and exhibit antioxidant activity to scavenge harmful radicals from the body thus protecting from harmful diseases (10).
6. Reduce bodyweight
Intake of rosemary reduces weight and fat mass gain by inhibiting pancreatic lipase, and β-glucosidase activity as well as modifies microbiota composition and increases fiber fecal elimination due to the presence of carnosic acid, therefore, protecting against obesity-related liver steatosis (11, 12).
7. Keeps hair healthy
Application of rosemary leaf extracts on the scalp improves hair regrowth which is interrupted by hormone imbalance thus rosemary shows a wonderful effect on the treatment of androgenic alopecia (13).
8. Treat Cataracts
Rosemary contains rosmarinic acid which delays cataract formation and reduces the severity of lens opacification (blur or hazy vision) by inhibition of abnormal aggregation of crystallin lens proteins thus restoring full transparency in human cataracts (14).
Rosemary also contains carnosic acid useful to treat retinal damage due to high environmental light and slowing disease progression in retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (15, 16).
9. Treat Occupational burnout
Burnout is a common problem with symptoms like physical and emotional fatigue, the feeling of incapability, and negative attitudes in the surrounding environment in employees who work in industrial environments. However, an intake of 4 g of Rosemary in 150 ml water per day for 2 months helps to reduce stress, signs of fatigue, and occupational burnout and causes relaxation (17).
10. Treat depression
Stems and leaves extract of rosemary may be used as an alternative therapeutic agent for the treatment of depression (18). The presence of flavonoids in the leaves of rosemary also helps to reduce stress and thus treat anxiety (19).
11. Reduce pain
Rosemary contains ursolic acid which acts as an antispasmodic agent that is very effective in suppressing pain like muscle spasms, and musculoskeletal, neurogenic, inflammatory, and abdominal pain (20). Rosemary extract also shows beneficial analgesic effects in the management of pain like musculoskeletal, neurogenic, inflammatory, and arthritis pain (21).
12. Treat opium withdrawal syndrome
Opium withdrawal syndrome is a set of symptoms (physical and mental) that occur after stopping or reducing the intake of medications and recreational drugs. However, intake of dried leaves of rosemary reduces the severity of withdrawal syndromes like bone pain, perspiration, and insomnia (22).
13. Treat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
Rosemary diterpenes like carnosic acid and carnosol inhibit neuronal cell death induced by a variety of agents and enhance the production of nerve growth factor (NGF) which is essential for the growth and functional maintenance of nerve tissue (23). Therefore, rosemary shows a wonderful effect on the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease (24).
14. Diuretic properties
Intake of rosemary extract increases water and electrolyte excretion from bodies thus this plant may be useful for the treatment of urinary disease (25).
15. Healthy heart
Oral rosemary extract supplementation improves blood flow, endothelial dysfunction, perfusion, and oxygen supply to peripheral tissue, therefore, reducing the risk of atherosclerosis (26).
Rosemary leaf supplementation also reduces the risk of changes in the heart’s size and shape that occur in response to myocardial infarction or cardiac damage by improving energy metabolism and reducing oxidative stress (27). Furthermore, rosemary is rich in carnosic acid which improves the plasma lipids profile like triglycerides and cholesterol levels (28).
16. Treat liver cirrhosis
Rosemary and olive leaves contain a high amount of antioxidant compounds which help to reduce liver cirrhosis (29). Rosemary also reduces inflammation necrosis and vacuolation in the liver thus protecting against acute liver injury (30).
17. Healthy teeth and gums
Rosemary leaves extract containing mouthwash and toothpaste fight against different bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans, S. salivarius, S. sobrinus, S. mitis, S. sanguinis, and Enterococcus faecalis due to the presence of carnosic acid and carnosol which is responsible for dental plaque, inflammations of the oral cavity and gingivitis (31, 32).
18. Antithrombotic properties
Rosemary is a potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation thus preventing blood clot formation (33).
19. Keep skin healthy
Daily intake of 250 mg of the combination of rosemary (polyphenols and diterpenes) and citrus (flavonoids) is beneficial to inhibiting UV harmful effects such as decreasing UVB-induced intracellular radical oxygen species (ROS) and preventing DNA damage (34).
Side effect of Rosemary
1. Avoid overconsumption
Rosemary leaves in excess quantity can cause some serious problems such as coma, spasms, vomiting, and, in some cases, pulmonary edema.
2. Rosemary interferes with iron absorption
Persons who are deficient in iron or are anemic should avoid taking rosemary (35).
3. Risk of contact dermatitis
Rosemary extracts and raw material contain chemicals with allergenic properties due to the presence of diterpene carnosol that cause contact dermatitis (36).