Rosemary Essential Oil - The Herb of Remembrance

Concentrated plant oils are powerful medicine, but not all of them are safe for internal use so it is recommended to use only chemotyped plant oils. Chemotyping certifies the correct plant, species, key compounds, dose, and safety. Rosemary essential oil (Rosmarinus officinalis) and Spanish sage (Salvia lavandulifolia) plants have a long history of use as aids to enhancing memory and learning.

In fact, rosemary is known as the “herb of remembrance.” Students in ancient Greece would wear wreaths of rosemary on their heads to aid their memory when taking examinations.  Rosemary symbolized remembrance and fidelity.

Modern research confirms how this herb actually works to provide the benefits for which it has long been known. Chemotyped Rosemary oil is a powerful antioxidant, meaning that it can neutralize dangerous free radicals that destroy brain cells. Once it crosses the blood/brain barrier, it does not activate until free radical stress is occurring.

This makes rosemary very safe and with few side effects – it does not act indiscriminately. It waits until it is needed before its effects are exerted.

Both rosemary and Spanish sage concentrated plant oils are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors – meaning they slow down the activity of the enzyme, acetylcholinesterase, which breaks down the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a messenger in the brain, carrying information between brain cells and supporting memory and learning. Low levels of acetylcholine are associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

These oils are able to help keep acetylcholine levels from declining. In clinical tests, healthy volunteers who took Spanish sage oil experienced improved memory and recall. When this plant oil was given to people with Alzheimer’s disease, their attention and focus improved.