Salvia rosmarinus. Originating in Asia and the Mediterranean Basin, this aromatic herb is used for cooking, fragrance, and medicine. Commonly known as “rosemary,” this evergreen shrub with needle-shaped leaves has an unexpected use: improving memory.
1,8-cineole, a aromatic found in rosemary oil, prevents the breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Acetylcholine, a vital neurotransmitter of the central nervous system, is responsible for brain and body functions including working memory and muscle contractions. Medications used to treat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease similarly aim to avoid the breakdown of acetylcholine.
A previous study performed by Filiptsova et al. observed rosemary essential oil’s effect on memory. The researchers studied 53 middle-school students, aged 13-15, from the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine after dividing them into a control and “rosemary” group. All participants underwent two tests called the “memory of images” and the “memory of numbers.” These tests evaluated the subjects’ image memory to recall different images and visual memory to recall specific digits, respectively. The researchers found that those who inhaled the rosemary essential oils performed better in both tests.
Another study observed the specific effects of 1,8-cineole on functional brain activation through a working memory task. A function of cognitive control, working memory is vital towards retaining easily accessible information. Working memory can be thought of as a sticky note that one can refer to temporarily. 69 young adults were asked to perform 1-back tasks during inhalation or skin application of different fragrant compounds and during a placebo effect. During the experiment, each subject was presented with a sequence of small numbers and were instructed to indicate whether the presently displayed digit matched the previously displayed digit. The subjects’ brain functioning and activity were observed through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which measures the changes in blood flow that arise with brain activity. Results of the study found statistically significant differences between the placebo trial and the experimental trial, suggesting that applying the different compounds to the skin changes functional brain activity.
Rosemary significantly enhances the quality of memory and increases mental alertness in all individuals.
Image Source: DrAfter123
In addition to improving working memory, rosemary essential oil has been found to improve prospective memory, or remembering to do tasks in the future. An experiment performed by Dr. Moss separated 66 students into a control testing room and another room where rosemary essential oil was diffused. Each student was asked to perform a prospective memory test that included different tasks such as retrieving an item after taking a separate dummy test designed to distract them. The more guidance a researcher had to give to remind the students what to do, the lower the test score they received. The results found that the students present in the “rosemary room” performed significantly better on their prospective memory test.
Essential rosemary oil not only is a key to smelling nice but also has the potential to improve the way we think. This natural product is nothing but a win-win situation!
Featured Image: © nolonely / Adbe Stock
