Health Benefits and Culinary Uses of Rosemary
A Kitchen Herb with Medicinal Properties and Functions
May 15, 2009
Rosemary has been one of the most popular herbs through the ages; it is also the most aromatic. The crushed leaves have a spicy aroma, and a bitter-pungent taste. It is best known as an ingredient in the kitchen, but it has many other uses. Herbalists use Rosemary to treat a number of ailments, due to its preventive and curative properties.
Uses of Rosemary as a Culinary Herb
Rosemary is a popular kitchen herb. It is used in a variety of dishes: soups, salads, vegetables, fish and lamb. A popular dish is rosemary with potatoes. Rosemary is a staple ingredient for those on a low sodium diet, thus highlighting its special flavor and aroma.
The blue flowers are sometimes used in salads, or to garnish dishes.
Medicinal Properties and Functions of Rosemary
Rosemary is used not just as a kitchen herb for cooking, but also for its medicinal efficacy. Its many health benefits are due to its anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial properties.
- Laboratory studies have shown that Rosemary contains chemicals called quinones, which have cancer prevention properties. Recent studies show that oil from the leaves of the Rosemary plant can help prevent the development of cancerous tumors in laboratory animals. It is believed that this applies to humans as well, though studies are on to confirm it.
- Rosemary is supposed to be an astringent and tonic.
- The Oil of Rosemary has carminative properties like some other oils, and thus alleviates stomach aches and headaches. It is often used as an ingredient in some liniments.
- In the olden days, rosemary was used to flavor wine and ale. Even today, rosemary wine is sometimes advocated for boosting the circulation and nervous systems.
- The leaves and flowers can be infused to make a special Rosemary tea. This tea is good for curing colds, headaches and nervous disorders. Rosemary tea also relaxes muscle cramps and calms nerves.
Other Health Benefits of Rosemary
- Apart from its medicinal use, rosemary tea made only with the leaves is a refreshing beverage. The preparation is simple. A teaspoon of fresh, or dried (and crushed) rosemary leaves is steeped in a pot of boiling water for five to ten minutes, and strained. It retains its flavor best without milk, but honey may be added for taste. A cup of warm rosemary tea at the end of a tiring day alleviates stress.
- An emulsion made of rosemary oil and hot water is recommended as a gargle, specially for relief from a sore throat.
- Ancient folk remedies list Rosemary as a memory-enhancer. This may have prompted Shakespeare’s immortal line, spoken by Hamlet to Ophelia: “There's rosemary, that's for remembrance”. In modern times too, the effectiveness of rosemary as a memory stimulant has been identified by scientists at the University of Cincinnati.
Rosemary has multiple uses, as an ingredient both in the kitchen and medicine cabinet. It adds to the goodness and flavor of dishes, while the tea has many benefits. Rosemary has medicinal properties, and is an antiseptic and anti-spasmodic. Therefore, it is good for the brain and nerves, and for curing common ailments. As a result, its popularity has spread from its native land, the Mediterranean regions, to all parts of the world.
(Caution: Internal use of essential/distilled oils can be dangerous, so a doctor should be consulted before using any herb for medicinal purposes, or as a home remedy).
Rosemary is a part of the mint family, and related to the Basil, another kitchen herb with health benefits.
