When I think of Rosemary, I think of cooking. I really don’t think about the medicinal uses of this plant. In traditional Chinese Medicine, it is used to treatment lung deficiencies. It has been used to help with mental fogginess or mental fatigue, which I seem to suffer from occasionally. It has been used for indigestion and many other things. The next time you cook consider a dish with Rosemary.
Common Name: Rosemary
Botanical Name: Rosemarinus
Parts of the plant used: Leaves and Flowers
Main Constituents: Iron, calcium, vitamin B6, carnosic acid, rosmarinic acid, camphor, caffeic acid, ursolic acid, betulinic acid, rosmaridiphenol, rosmanol.
Therapeutic Actions: astringent, digestive remedy, antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant and increases blood flow
Traditional uses for the plant: asthma, fatigue, poor circulation, inflammation or digestive issues
What herbs are commonly used with this: black cumin, chamomile, cinnamon, cloves, sage, spearmint and thyme
Folklore, myth, and tradition: Rosemary was burned in sick chambers to make the air fresh and to purify it. People would string the Rosemary along and use it in courts to prevent jail fever.
Personal Experience: So the smell of Rosemary is linked to memory and when I was taking my board exams for licensing, I had tons of Rosemary on my desk. Just picture me taking a test and sniffing Rosemary.
Reference:
- McVicar, Jekka. Herbs For The Home. New York: Penguin Group, 1994. 160-63. Print.
- Ody, Penelope. The Complete Medicinal Herbal. New York: Dorling Kindersley, Inc, 1993. 92. Print.
- Levy, Betsy, Denise Webb, PhD, Leela Devi, MSN, RN, Risa Schulman, PhD, and Susie Epstein. “Reveiw of Natural Remedies for Asthma.” HerbClip (1999). American Botanical Council. Web. 21 Aug. 2013. <http://cms.herbalgram.org/herbstream/library/Herbclip/index.html#param.wapp?sw_page=@@review%3Fufgp%3D161%252Freview42271.html>.
- Glenn, Lori. “Rosemary – The Hardy Herb .” HerbClip Online. American Botanical Council, 31 May 2007. American Botanical Council. Web. 21 Aug. 2013. <http://cms.herbalgram.org/herbstream/library/Herbclip/index.html#param.wapp?sw_page=@@news%3Fufgp%3D329%252Fnews57.html>.